Neurodivergent on Sidechat | What are everyone’s thoughts on ABA? I’ve heard criticisms but I really think my clinic seems to be doing it right. We let the kids stim and have fun but also teach them how to be safe and learn new skills. Can it be good when done right?

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Neurodivergent 1w

What are everyone’s thoughts on ABA? I’ve heard criticisms but I really think my clinic seems to be doing it right. We let the kids stim and have fun but also teach them how to be safe and learn new skills. Can it be good when done right?

Anonymous 1w

Yes. It’s not inherently bad and there are places that do it right. The criticism comes from how it is sometimes done in a way that can be very abusive and harmful. I am personally a victim of one of these places. They did not allow any kind of self-soothing or accommodation. We were exposed to sensory stimuli that is literally painful for us and punished for taking any actions to help ourself or even for flinching. The goal was to mask completely, you were not allowed to stand out in any way.

Anonymous 1w

Very dependent on how it’s done

Anonymous 6d

Most ABA is centered on making the autistic kid “normalized”. It does very little to actually encourage them to express behavior in safe ways in favor of making them appear more acceptable to neurotypical standards. As somebody who was put through ABA against her will, I will say it’s effective but incredibly harmful and traumatizing to the individual.

Anonymous

#1 1w

This is obviously unacceptable and has likely caused permanent damage to many people. The severity of the consequences makes people very quick to assume ABA is a horrible approach, since it can be. But it is also possible to use an approach that is technically ABA and not harmful. This involves working with the patient, giving them control over what they want to work on, and not trying to erase their individuality.