Aba Information - Blog Posts
ABA is a policy that I definitely do not support. I have beaten myself up some days because I don’t feel “normal.” It still takes talking with my friends and family to realize that I am not supposed to be “normal.” I’m just supposed to be me. I am lucky to know several people who are willing to help me grow and develop my independence and skills rather than try to make me fit the mold.
Hello everyone,
I found an article from the Child Mind Institute that explains the controversies around ABA therapy. Here is a quick read of the article. The full article will be linked below:
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a therapy that helps kids with autism learn skills and lessen problematic behavior like hurting themselves. There are several different forms of ABA. All are based on the idea that reinforcing certain behaviors will lead kids to repeat those behaviors. Studies have shown that ABA is effective, but some parents and autistic self-advocates do not support its use.
One criticism of ABA is that the earliest version of it used punishments as well as rewards. Punishments are no longer used in ABA, but critics think it is still too hard on kids because it is so repetitive. Supporters argue that modern ABA is often much less repetitive and that practitioners are trained to make learning fun and interesting for the child.
Another criticism is that ABA is too focused on eliminating behaviors instead of building skills. Some practitioners agree that this can be a problem. They emphasize that therapy needs to focus on what kids should be doing, rather than what they shouldn’t be doing.
Finally, some autistic self-advocates say that ABA tries to make kids with autism fit neurotypical standards. They argue that autistic kids have different needs, so they shouldn’t be taught to look and act like neurotypical kids. Some of these advocates says that speech and language therapy is a more helpful way for autistic kids to build skills and independence.
ABA Therapy