Episode 281 - Neurodiversity - Creating Autistic Supported Goals w/ Dr. Kate Chazin
Jul 10, 2024
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Dr. Kate Chazin, a neurodiversity advocate and researcher, shares insights on effective autism treatment from an autistic perspective. She discusses the importance of ethical practices, emphasizing heart-centered interventions and community feedback for better outcomes. The conversation also challenges traditional behavior management and explores the complexities of person-centered care. Dr. Chazin highlights the necessity of understanding autistic voices to ensure genuine inclusion and self-determination in educational settings.
Dr. Kate Chazin highlights the importance of centering autistic voices in treatment planning to create person-centered interventions that align with individual needs and preferences.
The podcast critiques traditional ABA practices like escape extinction, revealing that many interventions lack social validity and may not resonate positively with autistic individuals and their families.
Emphasizing community-based participatory research, Dr. Chazin advocates for actively including autistic perspectives at all stages of research to refine effective and respectful behavioral practices.
Deep dives
Introduction to Neurodiversity and Guest Expertise
The discussion focuses on neurodiversity, particularly in relation to autistic individuals and their treatment within the field of behavior analysis. Dr. Kate Chazen, a behavior analyst with extensive experience, shares her journey into research motivated by the need for heart-centered practices that align with the perspectives and wellbeing of autistic individuals. This reflection creates a framework for understanding autistic-affirming treatments, suggesting that these practices should center around the individual’s preferences, experiences, and desires. The conversation emphasizes the importance of considering autistic voices in shaping treatment goals, methodologies, and outcomes.
Valuing Autistic Perspectives in Treatment
The podcast highlights the significance of actively involving autistic individuals in discussions about their treatment preferences and practices. Autistic-affirming interventions are described as person-centered approaches, where the individual's experiences and feelings are prioritized in developing and implementing treatment plans. It underscores the distinction between societal norms of 'normality' in behavior and the acceptance of unique autistic characteristics, encouraging practitioners to support the natural expressions of these traits instead of targeting them for modification. By valuing the voices of autistic individuals, practitioners can ensure that their interventions are meaningful and tailored specifically to those they aim to assist.
Challenges with Traditional ABA Practices
The conversation critically examines traditional ABA practices, particularly escape extinction, and the clinical implications these can have on autistic clients. Dr. Chazen shares insights from her research revealing that many escape-based interventions lack social validity and often fail to resonate positively with both autistic individuals and their families. The weight of parental and teacher perspectives is also noted, where disagreements sometimes arise between best practices as documented in literature and those lived experiences. The discussion advocates for the necessity of modification to reduce the restrictive nature of practices like escape extinction, thereby fostering more affirming environments.
Research Methodologies and Community Engagement
A significant portion of the podcast delves into the research methodologies used to assess the social validity of various treatment practices. Dr. Chazen emphasizes the importance of community-based participatory research, advocating for the inclusion of autistic voices at all stages of research from design to execution and analysis. Feedback from the autistic community is positioned as essential for refining practices that are genuinely effective and respectful of the individual's autonomy and preferences. The conversation acknowledges the challenges in involving diverse populations, particularly those with varying support needs and communication styles, in research efforts.
Future Directions and Ethical Implications
The podcast concludes with thoughts on the future of behavioral practice and research, focusing on ethical obligations to prioritize the well-being of autistic clients. Dr. Chazen articulates her vision for an ABA practice that champions the development of self-determination skills among autistic individuals, ensuring they can assert their preferences in treatment. The conversation looks ahead to a framework where research continuously evolves, informed by ongoing dialogue with the autistic community and supported by evidence-based practices that promote mental health and happiness. Overall, it champions a shift towards a more compassionate and inclusive system within behavior analysis.
We wrap up our trilogy (for now) of episodes focusing on neurodiversity with special guest, Dr. Kate Chazin to look at what survey research and meta-analyses can tell us about how ABA is currently doing as a treatment when it comes to hearing from the autistic population. We review the likes, the dislikes, and the unknowns in early-childhood ABA programing from client to community then gather more detail on an area that all of us are feeling iffy about: The need for escape extinction in behavioral treatments.
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