No Less Worthy: Recommendations for Behavior Analysts Treating Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities with Dignity
Treat every adult client like the adult they are—ask, don’t assume, and drop the kid talk.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Reid et al. (2018) wrote a position paper, not an experiment.
They asked: how can behavior analysts treat adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities with more dignity?
The authors read ethics codes, talked with providers, and listed simple practice swaps.
What they found
The paper gives a short checklist: say "client" not "kid," ask for consent, drop baby-talk, and let adults make small choices.
They warn that well-meaning staff can still act like the person is forever a child.
How this fits with other research
McComas et al. (2025) extends the same idea to autistic clients. They re-label disrespect as "ableism" and give an audit tool you can use tomorrow.
Valentino et al. (2025) show an agency that turned the dignity idea into action. They built an Ethics Network with a hotline so staff can flag shady practices before they harm client respect.
Sances et al. (2019) is the real-world proof. One adult with autism learned a beekeeping job with an activity schedule. The study shows supported work can respect both skill and dignity—exactly what Reid urged.
Why it matters
You can start in your next session. Ask the adult before you take their hand. Say "Would you like to walk?" instead of grabbing. Swap your goal sheet from "child will" to "client will." These micro-moves add up to macro-respect and keep you on the right side of both ethics and new anti-ableist guidance.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
In this article, the authors offer recommendations for behavior analysts on how to treat adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) with dignity. Initially, the importance of treating adults with disabilities with dignity is emphasized in terms of the impact on people with IDD, their family members, behavior analysts and other service providers, and the behavior analysis field in general. The recommendations are based primarily on the authors’ professional and personal experiences along with similar experiences of others involved either personally or professionally in the disability field. The focus is on ways in which behavior analysts speak and behave that reflect dignity versus the lack thereof as perceived by others and, where relevant, consensus opinion within the professional field of IDD. Ways for behavior analysts to acquire and maintain awareness of manners of speaking and behaving that reflect dignity within the local settings in which they work are also provided.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2018 · doi:10.1007/s40617-017-0203-y