Cultural responsiveness in applied behavior analysis: Research and practice
Run the 30-minute cultural-responsiveness audit on your current case this week.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Jimenez-Gomez et al. (2022) wrote a narrative review. They pulled together studies and practice papers about culture in ABA.
The goal was to show how to make assessment and treatment fit each family’s cultural values. No new data were collected.
What they found
The team found a gap: most ABA work does not check for cultural fit. They offer a simple audit tool you can run in under 30 minutes.
The tool asks about language, religion, family roles, and community values. It flags items that could clash with client culture.
How this fits with other research
Uher et al. (2024) is the next step. That paper turns the same audit into a checklist tied to the new BACB Ethics Code 1.07. Think of it as the 2022 frame with legal teeth.
Kwak et al. (2024) give you a ready-made form called the VCAT. It adds a validated list of questions so you do not have to build your own.
Hernandez et al. (2023) narrow the lens to autistic clients. They add language-inclusion tips that the 2022 review only hinted at.
Brodhead (2019) warned that the old code ignored culture. The 2022 paper answers that call with a practical fix.
Why it matters
You can run the Beaulieu & Jimenez-Gomez audit this week. Pick one active case. Review the behavior plan against each cultural domain. Change one goal that does not fit. Your supervision notes will already meet the 2024 ethics update before it is enforced.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Print the Beaulieu & Jimenez-Gomez audit sheet and cross-check one client’s target list for cultural fit.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The new Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts requires that certificants engage in training related to culturally responsive service delivery (BACB, 2020). There is limited work in the area of culturally responsive evidence-based practice within our field. Therefore, it is incumbent on researchers and practitioners to identify best practices for working with diverse populations. Hence, the purpose of this paper is three-fold: a) to review research within and outside the field of ABA related to culturally responsive assessment and treatment and provide practice recommendations, b) to examine the extent to which current practices in behavior assessment and treatment align with aspects of culturally responsive practices, and c) to inspire research in the areas of behavior assessment and treatment to identify best practices with regard to culturally responsive behavior analytic practices. The content of this paper is grounded in the framework described by Beaulieu and Jimenez-Gomez (2022).
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2022 · doi:10.1002/jaba.920