3 ABA: AN EVOLUTION
Rooted in Compassion: How BF Skinner Planted the Seeds of Social Justice for Behavior Analysis and How We Have Grown Over the Past 70 Years
Abstract
B.F. Skinner planted the seeds of social justice for our field when he wrote Walden Two in 1948. Over the 70-years since Walden Two was published, behavior analysis has continued to build upon Skinner’s belief that our field can be used to help improve the quality of life for all people using the best of our science. This chapter is an attempt to capture some of the most important historical contributions that have shaped how our field addresses issues related to compassion and social justice, while also providing the reader with a little bit of humor, a healthy infusion of pop culture references, and a big dose of hope.
Keywords
Walden Two
telehealth
Zoom
pandemic
TikTok
COVID-19
George Floyd
hegemonic
philosophic doubt
seven dimensions
Achievement Place
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
compassion
wellness
mental health
About
Sarah Trautman
MA, BCBA
Sarah has been in-love with Behavior Analysis since she took her first intro to ABA class as an undergraduate student at Gonzaga University. Sarah has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2004 (she even took the exam using real paper and a pencil). Sarah founded and was President of an ABA services business, STE Consultants, from 2004-2019. During that time STE Consultants worked to provide quality ABA services to individuals with ASD and developmental disabilities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and Washington state. Sarah is the past-president of the California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA) and was a founding Board Member of the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP). Sarah has presented at over 30 professional conferences throughout the United States. Sarah has provided consultative services for ABA providers in Belize, Kenya, and Brazil. Sarah currently works as co-founder of defy community. What I’ve learned over the last 20 years is how critically important it is to have a support system of people who encourage me, challenge me, and are willing to trailblaze by my side (even when it requires a bulldozer to make a new path. Together we’ve defied the odds, societal norms, and our own expectations.