Cultivating Compassionate Practices in Applied Behavior Analysis: The Role of Interpersonal Skill Development

With the rise of the neurodiversity movement, concerns have emerged regarding the use of applied behavior analysis, particularly around an insufficient foundational emphasis on compassion. This article defines compassionate care within a behavioral framework and identifies related key skills such as advocacy, openness to feedback, and perspective-taking. It offers practical strategies to assist practitioners in integrating these skills into their work, supporting more ethical, empathetic, and person-centered care for clients, their families, and support teams.