Speaking across the autism worldview divide: a dialogue between critical autism studies and behaviour analytic scholars

Applied behaviour analysis and critical autism studies are generally assumed to find no common ground on the question of autism support strategies. With the core conviction that no autism support or intervention that seeks to normalise autistic people can ever be considered neurodiversity-affirming, two critical autism scholars and two BCBA behavioural analysts discuss how and why ABA needs to evolve to serve its main clients: autistic people. Building on a question-and-answer exchange between the two groups, this article is a cautious collaboration between these two apparently opposing groups, with the objective of discussing whether ABA can evolve and what it would take to do so. This article, one of two generated by this exchange, speaks to critical autism scholars and urges further critical engagement with those factions of the ABA industry seeking to take autism-centred approaches to autism support. A separate paper will speak to the ABA community.