The intersection of disability and race represents one of the most significant and underexplored dimensions of ethical clinical practice in applied behavior analysis. As the populations served by behavior analysts become increasingly diverse and the prevalence of disability varies across racial and ethnic groups, practitioners face an ethical imperative to examine how their clinical practices either disrupt or maintain oppressive structures such as ableism and racism.
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Join Free →With the United States becoming increasingly diverse and disability being prevalent among different races and ethnicities (Passel & Cohn, 2008; Vespa et al., 2020), behavior analysts have an ethical obligation to ensure their clinical practice is effective and responsive in disrupting the maintenance of oppressive practices, such as ableism and racism. To date, the behavior analytic literature has yet to highlight the overlap of disability and race as it relates to clinical practice. Therefore, this presentation will inform on different models of disability, including Disability Critical Race Theory, to examine the intersectional considerations of ableism and racism in behavior analytic practices. Actionable steps will be provided to challenge structural inequities and promote inclusive practices across organizations, service providers, research, and education. More importantly, recommendations will be highlighted to address some of the ableist practices in applied behavior analysis that have been expressed by individuals from historically oppressed communities based on race, ethnicity, and disability.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
Dr. Natalia Baires (pronounced "by-res") earned her B.A. in Psychology and Chicano/a Studies from California State University Northridge, went on to complete her M.S. in Counseling/Applied Behavior Analysis from California State University Los Angeles, and earned her Ph.D. in Psychology/Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University.An English-Spanish bilingual, doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D), Dr. Baires' research interests include culturally responsive interventions/service delivery, social justice and equity within and outside the field of behavior analysis, compassionate approaches within behavior-analytic services and supervision/mentorship, the role of language and cognition from a Relational Frame Theory framework, and the use of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) to ensure sustainable behavioral flexibility and psychological well-being.As a scholar, Dr. Baires regularly conducts symposia, panels, and invited presentations at national and international conferences within behavior science in both English and Spanish. Her scholarly work includes publications on the importance of distinctions between open- and closed-ended indirect assessments, sexism, observational learning, the importance of listening (from a Skinnerian perspective) and intercultural communication to combat racism, stimulus-stimulus pairing, an intersectional examination of disability and race models in behavior-analytic practice, pay equity among practitioners who serve children, a contextual behavioral framework for enhancing culturally responsive services for Latino families, and a cultural adaptation of ACT for Spanish-speaking parents of children with autism.Dr. Baires is also serving as a co-guest editor for Behavior Analysis in Practice's special issue on Latin American women in behavior analysis. To find out more about Dr. Baires and her work, click the links below.Research Gate | LinkedIn
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
239 research articles with practitioner takeaways
224 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.