Restricted and repetitive behaviours, including stereotypy, are a defining feature of Autism and encompass a range of behavioural topographies. These behaviours are frequently identified as priorities for intervention by practitioners working collaboratively with families, particularly when they interfere with learning, safety, or meaningful participation. Contemporary research and autistic perspectives increasingly inform how practitioners conceptualise and support these behaviours within Applied Behaviour Analysis.

This interactive workshop supports clinicians to integrate Neuro-Affirming, trauma-informed frameworks with conceptually systematic ABA to guide assessment and intervention. The workshop covers language and conceptualisation of stereotypy, trauma-informed functional assessment, practitioner behaviour and assent, function-based treatment design, generalisation of adaptive skills, and culturally responsive caregiver collaboration. Participants will engage in case-based activities to practise identifying maintaining variables using descriptive and ecological assessment methods, designing regulation-first intervention plans, and adapting programs to support participant dignity, choice, and social validity.

This topic is highly current as behaviour analysts are increasingly called upon to deliver ethical, inclusive, and evidence-based services across diverse community contexts. Emerging research on autistic lived experience and trauma-informed care highlights the importance of evolving intervention models that prioritise regulation, engagement, and meaningful participation alongside behavioural outcomes.

The workshop is directly relevant to behaviour analysis, emphasising functional assessment, differential reinforcement, skill acquisition, generalisation, and conceptually systematic ABA. Participants will develop practical strategies for translating science into everyday practice while maintaining fidelity to behavioural principles. By integrating Autistic perspectives, cultural awareness, and caregiver collaboration, this workshop supports clinicians to design socially meaningful interventions for stereotypy that promote adaptive engagement and long-term success.