
I Was Part of the “Good ABA”
Louis Stay wanted help autistic children when he took a job as an RBT. The clinic was advertised as the modern “good ABA” that avoided the harmful practices associated with ABA’s history.
ABA stands for Applied Behavioral Analysis. Behavior analysis is a science that seeks to understand, predict, and change behavior. Most professionals who work in the field of behavior analysis work in behavior intervention for autistic children, an approach used to shape the behavior of autistic children. We will only be addressing ABA as an intervention therapy for autistic children.
ABA uses operant conditioning and positive reinforcement (praise and rewards) to “program” desired behaviors. While positive reinforcement may seem harmless, autistic advocates and allies contend that rewarding children for behaving in a way that is unnatural to them is a grooming technique that will result in internalized shame and trauma later in life.
ABA is often criticized because the goal behaviors it teaches are selected without consideration of autistic needs, such as sensory sensitivity or overwhelm. Autistic children are taught to perform behaviors regardless of whether those behaviors cause them pain. ABA practitioners are not trained or equipped to understand autistic sensory, social, and emotional needs and work to change those behaviors instead of reducing the stress and demand on autistic children.
Autistic children do not need therapy simply because they are autistic. Instead of asking, “What should I do instead of ABA,” ask yourself, “What specific needs does my child have?”
Alternatives to ABA include:
Are you wondering what therapy, if any, your child needs after being diagnosed with autism?
This article is written to help you explore and process all the new– and sometimes aggressive– therapy recommendations doctors often push following an autism diagnosis. Keeping your focus on getting to deeply know and understand your child is a winning strategy.
No matter what type of therapy you choose for your child, there is a risk of harm and unintentional abuse– like causing children to settle into learned helplessness because they have no way to meet their needs.
Louis Stay wanted help autistic children when he took a job as an RBT. The clinic was advertised as the modern “good ABA” that avoided the harmful practices associated with ABA’s history.
Part One: We’re asking the wrong questions as parents of autistic children. Instead of asking if ABA works, we should be asking what are the consequences.
One BCBA can no longer be silent about what they see in their field. Jo Ram explores issues in the ABA profession that lend themselves to abuse– especially of autistic children.
Parents are often pushed into ABA therapy for their child after an autism diagnosis. This article shows how parents can make informed decisions about supporting their child without giving into the common rhetoric that ABA therapists push onto parents.
One of the most hotly-contended points of division between the adult autistic community and the neurotypical parents of autistic children: explained.
Carol Millman, a professional dog trainer, compares ABA to dog training in this powerful expose.
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