Thread by @ekverstania

The problem with many of the dialogues between people in #BehaviorAnalyst roles, and autistic people and their allies who support the #BanABA movement, is that there's a misalignment of goals.

Some of us don't want to talk to ABA people at all.

But those who are prepared to do so are doing it with the purpose of getting you to give up your ABA-based job and to shut down your whole industry.

We're prepared to help you work towards alternative revenue streams, but for many of you, having a different job to go to isn't your main concern; you believe in ABA and you're determined to make ABA work.

So you're using these dialogues to find ways to make your ABA practice more woke-sounding. (Still ABA, but with superficial tweaks to make it soothe your conscience.)

This is not really what we're there for, though. You're misusing our precious energy to stay in business.

Here's something I thought we could agree on. I thought this one thing could be common ground.

Turned out we were expecting too much of you.

https://twitter.com/ekverstania/status/1572892927847960577?t=sPrbE3wR5qATReMfOu4qxw&s=19

Now, I'm speculating here, but I think I understand some of the main reasons why you're digging in your heels and why you really don't want to leave your known niche.

I'm not saying all of you; I know that some of you ARE prepared to leave. Some of my friends and allies are ex-ABA therapists, proselytes and apologists.

I don't think it's even just because you'd have to learn from scratch, which is naturally uncomfortable for someone who's invested in a certain body of knowledge.

I think what you're REALLY scared of is how the power dynamic would change if you had to follow a rights-based approach to therapy for autistic people.

More than the known territory of jargon and models and activities, you are accustomed to your cosy power.

So your brain keeps reinforcing the idea that what you're doing is good and needed. Because these ideas keep you safe. They protect you against the fear of losing power.

I don't think your ableism and preconceived ideas about autism are letting you get comfortable with the idea of a job in which a 19-year-old nonspeaking autistic man with loud, 'meaningless' vocal stims could be your BOSS—the person with whom you'd have to negotiate a raise.

Would it make a difference if he was older—say, 30? Same loud vocal stims, needs some help with going to the toilet and with self-care, occasional compulsion to hit his forehead with his fist—but still no speech—could you rely on someone like this for your salary?

This is perhaps why I'm seeing growing, genuine, meaningful and humble engagement with people from various allied health professions—OTs, SLPs, music therapists and art therapists, to name but a few:

But the resistance to genuine change and learning comes from those who rely on dominating people to be able to ply their trade. In education and psychology and elsewhere, it often goes that way, but it doesn't need to.

In EIBI, which is ABA, that's how it works. It's baked in.

So, you can transform Occupational Therapy, Medicine or Education to be rights-based.

But if you had to try the same in ABA, you'd have to stop most of what's happening out there.

https://twitter.com/ekverstania/status/1543948955972673536?t=ABrAyw5GnjnCe9bvT84DGg&s=19