Association for Behavior Analysis International

Recent research has highlighted the importance of compassion in ABA. A survey of parents of children with ASD indicated that parents often rated behavior analysts poorly on their demonstration of behaviors that indicate compassion and empathy for the family (Taylor et al., 2019). Further, LeBlanc and colleagues (2019) noted that the majority of surveyed behavior analysts had not received training on relationship-building skills during their graduate studies. As noted by these authors, compassion is required for behavior analysts working with families of individuals with autism and other related disabilities. Additionally, compassion is necessary when behavior analysts oversee direct care staff working with these same populations. Research indicates that staff members working in the field of ABA report high levels of burnout associated with variables that include the support they receive from supervisors (Gibson et al., 2009; Plantiveau et al., 2018). In the current symposium, we will first examine the qualities of exemplary behavior analysts, including those that center on compassion for others. We will then examine factors within ABA settings—such as supervision—that contribute to employee burnout, and consider steps behavior analysts can take in the workplace to promote compassion by altering supervisory practices and focusing on staff self-care.

The target audience is current board certified behavior analysts, including and especially those who are currently serving in supervisory roles.

Providers serving individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are at high risk of experiencing burnout. Burnout is of serious concern as it negatively impacts one’s physical/psychological health and quality of services. Research has focused on individual predictors of burnout; however, understanding organizational causes may elucidate targets for prevention. Study 1 surveyed 149 individuals providing direct-care services to individuals with ASD to examine the relation between areas of work-life and burnout using standardized measures. We found a high percentage of providers experience burnout. Workload, reward, fairness, and values emerged as the best work-life predictors of burnout but predicted little variance in burnout, suggesting existing measures do not sufficiently capture organizational aspects that contribute to burnout. To better understand the unique experiences of this population, we recruited 11 providers to interview regarding experiences of burnout and organizational factors that affect burnout. Qualitative analysis revealed nine core themes. Workload, coordinating providers, supervision, and colleagues were frequently reported to contribute to burnout; whereas, social support from colleagues and supervision were frequently reported to mitigate burnout. Findings suggest areas for prevention within organizations servings individuals with ASD and avenues for better measuring relevant work-life factors.

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorders are enrolled in specialized private schools due to challenging behavior or specific learning difficulties. Job responsibilities in these settings can be stressful for staff employed in direct-care positions. Previous research suggests that high-quality supervisor relationships can moderate staff stress and burnout for direct-care staff in specialized applied behavior analysis schools (Gibson et al., 2009). Literature suggests that improving Board Certified Behavior Analysts’ (BCBA) use of corrective feedback, empathetic statements, and reinforcement could contribute to improved supervisory relationships. To date, no research has presented the use of behavioral skills training (BST) to teach BCBAs supervisory skills, and the current study sought to fill this gap in the research. Two BCBAs were taught two essential supervisory skills: corrective feedback and empathetic statements. Both participants mastered each skill following BST. A third skill, reinforcement, met mastery criteria for both participants before BST was implemented. Staff ratings of perceived supervisor support did not support the hypothesis that ratings would improve following BCBA mastery of target skills. Staff ratings were initially high during baseline and remained stable following BCBA training. The results of the present study suggest that behavioral skills training is an effective tool for teaching supervisory skills to BCBAs.

In past research, professionals working in ABA report high levels of burnout affected by factors such as supervisory and social support (Plantiveau et al., 2018) and employee exposure to aggressions (Hastings et al., 2000). Taylor and colleagues (2018) called for a focus on self-care for ABA professionals. We examined the effects of a short-term self-care program on 14 ABA staff members working with adolescents with ASD and severe challenging behavior. Three 1-hour trainings focused on teaching self-care skills such as focused breathing techniques and tips for healthy eating and sleep hygiene. Staff members practiced skills in session. All staff members completed the Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Version 5 (ProQOL), a 30-item measure of burnout, compassion fatigue, and traumatic stress, before and after the program. Contrary to expectations, staff reported low levels of burnout prior to trainings, and reductions in burnout and related measures were not observed following training. However, 100% of staff reported that the program was relevant to their needs and that they planned to use the skills they had learned in the future. While these findings are preliminary, the importance and evaluation of future self-care programs with this population will be discussed.