New Perspectives, Shared Legacy: My First Year at LRCSS and 40 Years of Compassionate ABA
Joining the team as we reflect on our journey, embrace neurodivergent perspectives, and build a more inclusive future together.
I joined LRCSS in December 2025 but my career in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) started over a decade before. The highly individualized and applied approach to therapy in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) has always resonated with me. ABA is founded on objective principles of behaviour that require us to observe the behaviour itself and examine the individual’s unique environment, rather than inferring what the contributing factors might be. Over the course of my 14 years of practice I have seen the science and therapeutic application evolve considerably. During this time, there has been a notable shift in research and practice towards making assessment and intervention methods more compassionate and inclusive.
How do we maintain our commitment to the evidence-based methods that have produced meaningful behaviour change but modify the process to be more considerate of the individual’s experience and how they would want these processes to be carried out?
What do we need to do to be more trauma-informed and how do we incorporate trauma-sensitive care into practice?
Is our procedure inclusive of neurodivergent perspectives?
Of course, this is not a fulsome account of all the ways the field has evolved over the past 1.5 decades but they highlight crucial shifts in philosophy and practical methods that have shown that we can put a greater emphasis on incorporating emotional and experiential variables and still be effective and conceptually systematic. There are many factors that contributed to this evolution and this is certainly deserving of a proper literature review. Of particular note, are the brave and brilliant self-advocates that spoke out about their experiences with ABA and what they wanted to see change. It’s evident that their powerful feedback was heard and valued!
“ I chose to join LRCSS because of the expansive reach of their services in the Durham region, and the reputation they built for providing high quality ABA services. I choose to stay because I’ve seen these values in action.”
Having been a member of LRCSS for only a year I have just a small sample of the legacy this agency has built, but right from the outset it was clear to me the strong sense of support and collaboration. Just like the field of ABA, LRCSS has gone through their own evolution and I have heard consistently across programs how supportive our colleagues are through times of change. There is a great amount of diverse experience on this team and this is celebrated and meaningfully used to collaboratively develop new processes and problem-solve to better support our clients and each other. I chose to join LRCSS because of the expansive reach of their services in the Durham region, and the reputation they built for providing high quality ABA services. I choose to stay because I’ve seen these values in action. LRCCS also demonstrates a tangible commitment to growth. My colleagues are all so passionate about expanding their clinical skills, offering regular professional development within the agency and in the larger community. There is also a motivation to solicit feedback at every level within the agency and from our service recipients so we can continue to expand and improve in meaningful ways. It all fuels my passion for these same goals and I am grateful to be a member of this incredible team.