The Behavioral View Episode 3.5: Trauma, Compassion, and ABA with Dr. Adithyan Rajaraman

The Behavioral View

In this episode, the hosts and Dr. Rajaraman engage in a conversation about trauma-informed care and the application of behavior analysis. They emphasize the importance of considering individuals' potential traumatic experiences and question the ethical implications of contributing to additional trauma in the name of interventions. The hosts advocate for a kinder and gentler approach, highlight the negative health outcomes associated with multiple traumatic experiences, and challenge narrow definitions of trauma. They emphasize the significance of social validity, the lived experiences of individuals, and the need to prioritize well-being and autonomy in interventions. Overall, they stress the importance of listening to and believing individuals when they communicate their traumas and adapting interventions accordingly.

To earn CEUs for listening, click here, log in or sign up, pay the CEU fee, + take the attendance verification to generate your certificate! Don’t forget to subscribe and follow and leave us a rating and review

Show Notes

References and Resources

Burke Harris, N. (2018). The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Gover, H.C, Hanley, G.P., Ruppel, K.W., Landa, R.K. & Marcus, J. (2023) Prioritizing choice and assent in the assessment and treatment of food selectivity. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 69:1, 53-65, DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2022.2123196

Rajaraman, A., Austin, J. L., Gover, H. C., Cammilleri, A. P., Donnelly, D. R., & Hanley, G. P. (2022). Toward trauma-informed applications of behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 40-61. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.881

Rajaraman, A., Hanley, G. P., Gover, H. C., Staubitz, J. L., Staubitz, J. E., Simcoe, K. M., & Metras, R. (2021). Minimizing escalation by treating dangerous problem behavior within an enhanced choice model. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15(2), 219-242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00548-2

Staubitz, J. L., Staubitz, J. E., Pollack, M. S., Haws, R. A., & Hopton, M. (2022). Effects of an enhanced choice model of skill-based treatment for students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 55(4), 1306–1341. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.952