• Chartered Scientist Dr. Anton James on how global recognition adds legitimacy to what you do

With global certifications in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and over 20 years of international expertise in autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) intervention, Dr. Anton James is a trailblazer in neurodevelopmental care. 

As the Founder of The Tree House International and Merak, his pioneering work has earned top honours from the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the British Science Council. He is the first educational scientist of Sri Lankan origin to be named a chartered scientist by the Science Council United Kingdom (UK), and he was on ‘Kaleidoscope – Let’s Talk’ to share his learnings.

Following are excerpts from the interview:

What made you want to come back to Sri Lanka and start Tree House International?

I came to Sri Lanka many times before the crisis, and I heard a lot of stories from parents about their situation. I had first-hand experience of parents being told that if they just went to a mainstream school, things would be okay.

They were told that autism was caused by parenting or by schooling. But, when it came to treatment, the most evidence-based treatment – behavioural analysis – wasn’t being done by professionally certified and regulated people. 

I always wanted to come back to Sri Lanka to build a system based on science. When the crisis happened and the situation got worse, I felt that it was the right time to return.

You’ve flipped the traditional narrative. Parents with children with special needs, if they can afford it, usually go abroad. Now, you’re trying to keep them here. What was driving this reverse migration?

I have 20 years of international experience in the treatment of children with special needs. The most effective and evidence-based treatment is ABA. I’m certified in Canada, the UK, and the United States of America, and I’m also a subject matter expert in university curricula worldwide. 

I came to Sri Lanka to ensure that at Tree House International, every teacher is certified in regulated behaviour analysis. The curriculum is holistic, designed to make children independent, not just prepare them for university. If they want to go to university, we can help with that too. Our teachers also receive weekly professional development. 

Research shows that when you use science, outcomes improve. We’ve never had to advertise, and today, over 75% of our students come from all over the world – the Caribbean, Fiji, Japan, London (in England), and Canada. I’m very happy that people are coming here, rather than going abroad.

What are the most damaging misconceptions about ABA?

I would say that there are two main misconceptions. The first is that ABA is too structured, which impression comes from the media. If you search on YouTube, all you see is the very structured version of ABA. In reality, ABA also includes naturalistic environmental teaching, which is unstructured and flexible. 

The second misconception is that ABA is about punishment. That comes from under-regulation and unqualified people practising ABA without certification. Our professional ethical guidelines clearly state that we must use the least restrictive approach, not punishment. The lack of regulation has damaged the perception of ABA.

You created the Behaviour Therapist Registration Board to bring legitimacy and oversight into the process. Why was that necessary?

If you do a course in speech therapy, you must register with the Sri Lanka Medical Council – you must have supervision and professional recognition. The same should apply to behavioural therapy. Just doing a University Grants Commission course or training doesn’t make you a behaviour therapist. 

Before we started, there wasn’t a single certified and regulated ABA professional body in Sri Lanka. We needed a system of training, supervision, continuing professional development, and oversight. To protect both the public and the profession, creating the board was absolutely necessary.

Your school, Tree House International, is the first of its kind. What barriers did you face in putting it together?

We started in the middle of the financial crisis. You can imagine how hard that was, especially since international schools faced restrictions and many foreign students had to leave. That was the first barrier. The second was the lack of certified behavioural therapists in Sri Lanka. I had to personally train each specialist teacher to meet international standards.

Another challenge was misinformation. Some people claimed that ABA was not effective or said that they could provide similar services cheaper – but of course, it’s cheaper if it’s done by someone unqualified and unregulated. These narratives were difficult to overcome, but we have succeeded.

You’ve trained teachers and healthcare workers in remote islands like the Maldives. What has that experience taught you?

Working in the Maldives has been wonderful. The Maldivian Government is collaborative – I’ve worked with the Presidential Office, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Social Services. They visited Sri Lanka to learn from us, and I’ve been there several times to train people. 

The difference is that in the Maldives, with a population of only half a million, ABA is regulated – you can’t practice without registering with the Government. Sri Lanka has 22 million people and there is no such regulation. What I’ve learned is that people don’t leave a country because they dislike it; they leave because those who are passionate and committed aren’t given opportunities.

All these accolades that you’ve received, how do they help you on the ground?

Recognition from the BPS and being a chartered scientist are very important for credibility. To drive change in Sri Lanka, you need credibility to get into the system. 

The irony is that many Sri Lankans go abroad for qualifications to leave the country, not to return. When you come back with global recognition, most people here don’t really understand what it means. But, it helps. It gives legitimacy to our work, which is the first step to making systemic change.

Your inclusive tourism project – what is it about, and what are the realities of putting it into practice?

We began Project Merak last year (2024) to bring people with disabilities into Sri Lanka, since our economy depends heavily on tourism. The idea is to send a message to the world that Sri Lanka is inclusive and sustainable.

It’s a five-phase project. First, we cleaned up Sri Lanka’s beaches, collecting plastic waste from the ocean. We converted this into sensory materials that will be mounted on artistic panels created by artists worldwide to showcase Sri Lanka’s beauty. 

In the next phases, these panels will be displayed across the country, and we are collaborating with Guinness World Records to build the longest sensory wall in the world here in Sri Lanka. Finally, these works will be exhibited in major art galleries globally. 

It’s about showing the world that Sri Lanka is beautiful, inclusive, and serious about sustainability. We’re not waiting for the Government; we’re doing it ourselves.

What’s your next frontier, beyond this project?

We’re building more schools. Our model is simple: we charge high fees for foreign students and reinvest that money locally, giving free education to Sri Lankan students and funding national initiatives like the aforementioned board. The model works; our data shows that it works.

Our mission is to make evidence-based treatment available across the Indian Ocean region. To do that, we must expand into new geographies while strengthening the system here. Instead of Sri Lankans going abroad for treatment, we want people to come here. That’s the way forward.

(The writer is the host, director, and co-producer of the weekly digital programme ‘Kaleidoscope with Savithri Rodrigo’ which can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. She has over three decades of experience in print, electronic, and social media)