23 INCOME INEQUALITY
Understanding the Needs of Economically Disadvantaged Children and Families
Abstract
The field of behavior analysis is uniquely suited to address the specific challenges and barriers faced by families who are economically disadvantaged. Economic disadvantage has been shown to be correlated with academic achievement, mental and physical health, in-home stability, and overall quality of life. In this chapter, economic disadvantage refers to families who meet the federal guideline for being low-income, poor, or in poverty. This chapter will describe how economic disadvantage impacts families and children across health, education, and employment metrics. It will also describe barriers within and outside the field that prevent the dissemination and broad application of behavior analytic practices. Recommendations for behavior analytic practice with families and communities who are economically disadvantaged are provided.
Keywords
economic disadvantage
low-income
poverty
socioeconomic status
social class
economically disadvantaged
literacy
unemployment
underemployment
cultural sensitivity
race
class
Social Class World Model
social class
socioeconomic class
classism
psychological stress
socially competent supervisor
About
Margaret Uwayo
PhD, BCBA, LBA
Margaret Uwayo is a clinician at the Academy for Precision Learning in Seattle, WA. She completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis at Western Michigan University. She has extensive experience in early intervention in clinical settings and in educational settings serving K-12 learners with and without exceptional needs, as well as in the application of behavioral principles to academic performance. Her research interests are in the application of behavior analytic interventions to improve literacy outcomes for children and youth with reading and in disseminating Behavior Analytic practices across cultural, socioeconomic, and educational settings. Dr. Uwayo is also interested in Behavioral Systems Analysis, staff training, and performance management.
Mya Hernandez
PhD, BCBA-D
Mya Hernandez is a Psychology professor at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Michigan. She completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis at Western Michigan University. Dr. Hernandez has conducted research in literacy with students at-risk of academic failure, in interventions for children with developmental disabilities, and in adult training practices. She has experience applying behavior analytic principles in a variety of environments including juvenile centers, autism centers, public schools, and adult education programs. Her research interests are in the application of behavior analytic services to support marginalized populations.
