Search
Resources
Give
Menu
February is Vista Autism Services’ anniversary month. It’s a natural time to reflect not only on how our organization has grown since 2002, but on how the broader field of services and supports for individuals with autism has evolved alongside us.
For more than two decades, Vista’s mission and values have emphasized dignity, meaningful progress, and respect for the individuals and families we serve—principles that have guided our work even as the field itself has continued to grow and change.
In the early 2000s, much of the focus across autism-related supports was on access and consistency. Families were often working hard simply to secure services, and early behavioral approaches helped establish structured ways to teach communication, daily living, and learning skills.1 For many individuals, this work opened doors that had previously been closed.
As services became more widely available, expectations grew. Families and individuals began asking not just whether support existed, but how it was delivered and what difference it made in everyday life. Over time, the focus expanded beyond access alone to include long-term independence, quality of life, and the lived experience of receiving care—not only the data collected along the way.2 These shifts set the stage for the conversations many families and professionals are engaging in today.
Throughout this evolution, Vista worked to balance emerging best practices with a steady commitment to values that center the individual—recognizing that growth in the field must be matched by accountability to the people receiving services.
Today, conversations about compassionate care reflect a shared expectation that services should be both effective and deeply respectful of the individual receiving them. Compassionate care is not about lowering expectations or avoiding challenge. Rather, it recognizes that meaningful progress is most likely when individuals feel safe, understood, and supported as they learn and grow.3
Families and self-advocates have played an important role in shaping this conversation, emphasizing dignity, individual voice, and the importance of reducing unnecessary distress. In response, professionals across the field have continued refining how supports are delivered, with greater attention to collaboration, choice, and responsiveness. Concepts such as honoring preference and supporting assent have become more visible as part of ethical, person-centered care.4 In this context, compassionate care is not a departure from evidence-based practice; it is an expression of it.
Vista was founded in 2002 with a clear purpose: to advance services, improve lives, and inspire hope for individuals with autism and their families. Over the past 20+ years, that mission has remained constant, even as approaches, language, and expectations across the field have evolved. Long before “compassionate care” became a common phrase, Vista’s work was guided by values centered on dignity, meaningful progress, and respect for the individuals and families we serve.
For us, compassionate care is not a new initiative or a shift in direction. It reflects how we have long understood our responsibility to the people who place their trust in us. At its core, that responsibility is grounded in two principles that must always be held together:
• Relationships matter. Trust, dignity, and respect are the foundation of meaningful learning and support.
• Progress matters. Compassionate care should lead to real growth, skill development, and increased independence.
Holding both of these principles at the same time is essential. Compassion without progress risks leaving individuals unprepared for greater independence. Progress without compassion risks losing sight of the person behind the goals.
As Vista marks another year of service, this moment offers an opportunity to reflect not only on longevity, but on responsibility. A commitment to compassionate care carries real weight when translated into day-to-day decisions about how time is used, how goals are set, and how families and individuals are engaged as partners in the work.
Time is one of the most valuable resources families have. Childhood moves quickly, and opportunities for adult services and supports can be limited. Treating time with care and purpose has long been central to Vista’s approach—focusing on goals that matter, teaching with intention, and paying close attention to whether supports are truly helping individuals build skills that lead toward greater independence.
Looking ahead also means continuing to strengthen partnership. Families deserve clear communication and a shared understanding of goals. They should know not only what their child is working on, but why it matters, how it connects to longer-term goals, and how they play a key role in that work. Those goals should be clearly understood and shared, guiding both family expectations and the instructional focus of the team.
Whenever possible, individuals receiving services should also be supported in expressing preferences and participating in ways that respect their dignity and agency. Care should be something done with people, not to them.
In the months ahead, Vista will share insights into how these principles take shape across our programs, including classrooms, employment services, and family partnerships. These stories are not meant to persuade, but to offer transparency into how long-held values are translated into everyday practice.
At its core, compassionate care at Vista means delivering support that respects dignity, values time, and helps individuals build skills that matter—because every person deserves care that genuinely supports their path forward.
1. Smith, T. (2012). Evolution of applied behavior analysis in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Documents how early structured behavioral approaches expanded access to skill-building supports, particularly in early intervention.
2. Schalock, R. L., et al. (2018). Quality of life framework for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Highlights the shift toward evaluating success based on meaningful life outcomes, not only short-term measures.
3. Taylor, B. A., LeBlanc, L. A., & Nosik, M. R. (2019). Compassionate care in behavior analytic treatment. Behavior Analysis in Practice. Explores the role of empathy, professionalism, and relationship skills in ethical and effective behavior analytic services.
4. Contemporary peer-reviewed literature in Behavior Analysis in Practice and related journals examines assent-based approaches and reducing unnecessary distress while maintaining instructional effectiveness.
If you’d like to explore the broader conversation in more depth, these topics and terms are commonly discussed in current professional literature:
• Assent-based practice and learner participation
• Trauma-informed and dignity-centered approaches in behavioral services
• Quality of life measurement and meaningful outcomes
• Therapeutic relationship skills and caregiver collaboration
Previous post