What Do I Think About ABA?
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- Опубликовано: 16 сен 2021
- What do I think about ABA? Applied behavioural analysis is a therapy often recommended for autistic children. ABA has become a fairly controversial subject due to its associations with encouraging masking autistic behaviours, and punishing those behaviours which are autistic.
In this video I'm discussing the history of ABA, how it's practised now and what I think about it as an autism therapy.
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"Self harming behaviours are also a communication of unmet needs. So find a way to meet that need." 👏👏🥰
Which is what ABA does. At least in my clinic, we focus on teaching ways to meet their needs. I personally advocate for autistics, no one should have to hide who they are. I just focus on teaching how to meet needs and never on reducing behaviors that are "abnormal"
@@alyssamitchell7948 no just no
@@gagebatek1809 I actually left my ABA clinic because I kept getting in trouble for not following ABA protocol. But I refuse to force people to do things they don’t want to do. Pursing a career in special education where I can create a safe environment for kids.
@@alyssamitchell7948 then you just contradicted yourself
@@gagebatek1809 do you mind explaining how? I mean I truly don’t understand how trying to create a safe environment for kids is a contradiction.
Recovering people pleasers unite! 'politely and fearlessly' is a good motto
Yes! Perhaps we need it on a t-shirt
Children are not dogs. They are not your pets. They didn't ask to be born, and they weren't put on this earth to please the adults around them. My 16 yr old son has chores, but we pay him for them, we ask him nicely to do them, and I've explained to him that 1) if he were an adult living on his own he'd have to do those chores too, and 2) his doing those chores is his part of the teamwork that everyone in our family needs to do to help take care of the family needs. He sees that I work all day from the time I get up until the time I go to bed on our family's shop (which financially supports our entire family), which is why I don't have time or energy to do those chores myself. His father also works on our family shop, cooks for everyone, and does numerous home maintenance projects. Kids may not always be happy to do stuff. But they can at least understand the reasons behind unpleasant things in life like chores and homework, personal hygiene, and very limited masking.
I love how you say to call therapy what is it. OT is not ABA and non ABA therapies should not be advertised as ABA
I don't know anyone with autism in my circle but I totally agree with you about that they don't need to get trained to pretend normal. When I meet autistic people in the park or in the mall, I always enjoy communicating with them. They are so open and have amazing energy. Just be who you are 💖
Yes!!! Help them learn and embrace their strengths!! That usually solves alot of problems for alot of us.
Thank you so much for posting this video. I had the mother of an Autistic child literally scream in my face when I mentioned in an open discussion that ABA was destructive and harmful to us as Autistic people. She told me I was calling her a bad mother and that the 20 hours of ABA a week she put her child through was what was best for him. She said she 'didn't want to debate with me about ABA' (I wasn't debating, just respectfully saying that I disagreed with ABA, and it was an open conversation between Autistic people as well as their parents and professionals who work with us). I am so glad Autistic people are speaking out and exposing ABA for what it really is. We aren't just saying this stuff for a laugh, or to make people feel like 'bad parents' (if you think you're a bad parent then that's something you need to deal with in your own life/head - perhaps speak to a professional, get some help - please don't put that burden onto disabled people who have reason to disagree with your practices). ABA is dangerous, and causes self-hatred whether it's intended to do that or not. NTs, please listen to us. Please.
Loved your explanation... As an autistic woman and mother of an autistic young man I really hope NT parents LISTEN... Because their children will end up suffering a lot now and in the future...
I HOPE AND WILL KEEP ON HOPING...
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS 💭 ON THIS WITH THE WORLD!
Great job Ella 😍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
She is a bad mother
@@eeveum I'm inclined to agree with you. Her behaviour towards me for speaking out against something that most likely has a detrimental effect on her own child wasn't behaviour I'd expect from a good mother, that's for sure.
Olivia, I'm always inclined to ask, what was your experience of ABA as a child? We're you required to do the 40 hours? I keep hearing this 40 hour thing which is requested by insurance, but I'm not sure if this is a new thing or it's always been a form of all day daycare
@@NeuroSeasoned Hi there - I'm very fortunate that I've never been put through formal ABA myself. I also live in the UK so health insurance isn't something I've really dealt with much, I underwent private psychiatric treatment as well as NHS psychiatric treatment as a teenager and young adult but that was a) largely paid for out of pocket as the insurance company began to twig that my problems were chronic rather than acute, so (I think) they started refusing to pay out, and I was lucky that my parents could afford to pay, and b) the treatment I had had more to do with comorbid mental health issues than my Autism itself. I wasn't actually diagnosed with Autism until I was 15. I'm really sorry I can't answer your question! I wish you all the best. :)
ABA caused my son to regress. He was able to perform with the therapist, so they considered it successful, but was so upset that he would behave worse outside of therapy. He spoke less, lashed out, and started having meltdowns, which he hadn’t done prior to ABA. He’s now afraid of going to school, because he associates it with ABA. In essence, we’re worse off after ABA intervention. He’s now homeschooled and doing well, but I think he would be better if he could go to school and interact with other children more often. He has naturally become more engaged with the world around him, without us having to force those interactions or provide scripted behaviors for him to mimic. It takes him longer to develop these behaviors on his own, but it’s much less stressful and more flexible than it was with ABA, which never generalized to situations outside therapy anyway. What is most frustrating, is that ABA is pretty much the only thing available in my area. It’s employed by hospitals, physicians, and schools almost exclusively, so homeschool is pretty much our only option if we don’t want our son subjected to it.
