Behaviourism/PBS/ABA/PECs: There are alternative ways

‘The path isn’t a straight line; it’s a spiral. You continually come back to things you thought you understood and see deeper truths’ – Barry H. Gillespie

I love this quote by Barry Gillespie ”The path isn’t a straight line; it’s a spiral. You continually come back to things you thought you understood and see deeper truths‘ and also the quote that has been attributed to Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”

As I reflected on my teaching career and the best ways to support young people, I had to do a lot of unlearning and relearning about neurodiversity and neuro-affirming practice.

Behaviourism and Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) strategies can make it look and feel like you are doing the right thing. It may feel like you are really helping young people, it can even be really fun. You may be able to chart children’s ‘progress’, some strategies enable you to follow children’s interests. Using PECs (Picture Exchange Communication) also seems to work, it enables communication and can seemingly be transformative for so many people. It all seems to work on a surface level; children learn rules, and they learn to comply and ‘fit in’…..

but

…..at what cost to their autonomy, mental health and wellbeing in the long term?

Taking away autonomy and teaching neurodivergent children to fit into neurotypical expectations and ways of being causes harm. It gives an underlying message that they aren’t ‘right’ or ‘good enough’ as they are. It doesn’t embrace their authentic identity and ways of being.

There are other ways, alternative ways, better ways, and ways that embrace a person’s authentic neurodivergent identity, which honours autonomy and can help people thrive.

Find out more:

Behaviourism and why it’s harmful

Alternatives to behaviourism