Read on Twitter
CW, thread: posting for educational purposes #TodayInABA I continue to learn that the field doesn't care about feedback regarding how much harm can be done towards a client in ABA. They are still teaching ABA, but not discussing the abuse that has occurred in the field.... https://twitter.com/AnnMemmott/status/1326077276199530497
Here are the founder's studies: First we have 1. Building Social Behavior in Autistic Children by Use of Electric Shock. This was published in the Journal of Experimental Research in Personality, 1, 99-105 (1965) by Ivar Lovaas, who is the founder: http://neurodiversity.com/library_lovaas_1965.pdf
And other journals; however, study has also been published in other journals as well. Steve Silberman after he published #NeuroTribes, talked about two twins that Lovaas worked with during the 60s that were experiencing ABA combined with the electroconvulsive shocks.
Second study: Modification of Autistic Behavior with LSD-25. This was published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, May 1966, pp. 1201-1211 also by Lovaas and others (and published in other journals):
http://neurodiversity.com/library_simmons_1966.pdf
http://neurodiversity.com/library_simmons_1966.pdf
Why is LSD bad? It was used to abuse autistic children in experiments done by Lovaas. The use of LSD specifically on children (especially for the purpose of ridding their autistic traits) is harmful. https://mappingignorance.org/2017/06/07/lsd-therapeutic-agent-autism/?fbclid=IwAR0A75Zhf90Hqk9oRqwvmGE2ZSnjuXDbXcN1dyNmedvyrOAcpJHuQqjDotY
Third study: A Behavior Therapy Approach to the Treatment of Childhood Schizophrenia. This was published in the Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology, 1967, 1, 108-159, by Ivar Lovaas and others. Also published in other journals. http://neurodiversity.com/library_lovaas_1967.pdf
Schizophrenia and autism were heavily compared and autistics were labeled as schizophrenic back in the 60s. Schizophrenia and autism are two separate diagnoses. Schizophrenia =/= autism. Schizophrenia is a mood disorder and autism is a neurological disability.
Fourth study: Manipulation of Self-Destruction in Three Retarded Children. This was published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 1969 Fall; 2(3): 143–157, by Ivar Lovaas, and others. http://neurodiversity.com/library_lovaas_1969a.pdf
This study allowed the children to physically hurt themselves and they said they were "isolated from interpersonal contact", but then were receiving shocks still. To me, this is very sickening. Even though self injurious behaviors should be prevented, the study was harmful.
Fifth study: Use of Pain and Punishment as Treatment Techniques with Childhood Schizophrenics. This was published in the American Journal of Psychotherapy, 1969 Jan; 23(1): 23-36, and other journals: http://neurodiversity.com/library_lovaas_1969.pdf
The reason this study is ableist is because of the continued use of electric shock within these studies. Autism is still being compared with schizophrenia and they aren't the same thing. More importantly, all of these studies use harmful language.
Sixth study: After you Hit a Child, You Can't Just Get Up and Leave Him; You are Hooked to that Kid. This was published on #PsychologyToday's site as an Interview with Ivar Lovaas in 1974 by Paul Chance: http://neurodiversity.com/library_chance_1974.html
Everything about this interview is evidence that ABA encourages abuse, including physical abuse. The title even blatantly encourages harm. So why is it, that the #JournalofAppliedBehavioralAnalysis continues to allow THIS study within their journal, and have not condemned these?
Seventh study: Behavioral Treatment of Deviant Sex-Role Behaviors in a Male Child. Published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 1974, 7:173-190; Number 2 (Summer 1974), by Ivar Lovaas and George Rekers: http://neurodiversity.com/library_rekers_1974.html
This study is a combination of Conversion Therapy and Applied Behavioral Analysis. The Journal has not claimed this study as unethical by their standards. This is problematic. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.781?fbclid=IwAR2E3s7c1aG8qwokOfBS5fHHxaKJR8TjiGzhJ3QM2ZDxXmBwBqKa_fvKGHs#.X5BB2apsDxQ.twitter
They claim it to be ethical, but the issue is that conversion therapy is banned in 20 US states. More importantly, the field still is encouraging the use of electroconvulsive shock therapy at the Judge Rotenburg Center, as well as abusive forms of restraint, seclusion, and...
isolation in schools and in institutions around the country. Most importantly, the US Department of Defense published a study: https://therapistndc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Annual-Report-on-Autism-Care-Demonstration-Program-for-FY-2020.pdf
There are many other studies, as well as primary sources (the autistic community have blog posts on ABA). Please stop justifying the field. Start taking your children out of ABA. It doesn't work.
Also, thank you to @AnnMemmott for that important thread!
