Behavior Analysts’ Training and Practice Regarding Trauma-Informed Care
Most BCBAs value trauma training but graduate without it, repeating a wider soft-skill gap first flagged in 2020.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Wheeler et al. (2024) sent an online survey to Board Certified Behavior Analysts. They asked how much trauma-informed training the BCBAs got in school, supervision, and continuing-education classes.
The survey also asked if the BCBAs felt ready to spot and handle trauma triggers during ABA sessions.
What they found
Most BCBAs said trauma training is "very important," yet almost none recalled receiving any. Coursework, fieldwork, and CEUs all scored near zero for trauma content.
Practicians reported learning about trauma only through personal reading or painful on-the-job surprises.
How this fits with other research
The result mirrors earlier surveys. LeBlanc et al. (2020) showed BCBAs graduate without training on caregiver relationships. Plattner et al. (2023) found the same gap for therapeutic alliance skills. The pattern is steady: soft skills are prized but missing.
O'Neill et al. (2024) extends the story. Their Ontario survey revealed scant cultural-responsiveness training, a cousin of trauma care. Together the 2024 papers map a wider preparedness problem.
Anderson (2023) gives the client side. Seven autistic adults describe ABA itself as traumatic. Wheeler's data suggest most BCBAs would not know how to respond to such trauma histories.
Why it matters
If you write behavior plans, you will meet clients who flinch, shut down, or bolt because of past trauma. This study warns that typical BCBA training leaves you unprepared. Push your supervisor, CEU providers, and university partners to add trauma-informed modules. Until then, preview new tasks, offer choice, and watch for signs of distress—small moves that align with trauma care even before formal training arrives.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Discussion of trauma and trauma-informed practices continues to be elusive in behavior analytic research despite the consideration that 60% of men and 50% of women in the general public are estimated to experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetimes (National Center for PTSD, 2023). In addition, it is estimated that, beyond post-traumatic stress disorder, an estimated 61% of adults have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention [CDC], 2019). It is clear from these statistics that neither trauma nor adverse experiences are uncommon. Further, these individual histories often affect future behavioral functioning, potentially resulting in the referral of the individual for behavioral services. The current study surveyed Board Certified Behavior Analysts to assess behavior analysts’ current practices and perceptions of trauma-related concepts and to offer insight into how behavior analysts perceive their competence in this area of diversity. Descriptive and Ordinary Least Squares regression analyses were conducted to identify the perceptions and relationships between training and understanding of trauma-informed practices. The majority of respondents reported that training on trauma-related concepts is extremely important, yet further reported having little-to-no training on trauma-related concepts across their graduate coursework, fieldwork supervision, or continuing education. Implications and future research are discussed. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-023-00836-7.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2024 · doi:10.1007/s40617-023-00836-7