I’m One Person, I Can’t Be Everywhere: Challenges and Needs of Bilingual Behavior Analysts

Autistic children from Spanish-speaking homes are part of a growing group of children at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities. Research suggests a “bilingual advantage” exists, similar to that experienced by neurotypical bilingual children, and autistic adults report positive social outcomes due to being bilingual. However, much less is known about providers' experiences who play a crucial role in whether families can maintain their heritage language(s) with their children. This exploratory qualitative study examined ethical challenges and needs of U.S.-based bilingual behavior analysts who provide home-based support for autistic children from Spanish-speaking homes. This study was informed by a demographic questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with participants (N = 14) across the United States. Participants' experiences were analyzed thematically. Findings included major themes and subthemes including challenging ethical experiences and behavior analysts’ needs to provide high quality services. Implications are presented across the organizational, provider, and research and higher education levels.