That's so sad. Perhaps you could see if there are any homeschool groups that meet in your area or activities that your son could try where he will be around other children.
My brother is autistic and was the only one out of me and my siblings to be homeschooled. He thrived on homeschooling, did much better than myself or my other brother in our school, and excelled into someone who’s found his passions.
I hope it works out the same way for your son, you sound like a great parent realising what was happening and taking him out of a very traumatic environment. And I hope both you and him get the support that’s needed with homeschooling.
One suggestion for maybe helping him interact with other kids: I remember my brother attending coding and gaming clubs put on by the parents of other homeschooled kids. Is there any chance he could participate in something surrounding his interests? Or maybe -if you have access to a space and enough time- you could start a club and see if there’s other homeschooled possibly Autistic kids who would like to take part?
I wish you and your son all the best!
I'm an autistic adult and my parents took me out of school when I was eight. It was the best decision they ever made. They didn't know I was autistic (I recently diagnosed myself), but I was becoming reluctant to attend school because I found it stressful. I used to have nervous tics but these went away as soon as I didn't have to go to school anymore.
We used to go to groups run by Education Otherwise and I made a few friends there. Even if you're not from the UK, you might find their website an interesting read. I wish you and your son all the best!
@@callumarcadio thank you, I’ll take a look at Education Otherwise. We’re in the US, but I often find helpful info on websites for other countries.
Is there a charter or private school in your area for children with disabilities, or even behavioral problems? My son was sent to a school for children who'd been involved in the judiciary system and while an inappropriate placement he absolutely thrived. Small class sizes with support staff, one classroom the whole day. He did so well he's mainstreaming now, though it's been a rough transition.
The fact that someone who's job it is is to help autistic people would think that autism is curable is scary.
There are still ABA programs where punishment in the form of electric shocks are administered to children and adults on the spectrum. Take a look at the Judge Rotenberg Centre in Massachusetts - the abuse that they are inflicting on autistic people in the name of ABA is truly horrifying! Tiffany Daniels Spilling Tea has some interesting content on this, also Jennifer Msumba who is a former victim of JRC. It is great that you have spoken out on ABA as well Purple Ella - it’s an important discussion that needs to be had!
I made a tiktok about the Judge Rotenbery Centre, and tbh the fact that this is happening often wakes me up at night, it's horrendous
You need to read up on Leaf et al 2021
At least in the United States, JRC is the *only* place that uses electric shocks
Absolutely love witnessing your modeling of recovery from people pleasing. This video is informative, fair, and respectful. Thank you so much.
Thank you. That was my aim, so it's good to hear it came across that way.
I appreciate you so much Purple Ella! This was a very informative video.
I worked as an ABA therapist a few years ago. I didn’t know what it was before I started working there, it was after I finished my first degree in psychology. It was an okay experience.
Years later I was shocked to hear that it was considered abusive.
I did not ever see punishment used, what we did was teach children to communicate in ways they could: I.e. using pictures to ask for things like headphones or to leave the room when overstimulated.
Helped children learn to brush their teeth, eat, tie their shoes, put on their coat, help them practice safety skills like holding an adults hand while walking outside.
Stimming was always allowed and accepted. The clinic managers had their own autistic children or relatives. Everyone cared about the children first.
Head banging or other self harm behaviours we’re not punished but rather, a cushion placed between the person and the item used for banging to bite on a bracelet instead of their skin to help reduce harm.
It seems like this is OT and not ABA? This is the first time I have learned this. Very interesting to hear ABA being used to force children to mask or be punished for having autistic traits, which is not what I experienced at all.
But this video helped me learn more! I have realized years later that I am autistic and am learning more from a different perspective.
Thanks for all you are doing!
I think there are a lot of groups using the label of ABA therapy because it's one of the only therapies covered by insurance. It can vary so greatly depending on where you live, your childs therapist, and the training they receive.
@@wickjezek1101 thank you for sharing. This information is new to me as well! The centre I worked at was run by doctors, PhD clinical supervisors, masters level supervisors, and I was at the bottom level but I had a bachelors degree in psychology plus intensive training so it is a surprise to hear some clinics have people off the street doing this!
The insurance thing is very interesting, thank you for explaining.
