Thread by @AutSciPerson

Reminder that it's nearly impossible to search for information about why ABA is bad and find #ActuallyAutistic sources.

What happens when I google (in incognito mode) "Why ABA therapy is harmful" -

The answer to "Is ABA therapy good for autism?" on the web browser:
"ABA is a type of therapy that can improve social, communication, and learning skills through reinforcement strategies. Many experts consider ABA to be the gold-standard treatment for children with autism."

The site in the first question-

No mention of asking the child:
"Goals should be established between the parent and the professional. Any goals your ABA therapist wants to work on with your child should be explained & communicated to you up front."

manhattanpsychologygroup.com/can-aba-harmfu…

Honestly I don't understand how parents can be convinced by this description. It sounds so awful.

"This doesn’t mean they aren’t afraid to elicit a tantrum (..good behavioral intervention..intentionally elicits tantrums), but the goal is always for these tantrums to extinguish."

"Discrete Trial Training is an intensive, highly structured form of ABA therapy in which children are required to sit for significant periods of time and run drills. This particular style of ABA is not appropriate for every child."

How about it's not appropriate for ANY child?

This whole article is genuinely terrifying.
"DTT is useful for very early learners who do not yet have the skills to absorb information from their natural environment, but who are capable of learning with targeted motivation & encouragement."

And here we go with this time-sensitive it's completely necessary thing:

"DTT helps these early learners build numerous skills quickly, which is crucial for children who are developmentally delayed."

Here's the 'autistic people don't play right and we'll fix that' portion:

"The goal of DTT is to develop the building blocks to engage in more creative, functional, natural play."

Also they are saying they shouldn't make a child under 5 sit for longer than 30 minutes. 30 mins?!

#SayNoToABA

"Is the point of ABA for my child to be indistinguishable from his peers?
The goal of ABA is unique to each particular family."

Their answer: Yes, but we're not going to say it out loud.
They go on to talk about vaguely establishing goals again.

"ABA therapy should target goals that are socially significant, meaning that what a therapist teaches a client makes a meaningful difference in their lives, and the lives of their families..."

Wait for it -

"Sometimes this goal is speech, sometimes it is toilet training, and sometimes it is matching pictures of animals. If a parent and therapist disagree on the importance of a goal, they should talk about it together and come to a conclusion that is right for the child."

Let's break those "goals" down:

1. Speech - The goal isn't "find ways to communicate" it's "make the kid talk regardless of their communication needs."

2. Toilet training is even more frightening, as it can be medical. neuroclastic.com/2021/06/13/on-…

3. Why is matching animals a goal?

Okay I have to screenshot this because I can't even understand how they think this is okay or NOT painful.

That last sentence: "A good therapist will not try to rush this process, so the child will not experience pain."

So they KNOW it causes pain but they do it anyway?!!

That example could be that it's the texture of soap that's the problem, or the smell, or literally any sort of sensory issue! And they're just like "well, make them get used to it, but SLOWLY" as if that's somehow okay and not painful?

ABA therapists don't understand physiology.

Aversives are okay if the behavior is "scary" enough, ABA therapists say. As if aversives are going to deter them more than figuring out why.

There is a HUGE difference between punishing an autistic child for headbanging than screaming "NO!" to a child touching a hot stove.

Here's the difference:

The autistic child is headbanging because they are already in pain! You're literally punishing an autistic child for trying to cope with sensory overload, or even medical physical pain like a toothache or headache!

I actually have another "hot stove" analogy for you, and it's what you do to "desensitize" the child to soap in your soap example! Rewarding a kid for being in sensory distress.

And in fact, this analogy on my resource page too! In a light blue box even!
autisticscienceperson.com/why-aba-therap…

This paragraph is essentially "we're not trying normalize autistic kids, we just want them to be as independent as possible" and trying to sell that ABA is "scientific" in some way and not barbaric. The term "actualize their full potential" really says it all.

One more thing:

The word

"consent"

never appears on this entire page.
Not once.

Other words not used:
"well-being"
"emotion"
"sensory"
"sensitivities"
"alexithymia"
"masking"
"patience"
"understanding"
"AAC"
"sign language"
"mental health"

I searched for "consent" on their website and I found something about teenage romantic relationships.

And this from a school-based shadow program:

"The parent gives consent for the behaviorist and school team to share information about the student."

That's the only reference.