ABA is not the answer. It asks the wrong question.
ABA is not the answer. It asks the wrong question.
Applied Behaviour Analysis Therapy (ABA) / Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) are often recommended for autistic, and otherwise neurodivergent children, but I kindly encourage any parents out there to ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ.ย
There are a huge number of autistic adults who have gone through it and are now speaking out against it, as well as many experts in the field of psychology.
It is a controversial topic; ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ข ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐, ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐. I am just sharing what I’ve learned while researching therapies for my own child, and resources for you to read.
ABA creator Ivar Lovaas didnโt acknowledge that autistic children were people until they had undergone his โtherapyโ to โbuild a personโ.
Behaviourism is dead
All the recent research into child development and psychology proves that. It is ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐, although you couldnโt even call it science really. Read this fascinating article here on just how old and outdated it really is.
ย ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ผ ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ฉ ๐ซ๐๐ค๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐๐จ. Here is an article by non-speaking autistic people and their thoughts on ABA.
ABA is an embarrassing reminder of how poor the research and education on autism really is. ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง, ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ช๐๐ก ๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐.ย It doesn’t see behaviour as communication. Ethical concerns about ABA can be found here.
There are a growing number of studies showing its links to ๐๐๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ช๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ ๐ก๐๐๐.ย Here are two studies which highlight this: Long-term ABA Therapy is Abusive and Evidence of increased PTSD symptoms in autistics exposed to applied behavior analysisย
This is a collection of articles all in one place from people who are advocating for ABA to stop
My graphic below is what I learned about ๐ผ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ผ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐จ๐๐จ(๐ผ๐ฝ๐ผ)/๐๐ค๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐จ(๐๐ฝ๐) when I was researching therapies for my child last year. It gives an easy to understand overview, and makes it clear how problematic it is as a therapy for autistic children.
I wanted to share because ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ก๐.
I wanted to share because ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐๐๐ก๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐๐ข.
I wanted to share because ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐ข๐๐จ๐จ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ, ๐๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ค๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ.
ย I wanted to share because ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐จ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ก๐.
ย I wanted to share because ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐จ๐ช๐๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ, ๐๐ค ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ.
ย I wanted to share because ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ก๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ช๐ก๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ค๐จ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐จ๐๐ ๐ค๐ง ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐จ๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐๐๐จ, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ.
For me ABA/PBS is not the answer. It asks the wrong question. It asks, โHow can we change this behaviour?โ instead of, โWhy is this behaviour happening, and how can we better support this person?โ Our children are LITERALLY the future of this country, and the government, society as a whole NEED TO DO BETTER. Person-centred, neuro-affirmative and respectful therapy is what WE NEED.
If not ABA/PBS, then what?
Autistic children/adults ๐๐ค๐ฃ’๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ฟ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐’๐ง๐ ๐ผ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐. Determine what our struggles are, and then find a neuro affirmative, respectful therapy to help support, and ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ก๐จ. This quote by Chris Bonnello from Autistic Not Weirdย sums it up very well, โI donโt want to turn an autistic person into a non-autistic person. I want to turn an autistic person who struggles into an autistic person who doesnโt struggle.โ THIS SHOULD BE THE GOAL.
- A speech therapist may be needed for speech, and communication struggles. ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ. Learn aboutย Augmentative and Alternative Communicationย (AAC). I highly recommend reading up on The Double Empathy Problem which helped me massively.
- An occupational therapist can help with so much, including sensory integration, meltdowns, and behaviours that cause harm from sensory overload. A good OT will draw up a sensory diet to implement at home. They will help you determine which of the 8 senses your child is seeking or avoiding, and activities to meet these needs. People can be often a mix of both seeking/avoiding. (๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ 8 ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐จ. ๐ผ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ 5, ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ค ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ช๐ก๐๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ค๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ก๐๐๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข).
- ๐พ๐ค๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐, ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ช๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐/๐จ๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ. I follow the Montessori approach. At its core is respecting and following the child’s interests, needs, and where they are developmentally. I combine Dr. Maria Montessoriโs approach with other approaches including the works of Dr. Ross Greene, and Dr. Mona Delahooke.
For meltdowns, shutdowns, behaviour that causes harm; look into the work of Dr. Ross Greene and his book, The Explosive Child, his website Lives in the Balance and his Facebook Group The B Team.ย Also the work by Dr. Mona Delahooke and her book, “Beyond Behaviours.” These approaches use the latest research into child development. They solve the issues that cause the behaviour in the first place. Behaviour is often communication.
๐พ๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐, ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐! ๐๐๐ฉ’๐จ ๐ข๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐.
- Parents/caregivers/educators/professionals that work with and care for autistic children and adults, take the time to learn about autism from the autistic perspective. Having this insight will be invaluable to better supporting autistic people. I highly recommend Ausome Training, who deliver online courses worldwide for everyone. They are autistic-led, and neuro-affirmative.
Further reading onย ABA alternatives here by Ausome Trainingย andย NeuroClastic. More onย neurodiversity-affirming therapy and how to recognise a good therapistsย by the Therapist Neurodiversity Collective.
I want to end this piece with a reframe, a lens shift..
I am autistic.
I am human.
I have meltdowns.
๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข ๐ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ.
This is an important difference rather than the narrative that meltdowns are specific to being autistic. They’re not. They happen regardless of neurotype. I know this lens shift might be difficult to wrap your head around, because it was for me too. I highly recommend you keep an eye on Ausome Training for when they have their next Autism and Trauma course.
I truly believe the reason we find it so hard to differentiate between autism and trauma is because society, the world as a whole simply does not produce untraumatized autistic people. Donโt add to this trauma by placing us in therapies like Applied Behaviour Analysis.
๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ. ๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ, ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ก.
- Meltdowns are not part of the diagnostic criteria in the DSM for receiving an autism diagnosis. Meltdowns happen less when you are more regulated, better supported, and better understood. An autistic individual that is meltdown free is still autistic.
- One of the best ways to support anyone’s mental health is to dive beneath the surface, and try figure out the “๐ช๐๐ฌ” of a behaviour like a meltdown .
Behaviour is often communication
Think of an iceberg – the bit you see (behaviour) is only a small part of the story. You need the full story to be effectively supported.
Compliance is not an effective goal
Rather than trying to change the behaviour by using rewards/punishments or without any understanding of what was causing it, ๐๐ค๐๐ช๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ก๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ก๐๐ข ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐.
Frequent, re-occurring meltdowns should not be happening for anyone, autistic or not. They are an individual’s way of saying, “๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ.” Please don’t punish us for something that is beyond our control. Please donโt place autistic or otherwise neurodivergent individuals into harmful therapies like Applied Behaviour Analysis or Positive Behaviour Support.ย
Our needs are human.
HUMAN NEEDS.
Treat us as human.
Irish, autistic, advocate, parent, artist, writer. Sarah uses her Facebook page, Life Through My Lens,ย to work towards a more inclusive, better educated society in terms of advocacy, empowerment and the autistic way of being. Also on Twitter @myautisticlens
