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All forms of ABA—"Applied Behavioral Analysis"—violate the four fundamental principles of bioethics.
A thread
(Note: I updated this from an older argument I made. Hopefully, you'll find this one a little more polished.)
A thread
(Note: I updated this from an older argument I made. Hopefully, you'll find this one a little more polished.)
(1) Principle of Respect for Autonomy
The obligation to respect decisions and choices made by other people is violated in every form of ABA. In fact, the purpose of ABA is to violate the autonomy of autistic children.
The obligation to respect decisions and choices made by other people is violated in every form of ABA. In fact, the purpose of ABA is to violate the autonomy of autistic children.
Example of how ABA violates the principle of respect for autonomy:
Autistic child wants to talk about their special interest, they are only permitted to do so briefly, and the time permitted goes down as they continue.
Autistic child wants to talk about their special interest, they are only permitted to do so briefly, and the time permitted goes down as they continue.
(2) Principle of Nonmaleficence
"First, do no harm."
All ABA violates this principle—yes, even "new ABA". The "best" (least harmful) ABA programs do this through omission. They restrict and limit play, they restrict food and breaks.
"First, do no harm."
All ABA violates this principle—yes, even "new ABA". The "best" (least harmful) ABA programs do this through omission. They restrict and limit play, they restrict food and breaks.
The worst ABA programs violate the principle of nonmaleficence by willfully perpetrating harm unto the patient. This can be through corporal punishment, the use of devices like the GED (Graduated Electronic Decelerator—electric shocks as punishment), and other punishments.
(3) Principle of Beneficence
Actions taken should be done to benefit the patient. It is possible that ABA practitioners believe they are following this principle, but they are not.
Actions taken should be done to benefit the patient. It is possible that ABA practitioners believe they are following this principle, but they are not.
The principle of beneficence is violated because ABA encourages compliancy to adults (any adult), removes bodily autonomy (making autistic children and future adults used to receiving unwanted touching), and presents a neurotypical shell, shown to increase C-PTSD and burnout.
ABA is conversion therapy (sharing both the roots & practices of conversion therapy). It is intended to overwrite the autistic child with an allistic (not autistic) shell. No one should argue that conversion therapy is beneficial to the child, even if it was "effective"—it's not.
(4) Principle of Justice
In many parts of the world, ABA remains the only "treatment" for autism that is permitted by insurance. This has contributed to widespread indoctrination and a variety of programs that vary from ABA but still call themselves ABA.
In many parts of the world, ABA remains the only "treatment" for autism that is permitted by insurance. This has contributed to widespread indoctrination and a variety of programs that vary from ABA but still call themselves ABA.
It is not Just when these programs depend on individual actors to break from the collective in order to provide some benefit to their patients, and when folks cannot determine whether a therapy is ABA in name-only or whether they are going to permanently scar their child.
In conclusion, ABA violates not one, not two, not three, but all four of the fundamental principles of bioethics. Any therapy that considers itself ABA violates all four—not just the therapies from the 70s when the GED was replaced with cattle prods.
A larger ABA thread with some important articles and resources: https://twitter.com/ZeroWrites/status/1385236476368195589?s=20
