Disability-Affirming Supervision: Future Directions in Applied Behavior Analytic Supervision

Ecko Jojo (2024) wrote a narrative review. The paper asks one question: how can BCBA supervision welcome disabled trainees?

The author gathered existing ideas on disability rights and blended them with ABA supervision. The goal was to give supervisors ready-to-use tools.

The review lists simple fixes. Give extra time to answer questions. Offer slides in large print or audio. Let trainees use fidgets or sit on yoga balls.

These small moves can keep disabled supervisees in the field. When people get what they need, they learn better and stay certified.

MSáez-Suanes et al. (2023) scanned every BCBA supervision paper. They found most are opinion pieces, just like this one. The new paper fills the same gap: lots of talk, little data.

Allen et al. (2024) pushed for neurodiversity-affirming therapy. Ecko Jojo (2024) takes the same stance but moves it into the supervisor’s office.

Garza et al. (2018) handed out checklists for fieldwork hours. The 2024 piece keeps those checklists and adds an accessibility column: bigger font, longer reply window, screen-reader files.

Sellers et al. (2016) listed five core practices—goals, feedback, BST, tasks, growth. The new paper keeps the five but asks, “Does each step work for a supervisee who is Deaf, ADHD, or autistic?” If not, tweak it.

You may have a supervisee who stims, needs captions, or learns best with pictures. This paper gives you permission to adapt without lowering standards. Try one change next week—maybe e-mail the agenda 24 hours early or add alt-text to your slide deck. Small moves make the field bigger, stronger, and more humane.