Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is widely described as the “gold standard” intervention for autism. That claim appears in insurance mandates, state funding laws, graduate programs, and professional marketing. Yet the phrase evidence-based is rarely interrogated in public view.
Misbehaviorist exists to do exactly that.
This site publishes rigorous, accessible analyses of doctoral dissertations, credentialing standards, and policy documents that underpin ABA’s authority in autism services. Each article examines what the research actually studies, how evidence is defined, and whether the claims made about autism, development, and therapy are supported by the methods and outcomes presented.
Reexamining the Evidence Base of Applied Behavior Analysis
All articles on this site analyze publicly available dissertations and policy documents. Claims are grounded in verifiable text. Critique is directed at methods, standards, and systems—not at personal character. Where interpretation is offered, it is clearly labeled as such.
Why Doctoral Dissertations
Doctoral dissertations matter. They shape:
- Professional credentials
- Clinical authority
- Insurance reimbursement
- State definitions of “qualified autism service providers”
Yet dissertations are rarely read outside the field that produces them. Misbehaviorist brings these documents into public view and examines them as artifacts of a system, not as unquestioned proof of effectiveness.
What This Project Is — and Is Not
Misbehaviorist is:
- Autistic-led and evidence-driven
- Focused on systems, methods, and claims—not personal motives
- Explicit about its interpretive and policy implications
- Grounded in publicly verifiable documents
Misbehaviorist is not:
- A peer-reviewed journal
- A personal attack on individual researchers or families
- A denial of support needs or parental concern
- A replacement for interdisciplinary autism science
All analyses are published as public-facing articles containing critical commentary, not as new empirical research.
Why This Matters
ABA’s dominance in autism policy has real consequences. It determines which services are funded, who is authorized to call themselves an autism provider, and which interventions families are pressured to pursue.
If the evidence base consists largely of:
- Single-subject studies
- Narrow behavioral proxies for complex human experiences
- Research that measures compliance, speed, or data fidelity rather than development or well-being
…then the public deserves to know.
Scientific authority requires transparency. Evidence claims must be proportional to what studies actually demonstrate.
Our Guiding Question
What does this research really show—and what is being asked of autistic people and their families in its name?
Misbehaviorist exists to slow down the reflexive use of “evidence-based” language and replace it with careful, document-grounded analysis.
To commission an analysis, send all materials to Autistic Dr. Henny Kupferstein via email.
Misbehaviorist .com 