Despite a growing acknowledgment of the importance of understanding the impacts of trauma on therapeutic approaches and outcomes across human service disciplines, discussions of trauma have been relatively infrequent in applied behavior analytic (ABA) practice and research. For example, ABA has a rich history of successfully addressing dangerous behavior; however, certain evidence-based procedures may warrant reconsideration in light of the potential impacts of trauma on individuals and their behavior. In this presentation, after deconstructing barriers to assuming and including trauma in behavior-analytic approaches, I will describe a conceptual framework for incorporating trauma-informed care (TIC) into ABA.
The speakerwill provide some case examples of how the core commitments of TIC could be applied to assessments and treatments of dangerous behavior to prioritize safety, assent, choice, and skill development. Because behavior analysts may struggle to gain "buy-in" with caregivers and colleagues due to the counterintuitive nature of certain procedures, I will defend the inclusion of certain procedures (and omission of others) by invoking TIC as a guiding compass. What I hope you abstract from case examples is not a specific set of procedures, but an overall approach and an evidence-based strategy-guided values of compassion, empathy, and dignity--that you would feel comfortable and confident in applying to your practice right away.