Teresa Camille Kolu

Trauma Informed Applied Behavior Analysis

Toward A More Individualized Approach: How Trauma Literacy Can Inform Behavioral Assessment And Treatment, Bolster Cultural Competence, And Benefit Clients, Communities And Clinicians

Abstract

Should behavior analysts be expected to be trauma-literate? In this talk, we’ll explore what that means, and why it should matter. We’ll use the SAFE-T model to discuss how trauma-related events can affect our clients and how we can document and leverage this knowledge to improve experiences and outcomes for everyone. At the same time, our cultural competence is often lacking when we ignore a piece of what makes up the rich fabric of another’s life and community. By acknowledging trauma and bringing this piece of experience into practice, we also acknowledge who we (and our clients) are and can be, and honor the ethics of behavior analysis. When we create new experiences to honor true needs and then move past trauma, how do we choose what to focus on? In order to answer that question, we’ll talk about how needs after trauma can be met by selecting cusps for both clients and ourselves as clinicians. The term behavioral cusps can refer to changes we make- new skills we can learn- that end up being crucial to what happens next. When used in a constructional way, they have the power to transform our practices and our communities.

Objective 1

Select examples and non-examples of trauma-informed practice

Objective 2

State how to determine whether a procedure is counter-indicated for a client

Objective 3

State an example of a behavioral cusp for a client or a team member working with someone after trauma