ABA Trends and Strategic Insights for 2024 with Dr. Linda LeBlanc

Dive into the future of ABA with Dr. Linda LeBlanc, a leading influencer in the field. In this dynamic Q&A, Dr. LeBlanc shares her insights on emerging trends set to shape ABA practices in 2024.

From the meticulous measurement of treatment outcomes to the transformative influence of technology, join us in exploring the profound shifts on the horizon. Dr. LeBlanc delivers into ethical considerations, the rise of value-based care, and strategies for ABA organizations to remain both innovative and ethical. It’s an insightful journey into the forefront of ABA, guided by Dr. LeBlanc’s expertise.

With your extensive experience in the field, what emerging trends do you foresee shaping the landscape of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in 2024, particularly in terms of behavioral treatments and interventions?

There is definitely an emerging trend to carefully measure the outcomes associated with the treatments that we provide. We now have multiple sets of recommended measures from ICHOM and BHCOE and there is a much greater focus on capturing both proximal and distal effects of services for the individuals and their families. I think that we will start to see greater accountability for provider organizations to regularly measure and report outcomes in ways that can inform families who are trying to select providers.

How do you see advancements in technology influencing the delivery of ABA services in 2024, and what potential benefits or challenges do you anticipate for practitioners and clients?

There is a huge and much-needed push to make every aspect of programming, documentation, and communication either automated or streamlined. This involves everything from intake documents to scheduling to data collection and graphing to notes and reports. The potential benefit is time savings and analytics that allow us insights into company-wide patterns and needs. The challenge is to have technology tools that actually allow us to do what we want to do and to do the way we would if there were no technology constraints. For example, if a data collection software only allows you to collect certain measures (e.g., frequency, % correct) then we run the risk that people will use those measures when they are inappropriate for the behavior you are trying to capture resulting in poorer information rather than better information.  

The concept of value-based care is gaining prominence. From your perspective, how can ABA providers align their practices with a value-based care model, ensuring optimal outcomes for clients while maintaining efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery?

First, let me clarify that I am only a fan of value-based care defined as providing comparatively better services for clients for a reasonable price. There is a real danger that value-based care can devolve into incentivizing marginally acceptable services for the lowest price which drives down the overall quality of care along with costs, which would be absolutely tragic for the families who need high-quality services and the providers who want to do their absolute best for their clients. That said, value-based care models that simplify the credentialing, billing, and reimbursement process or provide higher rates for those providers who can document that they achieve exceptional outcomes are great for families as well as providers. Providers can align their practices by measuring outcomes and actively researching, even for internal purposes only, the variables that lead to the best outcomes in each model of treatment.  The same type of approach can be used to examine the hiring, caseload assignments, and retention practices that lead to optimal services from a highly qualified and well-trained workforce. Ultimately, it is about letting the data tell the tale about what leads to success. And analysis of large and complicated data sets always requires effective use of technology.

Ethics is a key area of interest for you. How do you see ethical considerations evolving in ABA practice, and what advice would you give practitioners and organizations to navigate ethical challenges in the coming year?

Ok, this question just put the biggest smile on my face! Ethics is a key interest for me, particularly when we take a proactive approach to preventing ethical concerns or addressing them very early in their evolution. Most ethical challenges evolve over time as a product of lack of information, hurried processes, and lack of perspective taking, among other things. Taking a reactive approach means waiting for the occurrence of some egregious behavior that violates our ethics code before we notice and respond. Taking a proactive approach means noticing, prompting, and differentially reinforcing discussions about the ethical overtones of situations and creating processes that support ethical behavior. Every ounce of time and effort put into the proactive approach pays off huge dividends in the long run. I like the approach of regular training and discussion about ethics and teaching people to notice and revel in the small everyday ethical actions that they take – this increases reinforcement for the right behaviors rather than waiting to implement consequences for the wrong behaviors.  

What strategies do you recommend for ABA organizations to stay adaptable and innovative, ensuring they remain at the forefront of effective and ethical ABA practices in 2024 and beyond?

First, make sure that your teams have easy access to the literature. Our science hasn’t stopped – we constantly learn new and better ways to design and implement our behavioral treatments. However, those who don’t stay up on the literature do stop evolving in their practice leading to huge discrepancies between what we could achieve and what we do achieve. 

Second, make sure that your teams have easy access to the data that they need to make meaningful, well-informed decisions. Everything that we do and every choice that we make in behavior analysis should be based on data, regardless of whether those choices are about programming for a client or allocation of financial resources for organizational systems. Go for the Goldilocks effect – not too much data, not insufficient data. Progress comes from the “just right” amount and types of data.

Third, invest in leadership training and support for your teams. Everyone needs support in making the transition from designing and overseeing client programs to managing and supporting teams. Because of our rapid rate of growth, many managers are still very early in their career when they are promoted into leadership positions and they typically have not been adequately prepared or supported for that transition. The most successful organizations will educate their people fully about what the next position entails so people can make wise choices about whether a promotion is likely to be successful and the new position is likely to be enjoyable. Once again, every moment invested in helping young leaders develop their skills is paid back exponentially in the long run because you are building the leaders who will build your next leaders.

Filled with excitement for the forthcoming developments in ABA services, Lumary and Dr. LeBlanc are dedicated to driving substantial change and empowering better wellbeing through the utilization of technology. Discover more and connect with the Lumary team today.