Association for Behavior Analysis International

The field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has faced criticism for its rigid adherence to protocols, often at the expense of flexibility and empathetic interpersonal interactions. In response, there is an increasing emphasis on integrating compassion into clinical practice. This symposium will present four talks that highlight strategies for promoting compassionate care within ABA. The first presentation will offer insights from a survey exploring RBTs’ perspectives on compassionate supervision. The second will discuss approaches to fostering compassion in future clinicians through cultural interviewing techniques. The third presentation will share data that showcases the development of an assessment tool designed to measure behaviors associated with compassionate care. Finally, the fourth will share findings from a study that trained Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) in compassionate care practices with learners. Taken together, study data reveal that behavioral components of compassionate care can be operationalized and trained using a conceptually systematic and replicable technology. These presentations underscore the importance of compassionate interactions in clinical settings and provide practical tools for developing these skills in both clinicians and direct care staff.

Individuals should be familiar with behavior skills training and have an understanding of supervision practices. Individuals should feel comfortable with data analysis and interpretation and have experience.

The field of behavior analysis has recently renewed its focus on compassionate care, especially in the interactions between Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs®) and caregivers, with increasing attention on learners. Research indicates that many behavior analysts lack training in interpersonal skills related to compassion, which can affect service quality, client care, and staff supervision. A survey of caregivers conducted by Taylor et al. (2019) highlighted the need for more compassionate family interactions between BCBAs® and caregivers, with the implication that incorporating compassion into supervision practices could enhance staff morale and service quality. That is, high turnover rates among Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs®) may be linked to perceived deficiencies in supervisor support, emphasizing the need to improve supervision through compassionate approaches. This study therefore extends Taylor et al.'s (2019) work by adapting their original caregiver survey to better examine the relationship between BCBAs® (supervisors) and RBTs® (direct staff). Survey results from 254 RBTs® showed that questions relating to compassion in supervision were rated with the lowest scores and indicate a need for improvement, aligning with Taylor et al.’s findings. Recommendations for improving training and supervision in compassionate relationship skills will be provided.

The field of behavior analysis has a call to action towards increasing the extent to which clinical services are delivered in a compassionate way (Taylor, 2019) and that a repertoire of cultural responsiveness is a key part of this mission (Gatzunis et al., 2023). Clinicians must be equipped to engage in ways that centralize a compassionate, client-centered, culturally humble, and culturally responsive approach with an increasingly diverse clientele (Beaulieu & Jimenez-Gomez, 2022; Wright, 2019). Beaulieu and colleagues (2019) have highlighted the fact that while today’s behavior analysts highly value cultural responsiveness skills, most have never received formal training. There is evidence that structured interviewing that centralizes personal narrative and clinical advice can be a tool to impart knowledge (Tereshko et al., 2024). These findings are the driving force for the current investigation that assessed the extent to which Registered Behavior Technicians’ (RBTs®) conversations with experienced clinicians may be a means to initiate the development of a compassionate, culturally responsive repertoire. Analyses of RBT® interviewers’ reported knowledge showed wide variability and some consistent themes. Results will be presented along with recommendations for enhancing the extent to which compassionate care and cultural responsiveness are integrated into training, supervision, and service provision.

There has been a call to action in the field of behavior analysis to improve our interactions with caregivers and recipients of services. However, despite the resurgence of interest in compassionate care, there is a paucity of research evaluating and teaching this complex and nuanced repertoire with direct care interventionists, Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs®). The current study seeks to advance our training of compassionate care skills between the recipient of services (i.e., a child with autism) and the RBT® during intervention sessions. Based on the results of initial self-instruction plans used to teach compassionate care, the current study utilized a multiple-baseline design across participants to evaluate the effectiveness of a teaching package aimed to improve behaviors associated with compassion with RBTs®. The teaching package included two phases; 1.) a job aid that outlined the expected behaviors; and 2.) behavior skills training (BST). Implications for practice will be discussed along with how these procedures may be used to improve RBT® training and interactions with clients.