One major shift that I believe needs to happen in the field of ABA is when and how we reward behaviors. Too often, individuals—especially adults with disabilities—are asked to prove that they “deserve” autonomy, independence, or choice. In practice, this means many ABA professionals and staff require people to earn basic human rights before granting them. But why should freedom, dignity, and autonomy need to be earned at all? Aren’t these fundamental human rights?
Yes, there are exceptions—someone in jail, for example, might lose autonomy because of a crime. But when it comes to people with disabilities, we often use these same restrictive strategies simply because of their disability.
In my experience, clients are told they can only access autonomy, assistance, or freedom after they’ve demonstrated certain behaviors. For example:
- A client receives job support only after proving they can consistently complete chores at home.
- A client gets to choose which staff member to go on outings with only after showing “respect” to all staff members.
- A client may say no to an outing only after attending a set number of planned outings without behaviors.
- A client can keep their phone only after proving they won’t “bother” others by calling too often.
In each of these cases, the individual is being punished for very normal, very human responses to challenging situations. The burden falls entirely on them to change, rather than on staff and systems to change the way they respond.
Here’s what it could look like instead:
- A client receives job assistance simply because they need a job. Having a job may help them manage their home responsibilities, but those two things are not linked. Plenty of neurotypical people have jobs and messy houses.
- A client chooses which staff member to spend time with—no strings attached. Giving them that choice increases their sense of control and may naturally improve respectful interactions. If they’re disrespectful to certain staff, perhaps we need to examine how those staff are treating them. Respect goes both ways.
- A client chooses whether or not to attend an outing because choice is their right. Forcing anyone to attend five events before they’re allowed to say no is unreasonable. I know I’d “have a behavior” if I were forced to attend loud concerts I didn’t want to go to.
- A client keeps their phone, while parents are taught to set boundaries or reframe their child’s behavior as a desire for connection. Sure, frequent calls can feel overwhelming, but isn’t it meaningful that the child wants a relationship with their parent?
At the heart of this is a simple truth: people with disabilities deserve dignity, freedom, choice, and autonomy just because they are people. These should never be conditional. And I believe that if we consistently granted these rights, we would actually see fewer challenging behaviors overall.
My dream is to find a provider or group home willing to break away from outdated strategies—one that will show how behaviors, mental health, and overall happiness improve when people are given true autonomy and respect. When I share this vision with providers, I often hear, “Well, no one is abusing them…” But is that really the standard we want to set? Should people with disabilities be grateful just because they aren’t being abused? That bar is far too low.
If you are a provider or work in adult services and want to explore this perspective further, I’d love to connect. Together, we can prove that there’s a better way forward—one grounded in dignity, freedom, and respect.