Building ABA in Nepal: From Parent Advocacy to National Capacity Building

In this episode, Ben Reiman speaks with Pragya Shrestha Pradhan, a parent, founder, advocate, and behaviour analyst working to expand autism and ABA services in Nepal. Pragya describes how her daughter Avaani’s autism diagnosis introduced her to a world of limited services, long waitlists, and cultural stigma around disability. That experience eventually led her to training in India, involvement in parent education, the founding of Avaani Foundation, and later her certification as a behaviour analyst.

The conversation covers autism awareness in Nepal, the challenges of developing ABA services where trained professionals are scarce, the importance of parent training, and the difficulty of implementing intervention within extended family systems. Pragya also discusses collaboration with other professionals, concerns about ABA being offered without proper training or supervision, and her vision for university-level behaviour analysis education and future service development in Nepal.

In This Episode

Pragya Shrestha Pradhan’s journey from parent to professional

Avaani’s diagnosis and early intervention experience

Autism awareness and stigma in Nepal

The founding and growth of Avaani Foundation

Cultural considerations in ABA and parent training

Challenges with limited professionals and access to services

Collaboration with schools, families, therapists, doctors, and universities

The need for culturally responsive ABA models in Nepal

Building local capacity through education, supervision, and training