ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) is abuse. The core of ABA is changing behaviour. It’s about looking at autistic behaviour, seeing it as bad, and forcing a child to hide that behaviour. ABA doesn’t stop a child from being autistic, all it does is force them to mask all the time. Behaviour is a method of communication, and trying to alter an autistic child’s harmless behaviour is a form of silencing them. Figuring out why a child is behaving in a certain way, and addressing it at its root is more important than changing a child’s behaviour simply to make them look more neurotypical.
A dangerous part of ABA is its focus on compliance. Do what the therapist says or else. Want a treat? Comply. Want to play a game? Comply. Want your existence to even be acknowledged? Comply. This makes people very susceptible to abuse. Autistic children who have gone through ABA become perfect targets for predators. Yes, having a child who doesn’t fight back at all is easier for you, but it does so much harm to the child. It tells the child that their needs are less important than the wants of those around them.
Just because ABA doesn’t usually include physical, or verbal abuse anymore doesn’t mean it’s okay now. Roughly half of autistic people who go through ABA develop PTSD later on because of it. How about instead of trying to change the behaviour of an autistic child to make them look neurotypical we work on understanding their behaviour, and why it happens. Why is your child having a meltdown? Why are they stimming? Why are they screaming? If your autistic child is displaying harmful behaviour there are better ways of addressing it.
Stop thinking of ABA as the only choice you have. There are other options. Occupational therapy, speech language pathology, SCERTS, and augmentative and alternative communication are all better alternatives. I know that parents who put their children through ABA aren’t doing so maliciously. They’re told that it’ll help their child. If you truly want to help your child the best way is to avoid ABA.
