Reply to too much ABA therapy?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As an autistic adult active in the autistic community I strongly recommend reading up on ABA before you decide to do it at all. Don't talk to adults of autistic children, talk to autistic people about it. Hear how they felt as children subjected to ABA practices. Look out for red flags when screening for good therapists. [b]Too many hours are a horrible strain and stress on children's systems. [/b]40 hours a week for example is a full days work for a very small child. [b]Stay away from anyone using food as positive reinforcement. Stay away from anyone using "quiet hands" techniques that prohibit or even punish for stimming. Stay away from anyone enforcing eye contact.[/b] At the very least. Who can seriously think that is healthy? Generally ethics of real ABA techniques are doubtful at best. What one would consider "good ABA" is often not real ABA at all so don't confuse the two.

[b]Parents often do not realize how exhausting and often inhumane ABA is. They just see results.[/b] But results don't equal good for your child. If you punish for unwanted behavior often enough and reward for wanted behavior often enough of course you get results. But you also disrespect a child's personal right to deny another person's request. ABA so often trains children to follow orders at total disregard for their own free will.

ABA is highly controversial. And since it is not you who is subjected to the therapy but your child - for your child's sake research a lot before you use ABA. There are countless other therapies out there that are less abusive, controversial, controlling, potentially harmful and traumatizing etc.

The very core of ABA is the same as how you would train an animal (and no you cannot say this in any kinder words) so finding more respectful and loving alternatives is always the best way to go. Anything achieved through ABA can be achieved through less invasive forms of therapy.[/quote]

I disagree with you on many points. Most of what you say applies to old-style Lovaas DTT ABA. I was scared to start because of well-intentioned but incorrect opinions, like yours, but I'm so glad we did. My child has been doing a naturalistic form of ABA - Early Start Denver model. I observed ALL his sessions in person in the first six months and still partially observe his sessions today via video monitor. They work toward his goals through age-appropriate play. They don't use any of the scary methods you mentioned. It is a child-led, play based therapy, and my kid can't wait for the therapist to come for the next session. I assure you he's not stressed and he is having a great time. Do NOT judge ABA through the prism of autistic adults - their experiences are vastly different than my child's.[/quote]

Did you seriously just try to discredit and silence my voice? Congratulations you are doing what so many parents of autistic children do.

Anything that calls itself ABA today and is not actually ABA should be named differently. ABA is abuse. What your child benefited so wonderfully from is thus not actually ABA. Don't you dare to tell me my opinion is incorrect. You have no right to take thousands of autistic people's very real life experiences and with no personal experience of yourself stand up and call them liars. Again, what you are doing with your child is not ABA. It calls itself that because it rides on the positive reputation ABA has for parents of autistic children and making a name for itself would be too difficult. That doesn't make it right.

Autistic people are actually the only ones who should be allowed to have an opinion on this matter as they are the only ones subjected to hours and hours of this kind of therapy for years of their lives.

And finally: if you actually care about autistic people and wish to respect them then stay away from ABA. There are tons of therapies that do what todays "so called" ABA does and do not have the same horrible history. The institution that is ABA should not be supported by anyone who knows the history. Alternatives exist.[/quote]

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