Bridget Krus | 2025 I.S. Symposium

Name: Bridget Krus
Title: Speaking the Same Language?A Comparative Investigation into Professional Perceptions of Neurodiversity in Applied Behavior Analysis Intervention for Autistic Children with Communication Disorders
Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders; Elementary Education
Minor: Music
Advisors: Joan Furey

I sought to explore the perceptions of SLPs and professionals in applied behavior analysis (ABA) on the ways in which ABA practices can be aligned with neurodiversity-affirming principles to prioritize acceptance, accommodation, and support for autistic children with communication disorders. This research explores professional perceptions of the effectiveness of ABA interventions for addressing communication disorders in autistic children. I analyzed survey data from 377 respondents with experience providing services to autistic children in the fields of either speech-language pathology or applied behavior analysis. The analysis showed significant differences between ABA professionals and SLPs in their considerations of intervention factors when providing services for autistic children. ABA practitioners rated the effectiveness of ABA significantly higher than SLPs. In addition, SLPs reported they were significantly less likely than ABA professionals to recommend ABA to an autistic child with a communication disorder. The differences in philosophy between the two fields, in addition to the often-negative views of ABA held by SLPs, may pose a barrier to successful collaboration in intervention with autistic children with communication disorders.

Posted in Symposium 2025 on May 1, 2025.