“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.” – Mahatma Gandhi

I work in a public elementary school as a BCBA, and I’m very passionate about helping the world heal from climate change.  One day I saw a poster made by a 2nd grade student about the effects of climate change. I tracked her down, and one of the first things she said to me was “If only, we could change people’s behavior.”

If only we could change people’s behavior…

It was like the world was saying “Hey, wake up! You know how to fix this.” Maybe this is the social problem we (the field of ABA) are destined to address.   

As this problem intensifies, more immediate consequences will be felt.  As a result, the audience of people looking for solutions will continually grow. We are lucky enough to be part of field where we know the answers.  This is a huge opportunity for the field of behavior analysis. 

I was initially scared to stretch my skills beyond autism and developmental disabilities.  One of the biggest surprises I encountered was how well groomed I was to address this problem.  As a consulting BCBA, many of the critical steps I took (listed below) were part of my everyday practice. 

Be systematic

Integrating a systematic approach is the most efficient we can help with sustainability efforts. 

We have a unique perspective in that we are trained to systematically target the most socially significant behaviors first.  Analyze what behaviors need to be changed based on their negative outcomes toward the environment.  Better yet, focus on a behavior to reinforce. Take a look at Drawdown, which has systemically listed the top 100 solutions to solving the climate crises. 

Many well-intentioned activists initiate projects to help in their community, such as organizing clothing swaps, or knitting re-usable bags. Though their heart is in the right place, we can help guide these groups to use their time more efficiently. 

Time is valuable, and this is an urgent problem.  Groups need our help developing objective behavior change goals.  We need to help others prioritize the target behaviors that are going to have the greatest impact.

Do the research

Review previous research. Ask people you respect about the resources they may have.

Many people skip this step because they are eager to implement an intervention. This step will save so much time and aggravation. You will avoid interventions that don’t work, and you will be more effective because you will use strategies that are already empirically validated.  

Stay tuned our list of favorite resources on our website.  

Observe and conduct a baseline

Figure out what topography of behavior you are hoping to change and measure it.

This may seem obvious to behavior analysts but those outside the field commonly skip it. You don’t know if you’ve made a positive impact unless you measure it.

Observe the target behavior.  Observe what happens before, during and after the behavior occurs.  You will learn a lot by doing this, and it will better inform your intervention.

Establish yourself as a conditioned reinforcer

Be nice and kind to the people who will be implementing or supporting your intervention.  For example, my target behavior was reducing food waste in an elementary school lunchroom.  I made sure I was very nice to the people who would be most impacted by any change in the system.  This included the principal, PTO, lunchroom and custodial staff. 

Being kind and listening to others can go a long way. I was also sure to keep all these groups well informed about any updates, and gather their input prior to implementing composting and recycling.

Analyze and minimize response effort

Is this intervention going to be effortful for particular people?  Talk to those people and get their input.  Is there a way to alleviate that burden?  

For example, the trash reduction intervention most affected the custodial staff.  I spent the most time with them, and helped troubleshot any issues as they arose. When possible, I informed administrators above them of any problems occurring so we could help problem solve.  I believe that if I didn’t spend time doing this step, then the intervention would have failed.

Celebrate success

Share your story.  Disseminate the good news with your co-workers, friends, and other professionals. People want to hear good news especially on this topic. By sharing and celebrating our successes, we can be the field that shines a positive light on climate change with tangible solutions.

The positive feedback for our intervention was overwhelming.  The data spoke for itself.  We reduced our trash by 50% of baseline.  I was also shocked by how encouraging and supportive people were in the process.  Many people want to help, but they don’t know where to start.  The school was buzzing with student interest on this topic. There were many students heading up their own projects, looking to me for advice and guidance. This had a secondary effect of reinforcing my behavior related to sustainability.  I’m now more invested than ever to bring ABA into the field of sustainability since the intervention was effective and the feedback was so positive.

At the end of the day, we can either chose to be part of the problem or part of the solution.   It’s now clear to me that we have the tools to address this problem.  If we tap into that capability within our field, we could be part of the reason the world is saved. What greater calling is there for a profession?

Meghan Martineau, Ph-D., LABA, BCBA-D