Affirming Neurodiversity within Applied Behavior Analysis

Abstract

Criticisms of applied behavior analysis (ABA) from the autistic community continue to intensify and have an appreciable impact on research, practice, and conversation in stakeholder groups. ABA providers aspire to increase quality of life for autistic people; thus, it is imperative for providers to listen with humility and openness to the population we serve. Autistic individuals have unparalleled expertise in their own lives and their own communities. The concerns raised by the autistic community cannot, morally or ethically, be swept aside. There may be a misguided and harmful tendency to devalue concerns due to the speaker’s identification as autistic or due to their difference in professional credentials. The concept of neurodiversity can help the ABA field respond to these concerns and collaborate with the largest stakeholders of our services, the autistic clients we serve. This article summarizes some of the key criticisms that autistic advocates raise concerning ABA, discusses the social model of disability and the neurodiversity paradigm, and proposes practical guidance to help the field of ABA integrate neurodiversity and thereby evolve our research and practice. By openly acknowledging the criticisms against ABA and recognizing how we can do better as a field, we believe we can take practical steps towards a profession and a society that more fully embraces inclusion.