Power dynamics of ABA

https://autisticselfadvocatesagainstaba.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/problematic-and-traumatic-why-nobody-needs-aba/?fbclid=IwAR3aeHROwIEr2uaRmsw7i1oBuOy90Cln8cMgi_nJ4bZGT87VckcUhTUoOqA

Some points that resonated in this article. 

The problem with reinforcements. 

• "tablet time” is used as reinforcement. This is a problem because many autistics rely on their tablets for communication. Many autistics are non-speaking, and to take away their means of communication is one reason increasingly aggressive or “challenging” behaviors persist — they are not being heard or understood and the only way left to communicate their discomfort, pain, or any other needs has been taken away."

The loss of childhood.

• "A child is typically expected to participate in 25-40 hours of ABA therapy each week; that is 5-8 hours a day of repetitive, uncomfortable, or potentially painful demands and broken down tasks, of few or no breaks, of being presumed incompetent, and of not having adequate accommodations.
A full-time job is expected of kids under the age of 4, and there is no strong evidence to suggest that it is effective or beneficial. Children should be allowed to have a childhood, and that is not possible when they must sit through 25-40 hours of therapy each week. This level of intervention leaves little time for rest, play, and learning outside of therapy, which can wreak havoc on a child’s mental health."

Lack of training and quality control. 

• "Many ABA practitioners are Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT)s, which any 18-year old with a high school diploma could be by taking a 40-hour training and passing an exam."

Long term trauma and PTSD

• "A survey of 460 autistic adults and caregivers of autistic children evidenced that 46% of those who participated in ABA therapy met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, and 47% of those meeting this diagnostic threshold experienced severe symptoms (Kupferstein, 2018)."

Yet, still touted as the gold-standard EBT

• "Yet ABA is still widespread throughout the United States and it is recommended under the premise of being an effective evidence-based practice. However, there is weak evidence that ABA is an effective behavioral treatment. Rated on the GRADE system the quality of evidence is low to very low (Reichow, Hume, Barton, & Boyd, 2018). In fact, “of the 58 studies done on Lovaas’ ABA therapy, only one was found to meet the U.S. Department of Education’s standards for scientific evidence."

Related Posts

• https://uniquelyhari.blogspot.com/2023/05/private-equity-and-aba.html
• https://uniquelyhari.blogspot.com/2023/04/this-is-2023-shocks-are-still-part-of.html
• https://uniquelyhari.blogspot.com/2019/04/mental-cripple.html
• https://uniquelyhari.blogspot.com/2023/05/who-has-dx-and-who-is-professional.html