Is aba therapy ableist?

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Aba therapy is Applied behavior analysis. It is considered the “gold standard of autism treatment”

Medical professionals often recommend this type of therapy for a child diagnosed as autistic, along with speech, pt, ot, ect, depending on what the child’s needs are. Aba programs are often tailored to someone’s needs, but basically the goal is to help with communication, social skills, and decrease “unwanted” behaviors.

Many, many parents, along with medical professionals will argue that aba does absolute wonders for their child, they used to exhibit self injuring behaviors, now they don’t, eloping was an issue, now resolved, how many skills their child gained, ect.

However, on the other hand, many autistic adults do tell a different story. Many say they now suffer PTSD. When my son was diagnosed, I joined a Facebook group ran by autistic adults, and they all speak about aba as abusive, “dog training”, and all it was was teaching them how to mask and how to appear neurotypical

You can find a lot of aba abuse stories on Reddit, if you Google aba Reddit.

Aba therapy has changed over the years, but many autistic adults do claim any type of therapy uses aba tactics and principles is harmful, even “new” aba.

This leaves a pretty big divide between autistic adults and parents with autistic children.

Autistic adults claim ABA is abusive and ableist, but many autistic parents claim that their child needs aba for the “best outcome in life”. autistic adults claim this type of thinking is very dismissive to their experience, while the parents really do feel they are doing what is best for their kids since it’s so heavily pushed.

What is your take?

563 views • 0 upvotes • 39 comments

COMMENT (39)

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“Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require 'fixing' and defines people by their disability.”Yes, it is ableist and I believe it deserves the criticism it is getting, however I’m not entirely opposed to the use of it either.I agree with the article, humanistic approaches are better (imo) in almost any situation where they can be applied. ABA is very much conditioning, like how you would train an animal…this isn’t necessarily ‘bad’ though and we use these tactics on ourselves frequently. Eg. go to bed too late, natural consequence we are tired the next day and don’t feel great, we learn going to bed at an earlier time is better for our health and wellbeing, make the connection and adjust our behaviour (go to bed earlier) for a better outcome (reward). Applying this can be extremely useful for keeping people safe, alive (ex. self harm stimming) and having a more fulfilling life. However I do take issue with it being used for things like eye contact or non harmful types of stimming…this is a societal issue that can be easily changed with acceptance…although unfortunately it might keep someone alive in a situation with police. I think part of the problem is any belief that ABA is a holistic approach to wellbeing. It might be a piece of it, for specific things, but it does not address emotional health (imo) at all and should not be used because as a society we are uncomfortable with behaviour that might not be typical but is not harmful.

Me

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I think people need to start listening to the people who experienced it and says that it is.

Me

Melissa • Feb 7, 2023
A lot of parents used to think that sending your child to an asylum was the best for them when it came to many things they didn’t need to go for. Some parents thought that sending a kid to gay conversion places was what’s in the best interest of the kids. Parents of kids exorcised thinking it’s what’s best for them.

Na

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I want to preface this by saying that I’ve been in the field for about 8 years, and I just got my MS in ABA. Yes, ABA absolutely can be ableist and abusive, and I have definitely done things that were absolutely horrible. However, I feel like my current company does an amazing job at preventing ableism. Some things we focus on are:- client assent. If a kid tells me no, then it’s no. Obviously there are somethings that HAVE to happen, but for the most part, no means no. That also means I get a clear yes as well. For less vocal kids, this can look like “I’m gonna help you”, I bring my hands closer to them, and wait to see if they move away. If they do, I model “no thanks” and move away. If they keep their hands where they are, I say exactly where I’m going to touch them and why. I remind them if they want me to stop, I will. - parent training with an emphasis on ND education, especially when it comes to stimming. - ensuring goals are important to the kid There are several comments so far from people in the field claiming that it’s not ableist because they haven’t seen ableism. However, telling an autistic person that something isn’t ableist IS ABLEIST.

Ju

Ju • Feb 8, 2023
I work with a boy who is non-verbal. ASD, ADHD, OCD and anxiety. Prone to violence and self harm. I do the same thing with him. He will say "no" sometimes, but most of the time, I will let him know what I'm doing and move in slow to wait for his response. He is not shy about pushing hands away when he doesn't want help. He's also not shy if he wants help either. He'll pull my hand toward his work often times. If I don't understand what he wants or needs, I ask him to show me. He will pull my hand to whatever it is and point at it.

