One of the most persistent misunderstandings about behavior analysis in public discourse is the conflation of the science with specific treatments derived from it. Critics who characterize behavior analysis as harmful are frequently responding to particular clinical practices attributed to ABA — aversive procedures, rigid compliance-based approaches, historical use of punishment — rather than to the foundational scientific framework that underlies the entire discipline.
Provider: Autism Partnership Foundation
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Join Free →A growing number of people peremptorily characterize behavior analysis as an intrusive and harmful treatment. But BA is not a treatment. BA is a science, a very powerful science. The axiomatic assumption underlying the science is that behavior is a function of circumstances. And that assumption is the most powerful idea ever invented by personkind for understanding, knowing, and approaching human behavior especially when it is a problem. This idea is woven into the conceptual fabric of numerous effective inventions for some of the most intractable behavior/psychological problems confronting humans in the modern world. An abbreviated list includes juvenile delinquency, various forms of addiction, Tourette's syndrome, multiple other less pernicious habit disorders, almost every form of incontinence, sleep problems, lifesaving medical compliance, high intensity self-injurious behavior, anorexia, suicidal ideation, and I could keep going. But the purpose of this talk is to honor behavior analysts, not the effective treatments they use, and that the idea pervades. For two reasons. First the culture at large does not properly honor behavioral service-oriented work especially if the beneficiaries of the work have very limited access to political, economic, and social resources. And second, behavior analysts do not properly honor their fellow behavior analysts, and all too often, even themselves. This talk is part of an ongoing campaign to address both concerns.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB | 0.5 | General |
Side-by-side comparison with a clinical decision framework
Research-backed educational guide for behavior analysts
Research-backed answers to common clinical questions
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.