Affirming Neurodiversity within Applied Behavior Analysis
ABA needs autistic voices at the table to stay ethical and effective.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Mathur et al. (2024) wrote a position paper. They asked ABA to listen to autistic adults.
The authors reviewed past critiques of ABA. They mapped ways to make practice more neurodiversity-friendly.
What they found
The paper does not give new data. It gives a roadmap.
Key moves: use identity-first language, get client assent every session, and invite autistic people to co-write treatment goals.
How this fits with other research
Walsh (2011) told parents "ABA is great" in a cheer-leading essay. Mathur et al. answer, "ABA can be great if it changes." The gap shows how the field’s voice has shifted from marketing to self-critique.
Cascio et al. (2020) already wrote ethics rules for autism research made with autistic partners. Mathur et al. move the same idea into everyday therapy rooms.
Vassos et al. (2023) showed that autistic workers speak up when systems are unfair. Mathur et al. say clients can do the same if we give them real choices during sessions.
Why it matters
You can start tomorrow. Ask your learner which name and pronouns feel right. Build five minutes of child-led play into each hour. Note the behaviors that stay and the ones that fade when the client feels heard. Share the plan with parents and highlight autistic strengths, not just delays. These small edits honor neurodiversity without throwing your ABA tools away.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Criticisms of applied behavior analysis (ABA) from the autistic community continue to intensify and have an appreciable impact on research, practice, and conversation in stakeholder groups. ABA providers aspire to increase quality of life for autistic people; thus, it is imperative for providers to listen with humility and openness to the population we serve. Autistic individuals have unparalleled expertise in their own lives and their own communities. The concerns raised by the autistic community cannot, morally or ethically, be swept aside. There may be a misguided and harmful tendency to devalue concerns due to the speaker’s identification as autistic or due to their difference in professional credentials. The concept of neurodiversity can help the ABA field respond to these concerns and collaborate with the largest stakeholders of our services, the autistic clients we serve. This article summarizes some of the key criticisms that autistic advocates raise concerning ABA, discusses the social model of disability and the neurodiversity paradigm, and proposes practical guidance to help the field of ABA integrate neurodiversity and thereby evolve our research and practice. By openly acknowledging the criticisms against ABA and recognizing how we can do better as a field, we believe we can take practical steps towards a profession and a society that more fully embraces inclusion.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2024 · doi:10.1007/s40617-024-00907-3