Neurodivergent Voices Leading the Way: Rethinking ABA for a More Inclusive Future

What If You Spent Your Whole Life Being Told That Everything About You Was Wrong?

Imagine walking into a room where every move you make is corrected. You’re told to stop flapping your hands, to sit still, to look people in the eye even when it makes your skin crawl. The things that bring you joy—rocking, humming, lining up objects in perfect rows—are labeled as “behaviors to fix.”

Now imagine that this isn’t just a single moment. It’s every day. Every therapy session. Every interaction with adults who say they want to help you.

For many autistic individuals, this isn’t a hypothetical. It’s their lived experience. And for decades, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has been the field responsible for shaping these experiences. But what if ABA had been designed by neurodivergent individuals, rather than for them? What if, instead of fixing, the goal was to empower?

This post isn’t about dismantling ABA—it’s about rebuilding it from the ground up in a way that truly serves neurodivergent learners. And that starts with one fundamental shift: listening to the voices of those who have been through it.

Key Takeaways

• ABA has faced criticism from neurodivergent individuals for promoting compliance over self-advocacy.

• Neurodivergent professionals are playing a crucial role in reshaping ABA into a more inclusive and ethical practice.

• Rethinking ABA means shifting goals from normalization to autonomy, self-determination, and authentic expression.

• Implementing neurodiversity-affirming ABA requires flexible, strength-based approaches that honor individual differences.

Understanding the Critique of Traditional ABA

ABA has been widely regarded as the gold standard for autism intervention, yet it has also faced significant criticism—particularly from autistic self-advocates. While the field has evolved, many traditional practices remain rooted in compliance-based teaching, which can inadvertently encourage masking (suppressing one’s natural autistic traits to appear neurotypical). Research has highlighted that prolonged masking is associated with increased anxiety, depression, and burnout (Mandy, 2019; Hull et al., 2021).

Some of the primary concerns raised by autistic advocates include:

• The focus on eliminating “autistic” behaviors rather than fostering self-advocacy and well-being.

• The overemphasis on compliance, which can lead to vulnerability and difficulty with self-determination.

• The lack of autistic voices in ABA research and practice, despite their firsthand experience.

If ABA is to continue evolving as a meaningful and ethical field, it must integrate these perspectives and address these concerns head-on.

For an insightful discussion on these issues, listen to this podcast episode on the neurodiversity movement which explores how neurodivergent voices are shaping the future of autism support.

The Rise of Neurodivergent Professionals in ABA

A growing number of neurodivergent individuals are entering the field of ABA as behavior analysts, researchers, and educators. Their lived experience offers valuable insights into how interventions can be more ethical, affirming, and effective.

Why Neurodivergent-Led ABA Matters:

• Firsthand Understanding: Neurodivergent professionals bring insights that neurotypical practitioners may not fully grasp.

• Challenging Harmful Practices: They are more likely to identify and challenge methods that promote masking or unnecessary compliance.

• Redefining Success: Instead of measuring outcomes based on neurotypical norms, they prioritize goals centered on self-advocacy, autonomy, and personal well-being.

By actively seeking neurodivergent professionals’ perspectives, ABA can shift from a top-down model to a collaborative, strengths-based approach that truly serves autistic learners.

What Would ABA Look Like If It Had Been Designed for Neurodivergent Minds?

What if ABA wasn’t originally created with the goal of making autistic individuals appear “normal” but instead was designed to help them thrive as their authentic selves?

1. Rethinking Goals: From Compliance to Autonomy

Instead of focusing on eliminating behaviors like stimming or avoiding eye contact, neurodiversity-affirming ABA would prioritize:

• Self-advocacy skills (teaching individuals how to express their needs, preferences, and boundaries).

• Coping strategies for emotional regulation that align with their unique sensory and cognitive profiles.

• Building strengths and passions rather than only addressing “deficits.”

2. Measuring Progress Differently

Traditional ABA often measures success in terms of increased compliance and reduced “problem” behaviors. But what if we instead measured:

• Increased self-determination (Does the individual have more say in their daily life?)

• Well-being and reduced stress (Are they happier and more engaged?)

• Functional communication (Can they express their needs in ways that are comfortable for them?)

3. Using More Flexible, Naturalistic Teaching Approaches

Neurodiversity-affirming ABA would move away from rigid, adult-directed teaching and instead incorporate play-based, interest-driven, and relationship-based approaches, such as:

• Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs), which integrate natural learning opportunities into meaningful activities (Schuck et al., 2022).

• Child-led teaching strategies, allowing the learner to guide the interaction rather than passively receiving instruction.

• Strengths-based education principles, which focus on autonomy and self-paced learning without relying on rigid instructional models.

The Future of ABA Is Neurodivergent-Led

ABA is at a crossroads. The neurodiversity movement has challenged outdated assumptions, and as a result, the field has an opportunity to evolve into something better—something built with and for neurodivergent individuals.

For BCBAs®, this is an invitation to rethink how we define success, how we approach interventions, and whose voices we prioritize in shaping the future of behavior analysis.

If we listen—truly listen—to neurodivergent voices, we can transform ABA into a field that fosters authenticity, empowerment, and meaningful support rather than mere compliance. The next generation of ABA isn’t about making autistic individuals fit into the world. It’s about making the world fit them.

For more in-depth learning on this topic, consider taking Neurodiversity-Affirming Care in ABA. This CEU course on neurodiversity gives you practical strategies for implementing neurodiversity-affirming ABA in your practice.

So let’s ask ourselves: How can we, as BCBAs®, commit to making this shift happen?

References

Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., Allison, C., Smith, P., Baron-Cohen, S., Lai, M. C., & Mandy, W. (2021). "Masking" in autism: A systematic review of research. Autism, 25(4), 895-915.

Mandy, W. (2019). Social camouflaging in autism: Is it time to lose the mask? Autism, 23(8), 1879-1881.

Schuck, R. K., Tagavi, D. M., Baiden, K. M. P., Dwyer, P., & Williams, Z. J. (2022). Neurodiversity and autism intervention: Reconciling perspectives through a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention framework. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52, 1135-1150.