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D • Feb 8, 2023
You are amazing. Thank you for sharing this.

Na

Na • Feb 8, 2023
I absolutely have seen ABA implemented in ways that made it seem like we were just trying to make the kid act NT. There were times where, looking back, the things I did were straight up abusive, and I did it because a supervisor told me that was how it was done.

An

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This is such a hot topic on one of my other forums. Personally, I've actually seen nearly as many autistic adults speak in favor of it as against it. It just makes me wonder maybe not all ABA is administered the same, or you know, perhaps autistic people are individuals. As for it being conditioning compared to animal training, I can see that, and I can also see that as both harmless and harmful. ABA aside, I think all parents use some conditioning to encourage compliance regarding social norms. But I think most parents walk that fine line of wanting "well behaved" children that can function in society without breaking their child's spirit or losing who they are. Some parents go overboard and it's traumatic. I can only surmise that ABA therapy has a similar potential. So, no, I don't think "training" children to function in society is specific to autistic children and I don't think treatment is ableist.

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D • Feb 7, 2023
Thanks so much for the comment, I always appreciate your input on this group. My son is almost 5 and autistic. He does not go to aba, and that is only because he was diagnosed kind of late, so he was already in prek full time. Adding aba would have been a lot for him and he is considered low support. Plus a lot of the goals in aba are goals that he has in his other therapies. For example he has a hard time with holding conversations, we we work on that in speech. He’s got some sensory issues so he works on that in OT. Aba has never been completely off the table tho. Autism is fluid so while he’s low support now, I know in a year he could be high support and we may need extra assistance that we can only get with aba. I know it will be a tough call tho, but really you saying you have seen many autistic adults saying they had positive experience does make me happy, and I love that you pointed out it’s younger adults so it seems aba did change a lot. Also- his therapist in OT and speech use a lot of aba tactics. They all do. It seems unavoidable

An

An • Feb 7, 2023
They don't tend to form groups or feel the need to speak out because they weren't traumatized. With autism being such a spectrum, my guess is that many of these people had a different experience because their place on the spectrum was different than others. They also seem to be mostly younger adults so there may be a factor that ABA has evolved or they had less rigorous intervention. Just to be clear, I absolutely do not doubt the trauma of anyone that experienced due to their ABA. There are just so many factors here. I will say that I have no personal experience with ABA, however if it were recommended for one of my children I would do it - as long as I can observe and intervene if I feel the need.

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D • Feb 7, 2023
That’s so interesting that you have seen autistic adults in favor of aba. I have never seen that before, then again, my only interaction with autistic adults has been in Facebook groups where aba is a banned topic due to it being so triggering. I would love to see the other side tho

Ga

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Yes, it is, and it can be abusive. I’m not one to suggest it always is awful or that parents are bad if that’s the route they take. Fidgets.and.fries speaks a lot about ABA and the nuance for marginalized people. She also makes the very astute point that the root of ABA (human conditioning) is everywhere. You cannot escape the practice. You can escape practices of ABA, like 40 hour structured days to teach how to “correctly” play or try to suppress stimming, but X happens if you do Y human conditioning is omnipotent. Aside from voices of those harmed, ABA has been found to be ineffective long term. Many psychologists and cognitive researchers have been saying the type of teaching at ABA is short-term…and some research has shown that. Other research has shown that kids naturally progress and learn to adapt to their environment/community regardless of ABA, kids just need some time to have their brain develop. I do think ABA as a practice is ableist at the core, therefore extremely prone to abuse. ABA is also I’d argue exploitive and classist. The schools tend to be extremely expensive, a cash cow for insurance and use fear tactics to lure in parents.

Ga

Ga • Feb 8, 2023
I’ve wondered that, too, tbh. At what point is that amount of “therapy” just institutionalization?

Re

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I think that if you are using it to stop your child being killed or injured then it's different/ as without it they might not live to have an opinion on it!

