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All forms of ABA—"Applied Behavioral Analysis"—violate at least two out of the four fundamental principles of bioethics.
(Really, it's three, but I'm willing to take the loss and allow that some practitioners may believe they are acting to try to improve the patients' lives)
(Really, it's three, but I'm willing to take the loss and allow that some practitioners may believe they are acting to try to improve the patients' lives)
(1) Principle of respect for autonomy.
This fundamental principle is fundamentally violated by any form of conversion therapy via its existence.
Example: autistic child wants to talk about their interest, they are only permitted to do so briefly and the time allowed goes down
This fundamental principle is fundamentally violated by any form of conversion therapy via its existence.
Example: autistic child wants to talk about their interest, they are only permitted to do so briefly and the time allowed goes down
(2) Principle of Nonmaleficence.
Do not intentionally create a harm to the patient, either through acts of commission or omission.
Even ABA done without "adversives" violates this through omission. Those with adversives willingly commits the harm.
Do not intentionally create a harm to the patient, either through acts of commission or omission.
Even ABA done without "adversives" violates this through omission. Those with adversives willingly commits the harm.
(3) Principle of Beneficence
Actions taken should be done to benefit the patient. ABA makes autistic children compliant to adults, removes their bodily autonomy, and results in the temporary appearance of neurotypicality with breakdowns and PTSD. It's conversion therapy.
Actions taken should be done to benefit the patient. ABA makes autistic children compliant to adults, removes their bodily autonomy, and results in the temporary appearance of neurotypicality with breakdowns and PTSD. It's conversion therapy.
(4) Principle of Justice
This one's a bit fuzzily defined. I'd say ABA is not just, especially when you not only have autistic people not being able to choose any therapy without ABA in some states, but also have some ABA that is even worse than others.
This one's a bit fuzzily defined. I'd say ABA is not just, especially when you not only have autistic people not being able to choose any therapy without ABA in some states, but also have some ABA that is even worse than others.
So yeah, ABA fails two out of four principles of bioethics automatically, and I argue it fails all four.
#ActuallyAutistic
#ActuallyAutistic
Thanks to @autisticats for posting excerpts from Shannon Des Roches Rosa's article, "Why No Autistic Child Should Be in ABA Therapy"
I was not even aware principles of bioethics were a thing, so of course I had to research them and post this explicit comparison.
I was not even aware principles of bioethics were a thing, so of course I had to research them and post this explicit comparison.
