New Publication: Understanding ABA Service Quality Through Caregiver Perspectives

We're excited to share a new publication from the ITLS Lab! Our recent article, Caregiver Perceptions of Quality in Early Autism Behavior Analytic Services: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis, was recently published in Behavior Analysis in Practice.

In this study, we interviewed 16 caregivers of autistic children to better understand how they perceive and evaluate the quality of autism services. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identified three broad areas that shaped caregiver perceptions of quality of ABA services: system experiences, caregiver experiences, and child experiences. Our findings suggest that quality extends beyond child outcomes to include collaborative relationships with providers, caregiver well-being, and the broader systems families must navigate to access and maintain services. This publication reflects the ITLS Lab's growing interest in using qualitative research methods to better understand the experiences of children and families receiving behavior analytic services. We hope these findings contribute to ongoing efforts to develop more collaborative, responsive, and sustainable models of care.

A special thank you to coauthors, Dr. Catherine Warren (Director of the DIVERGE Lab at Sacramento State) and previous ITLS Lab member Maila Maico, and to the many student research assistants who contributed to this project. Most importantly, we're grateful to the caregivers who generously shared their experiences and perspectives with us.

Read the article:

McKeown, C. A., Warren, C., & Maico, M. C. (2026). Caregiver perceptions of quality in early autism behavior analytic services: A reflexive thematic analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-026-01240-7