A Multilevel Framework for Compassionate Care in ABA: Approaches to Cultivate a Nurturing System

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) services have been shown to have empirically validated outcomes for autistic individuals and those with other neurodevelopmental disorders and disabilities (Gitimoghaddam et al. Perspectives on Behavior Science 45(3), 521-557, 2022; National Autism Center, 2015). However, there is considerable room for improvement on how those services are delivered. One much needed area of potential is to incorporate more compassionate practices within all aspects of the field including, but not limited to, the therapeutic relationship between the service provider, service recipients, and other stakeholders. Direct training approaches as well as acceptance and commitment therapy/training (ACT) and its various components have shown promising results for the incorporation of compassionate practices as it relates to the values of all involved in the therapeutic relationship (Tarbox et al., 2021). There are, however, currently limited intervention approaches in incorporating compassionate practices given the breadth of behavior analytic tools and technologies. Thus, this article seeks to offer a holistic organizational framework that is conceptually systematic while also providing guidance on how to create and cultivate a nurturing system and supportive processes for all organizational members and service recipients. This includes methodology supported by contextual behavioral science (CBS) and organizational behavior management (OBM) as well as current effective and evidence-based supervisory practices. Finally, this article concludes with potential future applications and areas for future study.