Data and Methods
My project will use a qualitative literature review to broaden my knowledge base of the history and practice of ABA therapy. I will also focus on a separate literature review on the use of sociology as art. Weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 will focus on contextualizing my personal biography within the historical narrative of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) as a form of healthcare. I will then shift to focusing on communication strategies during Weeks 4, 5, 6, and 7 to explore methods by which art can convey the interlacing of biography and history. Finally, during Week 8 I will combine the history of ABA with my own personal experiences using journalistic art. I hope to end Week 8 with a visual representation of the sociological imagination.
Week 8: Project Conceptualization
- Week 8 will explore the artistic bounds of the project as a starting point for contextualizing my experience as a therapist within an exploration of autism as a disease and ABA therapy. The initial preview of the ways in which art, memory, and research will coalesce within my project will guide further work and research over the upcoming weeks.
Week 9: The History of ABA Healthcare
- Week 9 will focus on contextualizing my experience as an Applied Behavioral Analysis therapist within the historical development of ABA as a treatment for autism. How did ABA develop and change over time? How has ABA met consumer demand and adapted to changing healthcare labor markets?
Week 10: The History of ABA Healthcare/Current Trends in ABA and Autism Healthcare
- Week 10 will focus on connecting ABA’s history to current historical trends. How does ABA represent the positive and negative aspects of modern healthcare? Does ABA practice a treatment model that fulfills the needs of all clients? What portion of the population comprises ABA clientele and ABA workers?
Week 11: Current Trends in ABA and Autism Healthcare
- Week 11 will expand upon Week 10’s questions.
Week 12: Autistic Adult and Non-Autistic Parent Advocacy
- This week will focus on the past and present conflict between autistic adults and non-autistic parent advocate groups in the context of neurotypical and neurodiverse frameworks.
Week 13: Artistic Depictions of Behavioral Healthcare
- Week 13 will shift to explore art’s role as a communication tool. How has art been used as a tool to convey behavioral health and caretaking roles? How can artists use mediums to share experiences and evoke connections?
Week 14: Art as Sociology: A Literature/Artistic Review
- Week 14 will expand upon Week 13’s exploration with a specific focus on the past and present use of art within the sociological discipline.
Week 15: Project Creation
- Week 15 will begin the process of using the sociological imagination to connect my personal experience as an ABA therapist with the history of ABA. I plan to use artistic methods researched in Weeks 12-14 to create in my artistic journaling.
Week 16: Project Creation and Finalization
- Period of artistic journaling and additional research as necessary.