Do You Hate ABA?

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Hello Everyone,

I am an ABA therapist for people under 21 on a wide spectrum of autism. A colleague of mine sparked my curiosity about the neurodiversity movement, and I started doing research, because I respect all my fellow human beings. I was SHOCKED to see how many people expressed passionate hatred of ABA therapy.

I'm not here to defend what I do for a living, because my methods and attitudes may be different from the 'norm.'

I'm here to ask you if/why you hate ABA therapy- Especially if you went through it yourself. I would really appreciate it if you would all be as blunt as possible; it will not hurt my feelings. It would be nice to hear a few caregiver opinions, but this is a question mainly for those of you with an ASD diagnosis.

Thank you in advance for your replies (positive or negative), your examples, and your honesty.

- Amelia

Even though it is much more rewards oriented then back in the aversives era the goal is remains for the most part to make kids either not autistic or as not autistic as possible.

Also the recommended amount of ABA is 25-40 hours per week. Making kids do anything 25-40 hours a week is unnatural.

I know there are numerous studies that have concluded ABA works in getting kids to get rid of "undesired" behaviors and adding behaviors deemed "correct" but there is little or no studies indicting very long term effect well into the adult years. A large part of Autism is genetic, another words we were "born that way". What even the most positive of ABA therapies can not mask is an authority figure 25 to 40 hours a week telling the child what they are naturally are is wrong. Most people especially children dealing authority figures, will eventually give in, an adopt the behaviors that are wanted just to get people off their back. In the long term that will make most people depressed because no matter how well they have adopted to what is wanted inside they have the desire to do what they naturally need to do, but will view this need as a horrible character flaw. All of this ABA teaches people to be overly eager to please others, meaning as an adult they will not get as far in employment as their natural talents should take them because they will rightfully be seen as pushovers.

I am not the demographic you wanted but a late middle age man whose Autism went unrecognized until 2 years ago. Being unrecognized has had some bad consequences and there were bad times as a kid and teen because of that. That said IMHO if I had a hypothetical choice of growing up like I did unrecognized in the 60's and 70's or growing up now with all the recognition but 25 to 40 Hours of ABA I would choose growing up then as definitely the lesser of two evils.

I neither received nor offered ABA ever. But, my opinion about the notorious aversive techniques within ABA are staggeringly shocking. They aren't gentle and consistent reminders to behave in better ways, they are hostile and dangerous. Have ABA practitioners forgotten primum non nocere (first, do no harm)? Children with ASD and many other disorders are physically abused as it is. We don't need professionals making a buck off the same behaviors that bullies do daily for free.

ASPartofMe - I highly value your opinion; particularly because you have a unique perspective. Thank you for the response.

AspieUtah - I was also shocked to hear reports of emotionally/physically abusive procedures from people who have experienced them at the hands of people who are meant to teach skills and instill the love of knowledge. Even when I tell a child "No," I always say "No sir," or "No ma'am," whether they are 2 or 20. Thank you for your insight.

...Hm .

I'm in no way opposed to it (I myself do not want to be cured); however, there is a lamentable groupthink mentality amongst neurodiversity supremacists, anti-cure extremists and some "shiny" aspies (who staunchly disdain at the individual rights of parents with severely autistic children) that using ABA as a furtherance application within the world of intensive behavioral intervention therapeutics compels autistic people into a state of neurotypical compliance as diametrically opposed to individuality and atypical neuromentalization, when in fact many who have benefited from it adaptively, cognitively, and linguistically were maladaptively and intellectually handicapped to a great preponderance and would not in such a way understand any form of non-compliance or possess any linguistic ability to express their attitudes to compliance or their own free will. They twist facts like erroneously equivocating systematically analytic procedures like positive and negative reinforcements to the treatment process of more questionable and potentially deleterious aversive behavioral techniques like contingent electric shock therapies (Only the Judge Rotenberg Center utilizes Applied Behavior Analysis through this enervating methodological procedure) in order to force more rationalist pro-cure activists (believers in evidence based medicine) to comply to their own collective hegemony over the substantive evidence of ABA's beneficence, and this can be best dismissed as fallacious straw-man newspeak. For higher functioning subjects, it should be their individual right to resist the treatment, unless they are afflicted with a plethora of neuropsychiatric difficulties that can be alleviated and/or addressed as such with the help of their parents. While it's true that there is the minuscule possibility of the ABA induced manifestation of PTSD afflicting the autistic subject during their adolescenthood, this is often used as an advertent excuse by anti-cure extremists in order to dissuade parents from using the treatment in order to improve their quality of life and pursuit of happiness. It is the freedom of choice of the parents to determine their desired treatment, even if it's quackery.

