Martin Luther King, Jr. and Applied Behavior Analysis

Touchstone Family,

There is much that everyone, including practitioners of Applied Behavior Analysis, can learn from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s acts of courage and service. King fought tirelessly to exceed societal expectations. Similarly, in Applied Behavior Analysis, we are helping our clients push past the boundaries of what many think they are capable of achieving.

Despite facing many challenges and barriers, King responded to these oppositions with many powerful works, including writing “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” and leading 250,000+ people in the 1963 March on Washington, where he presented his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

The great civil rights struggles of Martin Luther King, Jr. remind us of several truths that have been demonstrated within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. Our science helps us to demonstrate that meaningful, future-altering change can be made when the appropriate interventions are utilized, that we should never place artificial boundaries in the way of the individuals we serve and instead can work to successfully increase their abilities to access the environment(s) that others already enjoy, and that we must not limit our hard work in the face of adversity, as long-lasting positive changes are possible.

We at Touchstone thank all of our staff, technicians, certificants, licensees, administration, and families who work tirelessly to help provide a brighter future for our clients.

Sincerely,

The Touchstone Diversity Initiative