December 15, 2024
Dear Dr. Hartley,
We are writing in response to your recent article, “Centering Cultural Sensitivity in Applied Behavior Analysis.” Thank you for your insightful remarks on the vital importance of recognizing and celebrating diversity within the autism community. Your thoughtful analysis not only raises awareness of the need for cultural sensitivity, but also provides a crucial framework for understanding how autism and autism services transcend racial, cultural, and socioeconomic boundaries. Without this understanding, there is the potential for a skewed range of treatment approaches that may not fully meet the needs of children and families from culturally diverse backgrounds. As you pointed out, children and families from underrepresented communities often face the dual challenge of managing their child’s diagnosis while feeling marginalized by healthcare and therapy systems.
We also appreciate your emphasis on the delicate balance ABA practitioners must strike between respecting a family’s cultural values, traditions, and norms. In some cultures, where autism awareness and acceptance are not well established, misinformation about autism may lead families to pursue ineffective or potentially harmful interventions for their loved one with autism. Providing access to high quality information and evidence-based interventions, while honoring cultural values, is essential for building trust and fostering effective therapeutic relationships. At the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, we aim to provide free, up to date information and resources to help families of all backgrounds understand autism and its treatment. Many of our resources have been translated for families who do not speak English.
Furthermore, your discussion of the additional burdens faced by culturally diverse ABA practitioners was important. The extra workload, such as translating and bridging cultural gaps, disproportionately affects these practitioners, often leading to burnout and attrition. Addressing these disparities through fair compensation and equitable workload distribution is essential to fostering a sustainable and inclusive workforce.
We were particularly moved by your closing remarks on the dual imperative to accommodate children with autism from diverse cultural backgrounds and to ensure that ABA practitioners from these backgrounds feel valued and supported. As you stated, the world is becoming more diverse, and the autism therapy field should acknowledge it. There is a need to create a culture in autism service delivery that embraces diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Thank you for your advocacy and for shedding light on these important issues.
Sincerely,
Charlie Hui, Extern
Dr Erin Leif, BCBA-D
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
