Thread by @MomInTheFog

It must be a real ego trip to be an ABA provider. You basically get to make up any narrative you want about a child and what they will or won't become in life without your services, with wide-eyed and terrified parents hanging onto your every word. #ABA (1/9)

Then you get to mold an innocent child to adore and trust you and also hang onto your every word, with nothing more than the promise of treats and iPad time. #ABA (2/9)

You get to control what and when they eat and how they eat it. You get to control how they sit, how they play, how they communicate, how they move their bodies. #ABA (3/9)

You have full-time access to train them to do anything you deem necessary for their success, regardless of their own interests, skills, abilities, and desires. You can make them do pretty much anything for a few M&Ms. #ABA (4/9)

You have the power to set the tone for how almost everyone will ever perceive a child, often this includes their parents. Even long after they're out of your "care" the paper trail you get to leave on their medical file can follow them for a lifetime. #ABA (5/9)

You have the power to affect what kind of education they'll get, what kind of actual *useful* supports they'll receive, what kind of housing and employment will be available to them (or not) as an adult. #ABA (6/9)

All with almost zero pushback from the parents, because you've got them so convinced you're the expert on a child you've barely met and a neurology you don't even experience yourself. #ABA (7/9)

It's an ultimate power trip. It's no wonder there are so many abusers drawn to the field. The entire practice is built specifically to groom Autistics into compliance without question. #ABA (8/9)

Pretty much anyone can do it. There's no advanced degree required to work one-on-one with clients, without even the parents to supervise what you're doing. They trust you because they think you're an expert after what's usually only a few weeks or months of training. #ABA (9/9)