Quality of Life for People with Disabilities: Why Applied Behavior Analysts Should Consider This a Primary Dependent Variable

Abstract

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a natural science dedicated to using behavioral principles to address socially important problems. One area in which behavior analysts have made compelling gains in the last 50 years is in developing, evaluating, and disseminating effective interventions for people with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities. As the science of ABA has matured, many practitioners, researchers, and consumers have questioned how our field should define appropriate outcomes of behavioral interventions. In this article, we propose that improved quality of life should be the ultimate outcome for consumers receiving behavioral interventions. We explore definitions of quality of life and suggest some strategies that behavior analysts can apply to modify practices to more clearly center quality of life as an outcome variable.