Thank you, RedPendant, for putting that so clearly.

I had sensory integration therapy, I don't think it's the same as ABA, but perhaps there's some overlap? What I've read of ABA has been upsetting, making it difficult to continue learning more about it. The therapy I had was distressing and something I've tried to block out. When I think about it I start to feel panicky.

From what I've heard, with ABA the patient has to touch unpleasant textures and is prevented from stimming. I surmise they are also forced to make eye contact and basically made to fit into a more socially acceptable mold?
(Apologies if any of this is incorrect). If these are correct, then it sounds very traumatic and like it only represses the mental struggles we deal with.

For individuals without sensory problems, you don't realize how painful certain textures, sounds, or environments can be. Just because we learn that we aren't allowed to react, or show our pain, doesn't mean it isn't felt. Stimming is a self soothing technique that's a healthy way to deal with our anxieties. I've been scolded for doing this and forced to make eye contact, and it's been detrimental in the long run.

I am glad that you're open minded about this matter, and are considering how it might be negatively affecting those who you're aiming to help. You seem like a good person.

I am on the spectrum and ABA is my special interest. Can't say if I like it or hate it, more like attached to it and obsessed with it. I'd say it has its pros and cons, but in the end, it is a science. It can be applied in hurtful ways and in beneficial ways.

ABA seems too broad of a term or concept to have a blanket opinion of the whole idea. When someone says ABA, that could mean pretty much anything as long as it involves reward-and-punishment behavior modification to at least some degree. (Even the reward-and-punishment aspect has a lot of variation. Sometimes the punishment is just the lack of a reward, or vice versa.) Heck, I use ABA to train my pets. Typical parents use ABA to train their typical kids. I don't really advocate either of those for raising human children, but there's probably something out there that I would agree with which could also be called ABA.

Regardless of whether or not something is called ABA, there is a concern I have with a lot of treatment plans: the goal. It seems like a lot of parents, researchers, and therapists are concerned with making the kid appear superficially normal rather than treating the kid's actual problems. It's okay if you have debilitating executive dysfunction that makes it hard to do accomplish anything worthwhile, as long as you get good grades in school? It's okay if you have stress and pain from sensory issues, as long as you can pretend that you're not stressed or in pain? No way. Things like repetitive movements and disinclination for eye contact don't need to be fixed. I think a lot (granted, not all) of anti-cure autistic adults would like a cure for our actual problems, but all the autism research and therapy is geared toward curing us of our personality.

I chose not to use ABA for my kids (so far), and wrote about the reasons in this thread (1st and 5th posts).

However...

Thank you all for your responses. Allow me to reply:

LeagueGirl, that's pretty much what ABA is: Behavior paired with consequences (positive or negative). However, there is a standardized Board of Behavioral Analysis that specifies how to teach everything from talking to writing a job resume. It is notoriously rigid, but it is also the only statistically-significant autism 'treatment.'

Maglevsky, I checked out those forums, and your opinions and concerns are valid. At the foundation where I work, the only "punishment" we use is removal of attention or an object. (i.e. If they try to stab me with a pair of scissors, the scissors get taken away.) Everything else is positive reinforcement. But some of the practitioners in those forums actually FOCUS on punishment! They talk like their clients aren't people- That you don't have real feelings.

Cyllya1, I have the same concerns about some ABA goals. My goal is always to help the person become as independent as possible, but some speak about "curing" autism with ABA. I don't think autism can or SHOULD be "cured," but I certainly think that ABA can help them achieve *their* goals. And I couldn't agree more about the line between teaching skills and stripping someone of their personality.

