Eastern Michigan University
Project Title: Promoting Cultural Responsiveness in Behavior Analysis: Development and Validation of Arab-Focused Training Materials
Omar is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Eastern Michigan University working under the mentorship of Dr. Adam Briggs. His project seeks to improve culturally responsive behavior analytic service delivery by developing and evaluating an empirically informed tutorial designed to help practitioners work more effectively with Arab families. Although behavior analysts are ethically expected to practice with cultural humility and responsiveness, there are few practical, evidence-based resources that translate these expectations into strategies for everyday clinical practice. This gap is particularly evident for Arab families, who remain underrepresented in behavior analytic research despite representing a rapidly growing and culturally diverse population.
Drawing on both the scientific literature and the perspectives of Arab caregivers, Arab autistic adults, and Arab behavior analysts, the project will develop a practical tutorial and accompanying resources that address culturally relevant variables influencing assessment, intervention, and caregiver collaboration. The materials are intended to provide behavior analysts with practical guidance for adapting services in ways that enhance communication, social validity, and family engagement while maintaining the integrity of evidence-based behavioral interventions. The project will also evaluate whether these training materials improve behavior analysts' knowledge and application of culturally responsive practices.
Ultimately, Omar hopes this project will contribute to ongoing efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within behavior analysis by supporting more culturally informed, ethical, and effective service delivery. By developing practical, evidence-informed guidance, the project seeks to strengthen partnerships between practitioners and families while improving the accessibility and social validity of behavior analytic services.
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