I like how you touched on the different types of therapies under the “ABA umbrella”. This has actually been my struggle as someone who used to work doing play based ABA and has recently discovered and been diagnosed as autistic, our therapy taught life skills and would replace harmful behaviors with something that still fulfilled that need but wasn’t harmful. We NEVER prevented a child from stimming or tried to teach them to mask, only tried to help with coping strategies and things that would help them be as happy as they could be in a world not set up for autistic people such as helping with emotional regulation, sensory regulation, etc.
I kept thinking “but that’s not bad, even as an autistic person I can’t get on board with that being BAD”, but you’re right that’s not ABA and therein lies the difference.
Thank you very much for sharing this. I am just beginning to dig deeper into the realm of neurodivergence and your videos are very helpful to me! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, your opinion, and your knowledge and expertise. 💜
From the perspective of an autistic psychology major:
Imagine trying to understand psychology by not studying the human brain. That's the basis for ABA. Nobody's psychology is entirely external. Otherwise it wouldn't be their psychology. I myself had a bad experience with ABA. They would follow me around the house untilI had a meltdown and then would claim I did things that I didn't. They also stopped my services (if you can even call it that) because I needed to get my depression "under control". Like yeah, I'll get rid of that one for ya.
What was their point of following you around the house until triggered into a meltdown, followed by gaslighting you about what took place? How would that ever be productive "therapy"?? Sounds like bullying to me.
It's a good thing that, as a psychology major, you know that ABA follows the beliefs of RADICAL behaviorism, which takes into account both covert and overt behaviors... but I'm sure you knew that, being a psychology major and all.
Wow 😳. I met an Occupational therapist today who is a proponent of ABA, did my best not to hit the roof. Calmbly pointed out, that not broken, ABA causes excessive masking, which is exhausting for the person.
Also that focus only on a persons 'negative' aspects can't possibly be good for anyone's mental health.
Oh? Care to cite those sources you got that information from? Why so silent? You DO have scientific sources to back those claims, right?
@@IcanSeeMyselfOutThanks you keep commenting something similar with this snide, "oh really?" attitude. Please chill. I'm not anti-ABA but your comments are so aggressive it makes me want to protect these folks you're mocking. You're like a boxer making fun of your opponent for not showing up like 3 seconds after they sent out the invite to spar Lol
@@NeuroSeasoned huh? Who are you again?
@apres pooch oh, I don't think we have ever met. Ok, I understand. Here's the thing... this guy is making false claims about the most researched and scientifically proven method to help autistics... but all these naysayers don't have any evidence to back it up. They are just regurgitating what they hear others say for attention. Horrible reason to do this. It's like they don't want to help autistics. None of them have ever read a scientific article, yet they want to try to do away with the science of living organisms? If these individuals wrongfully dissuade those who might actually need ABA... then yeah I have a problem and I will call them out. Thing is, when called out, notice how they don't answer? Because they are doing it for attention. If you condone this behavior because they have intellectual disabilities, then you are part of the problem.
As a retired art and classroom teacher of preschoolers with special needs, I strongly support your.beliefs. I would extend this to all children, not only to those on the autisim spectrum or with other special needs. Formal education in general focuses way too much on convergent thinking and conformity and fails to recognize various learning styles and individual strengths.
Any thoughts about sensory integration therapy? My sibling was treated w/ it as a kid for general tantrum issues (both of us suspect we’re in the spectrum but never formally dx’ed). It really seemed to help them learn coping strategies. The therapist also worked with them and my parents to help my sibling communicate their needs to my parents. Like one of their big tantrum triggers had been fear of new experiences. The therapist taught them to recognize that feeling and make up a code phrase that would describe it to my parents. The therapist also helped them and my parents develop a kind of list of things they could do to help my sibling feel more comfortable in those situations. Seems like one of the problems w/ ABA is it’s focused on making the patient behave the way parents want, and not on what the patient is feeling or needs.
I don't know very much about this therapy tbh, but I will research and find out more.
As always informative and helpful. ABA I'd definitely not the way forward!
I'll tell you about how I went through ABA 20+ years ago (and don't think it still doesn't happen often today). As a little boy, I was given rewards such as a Push Pop or a video copy of The Emperor's New Groove for not stimming, especially "silly talking" (their term for verbal stimming). Even then, I felt something was weird about it, but the goal of all those rewards was compliance, and I learned that if I was gonna be in good standing and keep getting all those goodies, I had to act like I loved ABA. My advice to (well-intentioned) parents who currently have their autistic children in ABA: don't think your children aren't acting like they love ABA just because they appear that way. What child doesn't like being given all those treats, and if they have to do what someone says to get it, then that's what they'll do. Doesn't mean they're learning anything good.
Honestly, ABA feels so close to animal training.
It’s not teaching to communicate in comfortable ways, it’s teaching to perform for NTs to be comfortable around us.
And by god does it do some long lasting damage, especially surrounding self esteem and relationships with food.
The ