Thread by @AutSciPerson

Literally Discrete Trial Training (or DTT as they call it):

Is just going
"Where's the blue square? Touch the blue square"

And if the kid doesn't do it -for any reason-

they just KEEP ASKING.

Imagine hearing "Where's the blue square?"
30 or even 60 times in a row.

1/3

https://twitter.com/roryreckons/status/1439789877256622083

Imagine getting driven to a building, being asked to sit down in a chair, and getting the question "Where's the blue square? Touch the blue square"

every day for weeks on end.

People still try to say "but they don't do punishment."

Doing that to children
Is
Punishment!!

Not getting to stand up out of the chair, not getting to stop hearing "Where's the blue square? Touch the blue square."

Not being able to get this stranger out of your face.

Not being able to take a break and do something else you like when you want and need it

Is
Punishment.

Detention in the US is sitting in a room not being able to do anything, having to sit a desk.

Detention is -less punishing- than ABA therapy.

Because in ABA therapy you have an adult stranger to answer to, and they can:

1. Touch you without consent.
2. Take away your toys.

3. Refuse to give you breaks from stimulus.
4. Refuse to let you use sensory supports.
5. Take away an activity that was planned because you didn't touch the blue square that day.
6. Make very loud noises when you do something "right."
7. Try to prevent you from stimming.

8. Try to reward you for making eye contact/look into your eyes.
9. Make you do tasks that you know how to do over and over again regardless of whether you know that information.
10. Take away phrases or your entire AAC device or alternative communication methods.

11. Refuse you food or drink when you are hungry if it's not at the correct "time" to eat or drink (not on schedule).
12. Take away fun activities for things you have no control over (for example, lots of autistic people have bladder control issues because of weak interoception).

I think most autistic kids would prefer the detention that was a potential punishment for breaking school rules that I was aware of growing up (sitting in a classroom doing nothing),

than having their boundaries and autonomy being constantly violated.

#SayNoToABA

And just to clarify,

ABA therapists are trained with specific protocol about DTT -

To make the activity longer and to continue making demands/asking especially when the autistic child doesn't do the task.

So they're basically constantly trying to elicit meltdowns.

I don't really know how else you can break a child's spirit but this is definitely a way to do it.

Can't do the thing? Ok, we have to keep trying to do it and you can do nothing else since you can't do it.

What kind of parenting strategy is that?
Answer - It's not one.