Equality and Fairness in ABA: So close, yet so far becomes clinically important the moment a team has to turn good intentions into reliable action inside clinical documentation, payer communication, supervision records, and leadership review. In So close, yet so far, for this course, the practical stakes show up in service continuity, accurate reporting, and defensible clinical decisions, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Women in Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →Applied behavior analysis is uniquely positioned to adopt a multicultural approach to intervention. However, this has only been studied in recent years, and there remains a great need for research with diverse populations. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was landmark legislation that forbade employers from paying women less money than men for jobs that require the same skills and responsibilities. Unfortunately, unequal pay practices have continued to this day, despite legislative and advocacy efforts. Female behavior analysts have not been immune to gender discrimination in pay, either. While blatant sexual discrimination, characterized by beliefs that women are inferior, is becoming increasingly uncommon, more subtle forms of discrimination, referred to as microaggressions are becoming more common (Jones et al., 2016). Microaggressions have more recently been defined as "brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial, gender, sexual orientation." If you're the target of workplace microaggressions, then you're likely feeling invalidated as a person, doubting your abilities, or questioning whether you belong in the social setting altogether. In fact, microaggressions can become so widespread and overwhelming that it takes a toll on your mental or physical health and creates a continuously hostile work environment. This presentation will review the status of ABA as a field in terms of research on multicultural issues, microaggressions in the ABA workplace, and suggestions on how to manage issues of unfairness and inequity. Multicultural Research in Applied Behavior Analysis: Where are we and where could we go? Angela Capuano Applied behavior analysis is uniquely positioned to adopt a multicultural approach to intervention. However, this has only been studied in recent years, and there remains a great need for research with diverse populations. This presentation will review the history of multicultural research in applied behavior analysis, explore ways to assess cultural competence, and provide resources. From Major to Micro Aggressions: How I Tried to Cope, Survive and Grow Across my 25-year Career in the Field of Applied Behavior Analysis Kelly Bermingham The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was landmark legislation that forbade employers from paying women less money than men for jobs that require the same skills and responsibilities. In 1999, I was paid less than a male that I supervised, because "He had a family, and I did not." The field of ABA was predominantly white males at this time. While this type of blatant sexual discrimination, characterized by beliefs that women are inferior, is becoming increasingly uncommon, more subtle forms of discrimination, referred to as microaggressions are becoming more common (Jones et al., 2016). In 2022 I was told by a male CEO, "If you smiled more, people might listen to you more." This was said to me last year when I asked for an explanation as to why I didn't have an office and wasn't a part of the same discussions as my male colleagues. Microaggressions have more recently been defined as "brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial, gender, sexual orientation." If you're the target of workplace microaggressions, then you're likely feeling invalidated as a person, doubting your abilities, or questioning whether you belong in the social setting altogether. In fact, microaggressions can become so widespread and overwhelming that it takes a toll on your mental or physical health and creates a continuously hostile work environment. Over the past 25 years I have cried, fought back, and tried to use my ABA skills to survive and grow in the field. Finding a group of amazing women and professionals in the field was the answer.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
Dr. Capuano is a licensed clinical psychologist and BCBA-D. She has nearly 20 years experience in the field of ABA and psychology. Her clinical work has spanned many aspects of treatment, from psychological and behavioral assessments to individual, family, and group therapy. She has expertise in diagnosing ASD and has advanced training in evidence-based treatments, such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Early Start Denver Model, and PEERS Social Skills program. In addition to her clinical work, she is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in the undergraduate and graduate ABA program and is a faculty mentor for the Michigan Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND).
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
239 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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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.