Considerations for Applied Behavior Analysts Embracing Intersectional Qualitative Research Within the Context of Intervention Research

Abstract This is a pivotal time for researchers in applied behavior analysis (ABA) to embrace intersectional qualitative methods as ABA has faced criticism for its use of aversive procedures, emphasis on compliance, and focus on normalization, which can be detrimental to autistic individuals and other marginalized groups. It is imperative ABA shifts and adjusts to remain relevant and meaningful to the people we aim to support while encouraging social justice for all. Intersectional qualitative inquiry allows us to uncover how systems of privilege and oppression affect those who experience them: that is, how an individual’s interactions with these systems produce their learning history. Better understanding an individual’s learning history by examining intersectionality through qualitative inquiry allows us to integrate social justice and equity more deeply into ABA work. Applied behavior analysts must critically evaluate their practices and adopt approaches that respect and acknowledge the lived experiences of individuals, especially those from marginalized communities. This conceptual manuscript outlines considerations for embracing intersectional qualitative inquiry, including ways to begin thinking intersectionally that align with behavior analysis and of how intersectionality applies to each stage of the research process.