Behavior Analysts' Use of and Beliefs in Treatments for People with Autism: A 5‐Year Follow‐up

Schreck and colleagues mailed a 60-item survey to 1,000 BCBAs in 2013. They asked which autism treatments each BCBA used and believed in. The survey repeated questions from a 2008 study so the team could track change over five years.

Almost every BCBA said they used reinforcement and task analysis. Yet many also endorsed treatments that lack strong evidence, such as sensory integration or facilitated communication. Ease of use, parent requests, and persuasive marketing guided choices more than research support.

Han et al. (2025) pooled 25 studies and showed high-intensity ABA gives medium language gains for autistic kids. The data were there in 2016, but Schreck’s survey shows BCBAs still picked non-EBPs.

Whiteside et al. (2022) repeated the same kind of survey six years later. They found most BCBAs had never heard of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions, another evidence-based option. The gap is not closing.

Gilroy et al. (2022) asked caregivers why they pick certain treatments. Caregivers chose programs with strong parent forums and Facebook groups, even when science favored a different choice. Together the three studies show both BCBAs and families chase buzz, not data.

If you write plans today, pause and audit your own caseload. List each procedure you use, then check it against the 2020 NAC or NPDC standards. Swap one low-evidence item for a high-evidence one this week. Model data-driven choices for caregivers and RBTs so the field moves forward, not sideways.