MathGirl, if you have any questions about ABA, I've been developing my techniques for 9 years and am certified by the BACB. I've worked with ages 18m-22yrs; each person on their own unique part of the spectrum. I would be happy to discuss it with you.

AuroraBorealisGazer, first of all- Cool name. Touching weird textures is more of an Occupational Therapy thing, which focuses on sensory integration. We have so many kids with hyperacusis that we have a box of noise-canceling headphones, and there is a sensory studio in our building. However, I recently heard about therapists/caregivers using loud noises to punish the kids! That's abuse! We do try to prevent stimming if it interferes with a task, by replacing it with an "outwardly functional" behavior, or by giving regular breaks for the sole purpose of sensory satisfaction. It is standard in ABA to train forced eye contact. However, after I read Robison's "Look Me in the Eye," we had a meeting and agreed to a foundation-wide policy to fully accept any gaze above the neck. This is very rare in ABA, but I think it should become the standard.

BeggingTurtle, I am sorry to hear that, and would like to hear specifics. If you are interested in a conversation, please PM me.

I've replied to the rest of you. Thanks so much for your input. I people continue this thread.

I've been on the giving and receiving end of ABA. Currently, I am an ABA therapist to a 12 year old with moderate-severe autism and have been for almost 2 years.

When I first started working with her, she had a small functional vocabulary - she could ask for things like this "[item] please." and could name locations of objects (Where is [item]? da box). Additionally, she was very selective in where and for whom she'd use her words, preferring to push people out of the way to get what she wanted.
Now she can use complete, and even complex, sentences. She knows pronouns, basic tenses (past, present, future), follows multi-step directions, and is able to tie her shoes. She is beginning to understand give-take situations and be able to verbalize what is occurring.
She rarely makes eye contact. I do not force it. Sometimes I make requests that she look at my hands or specific items for tasks requiring her to respond according to what I've done/where I've put something. She stims frequently during our sessions, fluttering her hands in front of her face and vocal stims are preferred. I let her do so as needed. Pure stim time is occasionally used as a reinforcer when she can do that without me asking her anything. Otherwise, she completes the tasks while or in between stimming (she stops voluntarily/without my request). I use my judgment for when stimming is necessary for her to focus and when it is a distraction. If it's a distraction, I ask her to stop until she completes the task(s).
Finally, she likes me. I can tell because she smiles when I come. She will lean against me sometimes. She will turn off her tablet/computer of her own volition when I come. The biggest indicator that she likes me is that she is not selective with her words around me; she will speak to me frequently without prompting.
The main goal of ABA for her is to improve her communication skills and independence, not to make her normal.

My experience receiving ABA while less structured and the focus of the content was different, was quite similar to what I do with her. My ABA was more focused on social skills and appropriate behaviors. But the format was similar. Positive reinforcers for completed tasks/appropriate behaviors and neutral responses to incorrectly completed tasks - no aversives (when it was used as it was supposed to be; my mother occasionally resorted to aversives when my behavior embarrassed her). Commonly, incorrect responses/behaviors were ignored then the correct response/behavior was prompted. A reinforcer was given when I demonstrated the appropriate behavior. Reinforcers were primarily verbal praise and sometimes desired objects like candy or books. While my communication/social skills and independence are greatly improved from when I was younger due to ABA, I am still clearly autistic. I stim and I experience sensory overload (and rarely, meltdowns). I am just better at coping with things like large crowds and too many noises and unexpected changes.

Overall, ABA has had a positive effect on me and on the 12 year old with whom I work. When used correctly, it is a very good method to improve communication skills and independence.

However, I do realize it can be misused. I mentioned my mother using aversives when I embarrassed her with my behavior. Blatant misuse of ABA there. What she did did not increase my appropriate behaviors or even reduce the undesired behavior. It only served to teach me not to do it around her. I still did those embarrassing behaviors like stimming as frequently as I always had, I just spent more time out of her presence in order to fulfill my need to stim. The JRC blatantly misuses ABA and yet claims that its way is the only way. Aversives do not educate. At best, they train like a circus lion. More often, aversives just create fear and fear leads to more maladaptive behaviors like SIB and aggression towards others.

ABA should be used to teach and to guide, not to force compliance through scare tactics.