Cultural Responsiveness Curriculum for Behavior Analysts: A Meaningful Step Toward Social Justice
Run CRT-based lessons to shrink bias and make autism services fairer.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The authors built a training plan for BCBAs. It uses Critical Race Theory ideas.
The plan has lessons on bias, power, and culture. No kids were tested. The paper only describes the course.
What they found
The course is ready to teach. It has slides, readings, and talk prompts.
No test scores or kid data are given. The team says the course can lower unfair care.
How this fits with other research
Jackson-Perry et al. (2025) extend this idea. They ask for a whole new field called Critical Behavioral Studies. Where Mathur gives one class, Jackson-Perry wants full programs with autistic advisors.
McComas et al. (2025) also extend the work. They swap race bias for ableism. Their guide tells BCBAs to check goals and words that hurt autistic kids.
Catagnus et al. (2022) give a reason the course is needed. Their survey shows many BCBAs feel uneasy talking about race. The training fills that gap.
Why it matters
You can run the lessons at your next staff meeting. Start with the bias checklist. Ask your team to audit one client goal for hidden cultural assumptions. Small steps like this move our field toward fair care for every family.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Clients of applied behavior analysis (ABA), specifically Black, Indigenous, and people of color receiving treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), regularly experience the effects of systemic racism via biases in the health care system. ABA as a science offers the necessary tools to support immediate, concrete actions to bring about social justice. This article offers a brief conceptual framework of critical race theory (CRT); cultural competence, responsiveness, and humility; and social justice concepts. Applications to health care are offered, addressing including systemic racism and implicit bias, along with points of personal reflection. These conceptual frameworks are synthesized in support of a cultural responsiveness curriculum, rooted in the tenets of CRT and cultural competence trainings in neighboring disciplines, that we offer as an immediate, actionable step that Board Certified Behavior Analysts can take today to broaden their perspective and proficiency. The prospective benefits of this work include effecting change in access to and outcomes of behavior-analytic services, particularly for the treatment of ASD in marginalized communities.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-021-00579-3