Ep. 15 - A System Built for Behavior, Not Humanity

Autism and other I/DD treatment is often designed around behavior. But people are more than just behavior. They’re humans with families, wants, needs and their own goals. In BCBA training, behavior analysts are taught to think of humans in terms of “organisms” – a clinical, scientific lens that, unfortunately, first shapes how care is delivered. What that lens is blind to is what matters most – the human experience. Lindsey sits down with Dr. Tracy Raulston, a BCBA, researcher and professor at Texas State University, whose work focuses on family-centered care and parent-mediated intervention, to ask the question, “Why is family-centered care such a novel concept to the autism industry?” There’s been a system built for behavior, but not always built to support individuals, parents, caregivers and families. Lindsey and Tracy explore what it really means to center families in care while discussing the limitations of traditional training models, the overlooked importance of working with caregivers and the reality that most care doesn’t happen in a clinic – it happens in homes, in routines and in everyday life. Links:  Catalight Academy – RUBI course: https://www.catalightacademy.org/program/rubi?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic Catalight Academy – Live RUBI workshops: https://www.catalightacademy.org/program/rubi-workshop?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic Catalight Academy – RUBI advanced certifications: https://www.catalightacademy.org/program/rubi-advanced-certification?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic   Project ImPACT: Project ImPACT ABAI conference (5/22/26) – Empowering Families Through Everyday Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): A Workshop on Parent-Mediated Interventions (PMI) Implementation: Event Detail - Association for Behavior Analysis International ABAI conference symposium (5/24/26) – Expanding Access and Effectiveness in Parent-Mediated Behavioral Interventions: Event Detail - Association for Behavior Analysis International ABAI conference skill building – Writing Effective, Evidence-Based Goals for Autistic Individuals: A Neuroaffirming Approach (5/25/26): Event Detail - Association for Behavior Analysis International