Yesterday I learned that there are #ActuallyAutistic (people who are now adults) who felt that ABA was extremely positive for them, some to the point of saying it was the best thing that ever happened to them. They don’t speak out because when they do they are attacked/dog piled.

I’ve read the horror stories, I know that great harm has been done to many people through ABA but it’s puzzling to me that we as a community should be so closed minded as to assume that everyone’s experience is the same.

I’m also very curious to know what the differences in these two outcomes are predicated upon, and wish that they were a way for us to have a better dialogue on this topic instead of simply shutting it down.

From personal experience and anecdotal evidence, I know that it is extremely hard to change an autistic person’s mind about something (LOL!) The first thing that comes to mind is dialectical thinking or DBT. It’s the concept that two seemingly opposed ideas can exist concurrently

For example, it is possible to feel both happy and sad at the same time. Or in this particular case, it’s possible that there are people who have been harmed by ABA while there are also people who benefited greatly from it.

All of this is to say that I still don’t necessarily know where I stand on ABA, I do have a great amount of sympathy for people who are victims of the horrific practices we know the most about, but I’m also very curious to hear from those whose experience was vastly different.

The #ActuallyAutistic community will likely hate me for this, but I’m with science. ABA is not what it used to be. As it is a data-driven hard science, it has evolved and changed drastically as more information becomes available.

The therapies and modalities used to harm autistic people are no longer accepted as best practices within the field, and are considered unethical. ABA does not used coercion, physical restraint, or punishments.

Therapists using these methods are considered unethical and reported accordingly. There will always be bad people in the world, that’s unavoidable. The fact that such people exist is not a flaw of the methodology but rather humanity itself.

ABA therapists are not trying to eliminate the intrinsic autistic behaviors (repetitive motions, self stimulation, restricted interests, unusual posture/body language/facial expressions and so on) as they used to.

Establishing communication (which is exclusively learner-led, that is the child decides if they want to learn using sign language or use picture cards or AAC devices etc) enables and empowers the autistic child to have dialogue with those around them.

They can communicate their feelings, thoughts, perceptions of the world around them, and begin learning the necessary life skills they will need to become as independent as they can.

It is for these reasons ABA is the most successful and effective therapy for teaching autistic people how to function within the NT world while making no attemp to minimize or eliminate their autistic-ness.

If an autistic person is not taught how to use a toilet, read, tell time, cook meals, take a bus or drive, pay bills on time, check voicemails or emails... they will not be able to function in society.

They will remain entirely dependent on others, lacking agency and therefore free will, they remain essentially infantilized. Autistic people deserve a better life and ABA provides that.