Why reinvent the wheel? A behaviour analyst's reflections on pedagogy for inclusion for students with intellectual and developmental disability

Abstract

The number of children identified as having intellectual or developmental disability is rising worldwide and their education has been found wanting. It has been said that “they simply need better teaching.” At the same time, there is an increasing evidence base that pedagogy that is based on the discipline of behaviour analysis offers the best prospect for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. On the basis of this evidence, it is proposed that behaviour analysis should be applied more broadly to improve teaching for all children with intellectual or developmental disability.

Keywords:

• pedagogy
• behaviour analysis
• autism
• inclusion
• developmental disability
• intellectual disability
• applied behaviour analysis

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.