Sexual Behavior Analysis (SBA) is an emerging subfield that applies behavior-analytic principles and human sexuality research to support individuals navigating puberty, sexual identity, sociosexual behavior, and relationship development. For behavior analysts, SBA represents both a clinical opportunity and an ethical imperative: the populations BCBAs serve—particularly autistic individuals and those with developmental disabilities—experience puberty, attraction, and the full spectrum of human sexuality, yet historically these topics have been avoided or inadequately addressed in behavior-analytic practice.
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Join Free →Do you work with humans? Then you work with a population that is very likely to experience puberty, attraction, and desire for human connection. It's also possible that your clients are already engaging in sociosexual and/or sexual behaviors, navigating gender, or asking for help with such -- and perhaps you're like, "What the heck am I supposed to do?!" Well, this talk is for you! Sexual Behavior Analysis (SBA), a subfield that has gained a lot of traction the past few years, is the applications of best practices from both behavior analysis and human sexuality/sexology, utilizing an identity-affirming and highly reinforcing framework to build skills that can replace contextually-inappropriate behaviors. In SBA, such can range from intervening for a client with ID or ASD to shape harassment into flirting, all the way to assisting couples with having better sex. This subfield is one in which many, if not most, behavior analysts are dually-certified or in-process for such, demonstrating their sexological competencies, so this is not a "walk away with all the skills to apply" kind of talk; rather, it is an introductory exploration of the subfield, with a key focus on how any behavior analyst may benefit from training and/or consultation by those already in the subfield of SBA.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1.5 | Ethics |
Nicholas is a Certified Professional Member of the American Association for Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and serves as the Bylaws Committee Chair, as well as a member of the Mentoring Committee. He is an AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselor (CSC) who completed a 300-hour sex therapy practicum under Linda Weiner, LMSW, CSTS, and a 500-hour MFT practicum under Angela Skurtu, LMFT, CST.Nicholas Maio-Aether, MSPSY, BCBA, CSC, co-founded Empowered: A Center for Sexuality, LLC, nearly nine years ago with Jessica Naslund, LCSW, CSE, and Nicholas Maio-Aether, MSPSY, BCBA, CSC, and the organization has continued to thrive through multiple evolutions in service delivery. Their mission remains steadfast: to provide high-quality, inclusive sexuality services to populations who are often underserved and without access to such vital care.Empowered is a BACB Type 2 Learning CEU Provider and offers training to professionals committed to this mission. Recently, Empowered became a 50/50 partner with CEUs by StudyNotesABA to launch two formal certification programs in Sexual Behavior Analysis:Certified Behavioral Sexologist (CBS)Certified Behavioral Sexologist – Common and Couple’s Concerns (CBS-C)As a Sexual Behavior Analyst (SBA/BCBA), Nicholas acts both as a direct therapist and a subject matter expert (SME). In the SME role, he supports ABA teams, conducts comprehensive parent and staff trainings, and provides telehealth-based direct services when needed. He develops and coaches the implementation of behavioral interventions that honor individuality, neurodiversity, and queer identities, while building practical and sociosexual skills.Nicholas’s areas of expertise include human sexuality, autism, couples communication, anxiety management, flirting and dating skills, and pleasure-focused skill-building—whether solo or in consensual partnerships. With over 13,000 hours of experience in these areas, he is Board Certified and State Licensed in Applied Behavior Analysis.In addition to clinical work, Nicholas is passionate about training others in ethical ABA practices, with a commitment to addressing past harms within the field and fostering compassionate, person-centered care.Specialties: Sexual Behavior Analysis, Sex Consultation for Couples, Human-Centered ABA, Autistic Adults and Dating/Sexual Support, HIV, Human Sexuality, Special EducationPsychology Today Profile: Nicholas Maio-Aether – Psychology Today
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
256 research articles with practitioner takeaways
All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.