Cultural Responsiveness Curriculum for Behavior Analysts: A Meaningful Step toward Social Justice

Abstract

Clients of applied behavior analysis (ABA), specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) receiving treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), regularly experience the effects of systemic racism via biases in the healthcare system. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) as a science offers the necessary tools to support immediate, concrete actions to bring about social justice. This paper offers a brief conceptual framework of critical race theory (CRT); cultural competence, responsiveness, and humility; and social justice concepts. Applications to healthcare, including systemic racism and implicit bias, are offered along with points of personal reflection. These conceptual frameworks are synthesized in support of a cultural responsiveness curriculum, rooted in the tenets of CRT and cultural competence trainings in neighboring disciplines, that the authors offer as an immediate, actionable step that Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) can take today to broaden their perspective and proficiency. The prospective benefits of this work include effecting change in the access to and outcomes of behavior analytic services, particularly for the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in marginalized communities.