Misbehaviorism .com

An autistic-led humanistic psychology project

Articles Index (oldest is last)

Misbehaviorism is a humanistic endeavor that explores how psychology frames the translational value of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for autism.

This project examines how behaviorism presents itself as social science, how its claims about evidence and authority are constructed, and how those claims circulate through academic writing, professional training, public policy, and parent-facing materials.

Writing Pillars

For responsibility, consent, and human consequence.

What is claimed versus what is demonstrated
How vulnerable populations are represented in research
Where responsibility is deferred to procedure or credential

Ethics, in this project, is not an abstract principle. It is a practical question about how knowledge is produced, how authority is exercised, and how harm is acknowledged or avoided when human lives are involved.

For whose knowledge counts and who bears the cost.

Whose expertise is recognized as legitimate
Who is spoken for, and who is spoken over
How authority is distributed in autism research

This pillar examines how professional hierarchies shape what is heard, what is dismissed, and what becomes common sense—especially when autistic-led perspectives are positioned as anecdotal rather than evidentiary.

For claims, methods, and scientific accountability.

What behaviorism counts as evidence
How “gold standard” status is constructed
Where methodological limits are minimized or obscured

Evidence here is treated as a social-scientific problem, not a branding term. This pillar focuses on how confidence is conveyed, how rigor is signaled, and how uncertainty is managed—or avoided—in professional writing.

For power, governance, and professional self-regulation.

How disciplines police their boundaries
How citation, review, and credentialing function as control
How authority is stabilized through procedure

Institutions examines how systems maintain legitimacy over time, not through open debate, but through norms that shape what can be published, cited, funded, or taught.

For students, families, policymakers, and autistic people.

Who is asked to trust expert claims
Who makes decisions under urgency
Who lives with the long-term consequences

This pillar centers the audiences most affected by behaviorist authority—those who must navigate claims presented as settled science while lacking access to the tools needed to evaluate them.

For oversight, restraint, and humane limits.

How citation becomes governance
How review becomes regulation
How exposure is reduced without refutation

Safeguards examines the mechanisms used to manage dissent, contain critique, and protect institutional reputation under the language of responsibility and professionalism.