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There’s lots of really great comments already. The techniques behind behavioral therapy aren’t inherently ableist, but it often was, and still is, applied in an ableist and abusive way. Keeping children safe is always important, as is making sure they can be as independent as realistically possible. That said, anytime the goals are making autistic people more “normal” hella red flags. 🚩 🚩🚩We should always be listening to the community of those that interventions are for. Their feedback is the most important, and sadly the least heard far too often.

Be

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I think aba therapy can be helpful if some appropriately. For instance, yea bing an alternative way to seek sensory input that isn’t self harm. I fully understand why aba has gotten to be such a controversial topic and have personally seen how detrimental it can be, how it can easily stray I to an abusive practice. But I’ve also seen therapists who are using it properly to help better the lives of others. In all cases, I think there needs to be oversight by others to make sure it’s appropriate. Speaking from many many years in social services and as foster mama to a child who utilized aba positively.

Be

Be • Feb 7, 2023
If it’s ever used as a way of making a child more “normal”, I’m against it 100%. That should never ever ever be the goal.

ki

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1. I don’t judge parents that opt for ABA. It is HEAVILY pushed by doctors, and they do use fear tactics, like someone else mentioned. “Your kid will never function independently”, “early intervention is the key to success”. They really REALLY hammer it in, like you NEED to do ALL the therapies or your kid is fucked in life. Also, if your kid is hurting themselves, or being aggressive, something needs to be done. I understand that. 2. I don’t judge parents that DONT opt for ABA. Because we can’t forget- parents that DONT do all the therapies are looked down on too. (How will your kid ever be ok as an adult?? Don’t you know how important early intervention is? Why don’t you do what’s best for your kid?) So, enough about the parents. Let’s get to what the autistic people have to say. The ones living as autistic adults, many that have gone thru ABA. I am neurotypical, so my opinion doesn’t really matter on if I think it’s abusive (I know you said ableist, but they go hand in hand). The overall consensus in the autistic community is that ABA is abusive and ableist. Autistic people have been straight up begging pleading with neurotypicals to listen to what they have to say. And so many of us don’t. (Remember Sia’s movie, music?” ABA therapy isn’t always bad tho. Like I said before, sometimes when you are a desperate parent and your kid is hurting themselves and others, what are you supposed to do to keep them safe? But it does seem that is it changing. For example, a lot of ABA centers no longer force eye contact, no longer prevent stimming, no longer use punishments. Also, I don’t know how it is in other places, but the hours offered thru early intervention in NY dropped significantly. I believe and I could be wrong, but the max amount is 5-10 hours a week, while it used to be recommended 40. That alone is huge. 40 hours of therapy for a 2 year old is absolutely crazy. So with that being said- I think it really depends on the place. Understand when the autistic kid is at their limit. If a kid is having a meltdown understand they need a break and aren’t being uncompliant. And don’t teach masking or how to be NT

ki

kimfan🖤 • Feb 9, 2023
Yup, and I totally get this. I have a lot of friends with autistic kids. They are all in ABA, or were at some point due to struggles that couldn’t be managed in other therapies. When I got my daughter’s diagnosis, i was so worried. I had no idea what to do, and felt so confused and helpless. It’s like you get this life altering diagnosis and just don’t know what to do- so you listen to the doctors.

Lu

Lu • Feb 8, 2023
That’s exactly it, as parent I felt like I had to ABA, my daughter is 14 now. Had I known what I know now I would never have done it. My daughter would cry and meltdown and I was told not comfort her. Eventually I was told to basically stay outside during the session because I got to emotional. That was the final straw for me. We focused on Speech Therapy and learning how to parent the meltdowns.

ki

kimfan🖤 • Feb 8, 2023
There was an autistic woman who used to post a lot and talk about her ABA experiences. All negative. I don’t remember her name but her comments were always interesting. Have not seen her around in years tho

Lu

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I think it depends on the child in question. Not every child with autism is the same. They need different forms of help, whether it be Speech and Language therapy, occupational therapy, ABA. The issue is for me when I had my daughter I felt pressured into doing all therapies I knew nothing about. I wasn’t given a full picture of what was going to happen during ABA. Your child gets diagnosed, as a parent I felt helpless, I had no idea what to do. I needed help. Suddenly I had this child who would bang get head on the floor and run for her life every time we went out. So I said yes to the ABA.