ABA

Recent articles

Headshot of Sara Litvak.

Head of company that accredits autism service providers resigns after article retraction

The resignation follows reporting by Spectrum and Retraction Watch in October about nonexistent references in the retracted article.

By Ellie Kincaid
29 November 2023 | 4 min read
A crumpled piece of paper atop a stack of papers against a grey background.

Article defending private-equity involvement in autism services retracted

Nearly two-thirds of the article’s references appear to not exist.

By Ellie Kincaid, Retraction Watch
19 October 2023 | 5 min read
Portrait of Connie Kasari.

Social communication and developmental disorders with Connie Kasari

In this episode of “Synaptic,” Kasari talks about the need for inclusion in educating autistic children, what drew her into the autism research field, and growing up on the family farm.

By Brady Huggett
1 June 2023 | 56 min listen
Three groups of people meet and mix at a crossroads.

Autism research at the crossroads

The power struggle between researchers, autistic self-advocates and parents is threatening progress across the field.

By Brady Huggett
25 January 2023 | 34 min read
A mother and child stand, dwarfed by giant alphabet blocks spelling ABA.

Applied behavior analysis and autism: Flawed application of a proven science

The field of ABA needs more compassion and individualization.

By Yev Veverka
1 September 2022 | 7 min read
A mother holds her son while on a video call with a doctor.

Access to virtual autism therapy in U.S. could narrow post-COVID

When the federal public health emergency expires, so too could temporary insurance coverage of applied behavior analysis conducted remotely. A proposed rule could block those changes, however, at least for people with public insurance.

By Laura Dattaro
15 July 2022 | 6 min read

Why autism therapies have an evidence problem

Early interventions for autism lack solid data. The source of this problem is murky but may stem from ongoing debates about evidence quality and entrenched conflicts of interest within the field.

By Rachel Zamzow
14 April 2022 | 11 min read
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results

Null and Noteworthy: Quality of life, IACC discussion, mixed results on interventions

In this edition of Null and Noteworthy, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee grapples with “groundbreaking” research and two reviews of interventions come to conflicting conclusions.

By Laura Dattaro
2 December 2021 | 6 min read
A child's hand points to a location on a hand drawn map of the United States in different crayon colors.

Many U.S. counties lack autism therapists

Applied behavior analysis is the most widely used therapy for autistic children in the United States, but some regions lack the staff needed to provide it.

By Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky
20 April 2021 | 3 min read
Illustration depicts mother and child facing a field of doors: some are dark and some are light

Low standards corrode quality of popular autism therapy

Rapid growth and inadequate standards in the 'applied behavior analysis' industry may put vulnerable children in the hands of poorly prepared technicians.

By Emily Sohn
28 October 2020 | 18 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

New phase of BRAIN Initiative spawns basal ganglia ‘parts list’

With a standardized cell naming system and infrastructure for data collection and analysis, the basal ganglia project sets the stage for a whole-brain primate atlas.

By Claudia López Lloreda
12 November 2026 | 1 min watch
Research image showing genes containing microexons in mice.

Machine-learning model spots autism-linked variants that scramble splicing

The model provides a way to investigate genetic variation in regions of the genome whose functions have been difficult to interpret.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
12 November 2026 | 4 min read
Illustration of two overlapping speech bubbles patterned with blue and pink horizontal lines on a background of pink and brown horizontal lines.

Future of AI brain models sparks debate

Neuroscientists are divided about whether foundation models that predict brain responses will help the field understand how brains work.

By Natalia Mesa
11 November 2026 | 10 min read