The Potential Role of Applied Behavior Analysis in the Cultural Environment of Māori Mental Health

Plessas and colleagues wrote a position paper. They asked how ABA can serve Māori people in Aotearoa-New Zealand.

The authors did not run an experiment. They reviewed culture, history, and mental-health gaps. Then they offered a roadmap for weaving Māori values into every layer of service.

The paper says ABA must change. Clinicians need to learn Māori language, family structures, and spiritual views.

Without these steps, services will keep feeling foreign. Engagement and outcomes will stay poor.

Mathur et al. (2022) widen the call. They give a ready-made cultural-responsiveness curriculum any team can copy.

Levy et al. (2022) push further. They frame the same duty as global anti-racist reform.

Najdowski et al. (2021) make it school-wide. They list concrete moves universities can use to train new analysts in antiracist practice.

McComas et al. (2025) shift the lens. They spotlight ableism against autistic clients, showing bias can hide along many axes at once.

You do not need to live in Aotearoa to act. Start by asking clients or families what cultural values matter most to them. Add one question about culture to your intake form this week. Small moves build trust and shrink disparity.