Abstract
Cultural responsiveness is critical to providing high-quality behavior analytic services, particularly when providers and recipients have different cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to systematically replicate and extend (Beaulieu et al. (2019) Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(3), 557–575) by investigating the diversity among applied behavior analysis (ABA) service providers and service recipients in Ontario, service providers’ training and experiences in working with diverse families, and service providers’ and recipients’ perceptions of behavior analysts’ cultural responsiveness in practice. Results from 428 participants suggest that service providers and recipients in Ontario differ in demographic characteristics; service providers report having little training in how to serve diverse families; and although service recipients rate providers’ skills relatively positively, there is room for improvement. Results suggest a path forward for behavior analysis that includes education and training in cultural responsiveness as well as encouraging and fostering a bidirectional relationship between behavior analysts and the families they serve.
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Data Availability
The data generated and/or analyzed during this study are available in the GitHub repository, https://github.com/peoneill/Cultural-Responsiveness-in-Behavior-Analysis.
Notes
Please note that the term “cultural competence” was used in the original survey materials and in previous dissemination of this study. Although the term “cultural competence” was the commonly used terminology by those in the field while we were designing the study (e.g., Beaulieu et al., 2019), we have decided to update our terminology to instead use “cultural responsiveness” as we feel that better fits the currently accepted standard and better communicates the spirit of our efforts in this area. We believe the change in terminology from original conceptualization and distribution of the survey to the dissemination of this manuscript is appropriate as cultural responsiveness and cultural competence are regarded by some scholars as highly related. For example, Beaulieu and Jimenez-Gomez (2022) propose that cultural competence serve as a framework through which to have discussions about culturally responsive practice.
In the United States, RBTs make up a large percentage of BACB certificants (69%; BACB, n.d.-b). In contrast, a substantially smaller proportion of all certificants in Ontario hold an RBT credential (29%; BACB, n.d.-b). Compared to the United States, Ontario has different billing and insurance practices; funders typically do not require frontline therapists to have an RBT credential. Further, the education system in Ontario was designed specifically to develop the capacity of frontline therapists to provide services for autistic individuals and other ABA service recipients. This system includes educational opportunities such as a two- or three-year college diploma in Behavior Science and Technology, a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science, or a one-year post-graduate college certificate specializing in autism and behavior science. To the best of our knowledge, data on the proportion of frontline therapists who hold these credentials in Ontario do not currently exist, however these Ontario-based credentials are often listed as hiring requirements or preferences (as opposed to the RBT credential, which is less robust). We included data from service providers without a BACB credential to ensure that our data set reflects the educational and employment context in Ontario, and to avoid presenting data from a sample of service providers that is unrepresentative of the larger population of service providers in Ontario.
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The survey and methods for obtaining and disseminating data for this study were approved by the Brock University Research Ethics Board (19–319-KOUDYS).
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Research Highlights
• Demographic differences exist between service providers and recipients in Ontario, and providers should engage in self-reflection regarding the cultural differences between themselves and the families they serve to evaluate how these differences might impact their assessment and treatment process.
• Providers report having relatively little training and education in culturally responsive service provision.
• Individual practitioners should seek out training opportunities and educators, employers, and other organizations should provide additional support to practicing behavior analysts through additional education.
• Although service recipients rate services relatively positively, there is room for improvement with respect to providing culturally responsive services.
• Behavior analysts should continue to engage in collaboration with families and communities they serve to better understand skills and practices that are most meaningful to practicing in the spirit of cultural responsiveness.
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O’Neill, P., Magnacca, C., Gunnarsson, K.F. et al. Cultural Responsiveness in Behavior Analysis: Provider and Recipient Perceptions in Ontario. Behav Analysis Practice 17, 212–227 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00825-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00825-w