Our statement on ABA & neuroaffirming practice
At Therapy in the Outback, our practice is shaped by both professional training and lived experience. Here’s where we stand, and why.
As a late-diagnosed AuDHDer and someone who has spent a decade practising as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), I hold a tension that has defined much of my career.
I have seen the power of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to support learning, communication and independence. I have also seen, and felt, the harm caused when therapy is used to enforce compliance, erase autistic identity, or prioritise being “normal” over being authentically you.
ABA, at its core, is simply a science of understanding behaviour and learning. But like any science, it has been applied in ways that have not always upheld the dignity and humanity of autistic people. I can’t ignore that history, and I don’t want to. It matters.
I don’t claim to have all the answers, and I know that for some, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) feels too close to those painful histories to ever feel safe. I respect that. It is okay to choose not to access PBS supports. Some people advocate for change from the outside. Others, like me, choose to work from the inside: reshaping practice to be safe, affirming and truly person-centred within the existing structures and funded resources available to those who need support. That is the work we are committed to at Therapy in the Outback.
Our approach is grounded in neuroaffirming, rights-based practice
In practice, that means:
We do not use compliance training, punishment procedures, or prescribe restrictive practices.
We follow the lead of our participants, honouring their autonomy, preferences and voices: however they communicate.
We measure “progress” not by how close someone appears to neurotypical peers, but by how empowered, connected and authentically themselves they can be.
We work alongside families and networks, providing tools and strategies that improve quality of life without diminishing identity.
We centre autistic perspectives in the way we design, deliver and review supports.
Therapy should never be about erasing difference. It should be about building trust, celebrating strengths, and supporting people to live in a way that feels right for them.
I know this is an ongoing journey: for me, for our team, and for our field. We will keep listening, learning and reshaping. And if you’d like to talk more openly about ABA, PBS, or what neuroaffirming support looks like in practice, we welcome that conversation.
Here’s to ever learning and ever striving to do better,
Brooke Bos
Your auDHD + BCBA girlie · Director of Therapy In The Outback
Want to talk it through?
We welcome open conversations about ABA, PBS and what neuroaffirming support looks like in practice.