ABA therapy

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My disagreement with ABA is in part generational. I think ABA is symptomatic of the larger hovering parent problem. I was Autistic enough that my school threw me out because it was legal at the time. I had a few hours of play therapy a week not 25 to 40 hours a week reinforced at home. Both Temple Grandin and John Elder Robison would probably be labled moderate to severe today, they exhibited destructive behavoirs as children. We did not get ABA and became productive adults. I do feel all those hours of complience training while getting the “desired” results also teaches too much dependence on others. One becomes independent by bieng independent. One needs to at some point figure out what works and what does not work for them. This can not happen when one is constantly being trained. Fitting in for approval is more important then becoming an individial with this regiman.

Do you know or feel that it might simply be growing up, learning and maturing that improved your pragmatic skills and executive function? I'm curios because ABA didn't really do that for me.

Anyone here not hate it?

I'm not sure what the difference is between aba and the occupational therapy I've gotten.

Sure there have been autistic kids who didn't hate it. I think it really depends on the therapist and the child and how they do it.

I'm not sure I'd be willing to bet on that

I'm not sure what the difference is between aba and the occupational therapy I've gotten.

Despite a federal mandate nearly five years ago, several state Medicaid programs are still failing to cover treatment like applied behavior analysis for children with autism, advocates say.

In 2014, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services issued a bulletin telling states to pay for “medically necessary diagnostic and treatment services” for kids with autism, but stopped short of directly requiring ABA therapy.

However, advocates say that because some children on the spectrum require ABA, every state should offer coverage to those who do. Most states have since done so, but some legislatures have not allocated funding, even though they’ve passed laws that require private insurers to cover ABA therapy.

That inequity does not look good,” said Lorri Unumb, vice president of state government affairs for Autism Speaks. “It’s just critical that family finances not be a barrier to children being able to get this critically important intervention as soon as possible.”

The states that do not offer ABA therapy to all children who meet medical necessity criteria are: Idaho, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas.

Wilkinson, the Oklahoma attorney, said families can play a powerful role in the remaining states by requesting ABA for their children.

“Nationwide, it’s going to have to be a push from the advocacy groups and parents and family members of individuals who need these services,” Wilkinson said.

Ironically, Unumb of Autism Speaks said that the eight states without the Medicaid coverage have passed laws that require private insurers to cover ABA.

“I’m very optimistic that all 50 states will provide ABA coverage under EPSDT,” she said. “I can’t say exactly how quickly we’re going to get there. There is rapid movement in most of the remaining states.”

I have ABA therapy and my therapists are gentle and kind. They don’t ask me to make eye contact or stop stimming or otherwise make me NT. They teach me life skills and help me become more independent.

Then you did you ask if anyone here didn't hate it?

I'm glad it works for you

AFAIK, ABA is just a method of training - you can use it with different goals. So it may be used to teach one something useful or it may be used to force one to act against self.