Applied Behavior Analysis ( ABA )
Some autistic individuals have a strong opinion against ABA , and while I am not suggesting research from autism professionals should be ignored , I feel it ’ s important for parents to understand the reasoning behind their opinion .
If your dream is to become a world famous tennis player , I suspect you would love to speak to people like Rafael Nadal , Roger Federer , and Serena Williams . It would be inspirational and informative to ask their expert opinion and to learn from their victories and possible mistakes in becoming the masters they are in the field you are interested in .
When we want to find out what is best ( and worst ) for autistic individuals , we should similarly regard the opinions of adults on the autism spectrum . They experience some of what our children go through on a daily basis , and they understand the needs of someone on the spectrum better as they experience the world more intensely than most neurotypical individuals .
There are generally two schools of thought regarding ABA . The first group is heavily against such therapy ; this group usually includes many autistic ( adult ) advocates and some therapeutic modalities .
The other group includes mostly professionals and ABA therapy providers . They believe the research backing ABA techniques should be considered when choosing between therapy options for your child .
Noticeably missing from these groups are the parents of autistic children . When your child is two or three years old , you , as the parent , decide what is best for that child . Considering that autism is still relatively “ new ” as a diagnosis and our understanding of the condition is still limited , surely we should consider all schools of thought before making important therapy-related decisions ?
Much of the available information about ABA is sourced from the medical community and ABA therapists . To provide parents with a balanced view , I ’ m sharing some opinions of those who remember their own ABA sessions . Some autistic individuals have a strong opinion against ABA , and while I am not suggesting research from autism professionals should be ignored , I feel it ’ s important for parents to understand the reasoning behind their opinion .
Opinions and recollections from adults on the spectrum :
1 . Amy Sequenzia is an adult on the autism spectrum who publicly speaks about the effects of ABA therapy on individuals with ASD . You can read more about her experience by
clicking here . In a nutshell , Amy states that ABA therapy infringes on a child ’ s basic human rights . For example , a child is not allowed to say “ no ” even when he / she wants to . The child is also
being forced to comply with an ABA therapist ’ s every demand , possibly against his / her will . Overall , the ultimate goal ( rejected by Amy ) of ABA therapy is to “ normalize ” an individual , to put them in a box they do not want to fit in . Her writings are powerful , sharing an account of one who strongly rejects the idea of ABA and has found a way to be independent and happy