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Let’s talk about ABA therapy! Buckle up, this is a thread (neurotypicals, PLEASE read).
We’ll start with a TL;DR. First, PDXCC does not support ABA. 1/
We’ll start with a TL;DR. First, PDXCC does not support ABA. 1/
While a small population of autistic folks may have had positive experiences with ABA and we will never discredit their experiences, overall ABA is a harmful “therapy” and we condemn its use. 2/
Second, with a personal note (from 
), if you’re NT and feel the need to share how cousin had a good experience with ABA/why you support ABA, kindly DONT. I do not give a rats ass about NT’s opinions on ABA therapy. Listen to autistic people when we tell you it is abusive. 3/
), if you’re NT and feel the need to share how cousin had a good experience with ABA/why you support ABA, kindly DONT. I do not give a rats ass about NT’s opinions on ABA therapy. Listen to autistic people when we tell you it is abusive. 3/
Now for the history/some more information on ABA:
ABA stands for “applied behavior analysis” and this so-called therapy is traumatic, abusive, and problematic. 4/
ABA stands for “applied behavior analysis” and this so-called therapy is traumatic, abusive, and problematic. 4/
ABA is used to “help autistic people.” Some of the goals of ABA include getting “participants” (usually children) to show more interest in people around them, have fewer meltdowns, and communicate more “effectively.” 5/
Soo why is ABA problematic?
For starters, it was founded by a dirtbag named Ole Ivan Løvaas. He used electric shocks to “train” autistic children to make them behave more like neurotypical (NT) children. 6/
For starters, it was founded by a dirtbag named Ole Ivan Løvaas. He used electric shocks to “train” autistic children to make them behave more like neurotypical (NT) children. 6/
Even though shock therapy is used less commonly in ABA now, the behavioral changes Løvaas wanted can be seen in modern day “goals” of ABA. It teaches children that their feelings—especially overstimulation, frustration, etc.—don’t matter, and they cannot stim to self-soothe. 7/
Aforementioned dirtbag said “one way to look at the job of helping autistic kids is you have to construct a person. You have the raw materials but you have to build the person.” 8/
AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE WHOLE PEOPLE. Autistic people do not need to be changed or trained. 9/
There are two reasons we still have ABA and other abusive “therapies“ for autistic people. The first: NT people are uncomfortable with stimming, meltdowns, etc., and NT parents want their kids to behave “normally” so they force them into ABA... 10/
...with the hopes of them being “less autistic” (ie, present in a way that NT people see as less autistic, even though there is no “less” or “more” autistic). Second: people’s “worth” is still icorrectly dictated by their ability to participate in/contribute to capitalism. 11/
I tried to keep this thread as short as I could without oversimplifying or under-explaining in a way that is harmful/inaccurate. There’s a lot more that could be said about ABA and why it’s problematic. 12/
Some quick facts for you: white children (this study focused on 8 y/o boys) are 1.1x more likely to be diagnosed with autism than Black children, and 1.2x more likely to be diagnosed than Hispanic children. Boys are diagnosed 4x more than girls (speaking in binary terms). 13/
Some homework for the NTs reading this: do some reading on ABA from an autistic persons perspective. Autism Self Advocacy Network and Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network are good places to start; do not touch Autism Speaks with a 50 foot pole. 14/
Final note: listen
toautisticpeople
- /fin
toautisticpeople-
/fin
