ABA vs. Neurodiversity

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Globe & Mail

I guess it is because they are afraid for their children's future due to autism, like if their children will be independent adults, will be able to communicate, go to school, have a career, have relationships, etc. They may be worried that their newly diagnosed 2 or 3 year old will never do these things without the recommended ABA.

I agree. I have an 8 year old son in second grade. I stopped the ABA and put him in a regular second grade class. He's doing fine (quirks and all) and the other kids seem to be accepting him they way he is as well. There's only one thing I'd wish he'd stop doing which is putting toys and or other objects against his two front teeth. It's kind of like people who put pencils and pens in their mouth but a bit more excessive. I'm hoping he'll learn to control the urge as he gets older. I only worry because of the germs. Other kids don't seem to care about it.

Oh, duh .... I thought Jacob Barnett was someone you knew.

I just googled him. For sure, kids should follow where there interests take them. That's the trouble with school - figures we all have to learn exactly the same stuff. Cookie cutters.

I think ABA is harmful, even the modern ABA that purports to be nice playtime with therapist.
I think autistic children should be taught skills and mindset of being independent as adult, not entirely left to function however they are.
It depends on intellectual ability too, so I will limit my statements to HFA.
LFA has the problem of mental retardation too, so they may have much more problems learning skills or being independent ever.

ABA is a form of conditioning and as such has the potential to do much good when applied to learned behaviors - and the potential for much harm when applied to innate ones. Skills for independence can be taught using traditional teaching methods, as they are additive learning. Elimination of socially unacceptable behaviors via operant conditioning (which is at the heart of ABA) causes tremendous amounts of stress and anxiety. Far more productive is teaching the person to learn to identify when they are about to do something unacceptable, find a temporary acceptable alternative, and then recognize when they've had enough and need time to decompress/decompose.

So called "reparative" therapy for sexuality & gender identity is just now being outlawed as cruel. There's no reason ABA should not follow suit if pressure is applied and parents are educated. The problem in both cases was/is that the people pushing the therapy stand to make money off it and the parents want a child who will conform so that they the parents don't have to change. Educating the greater society is most effective solution.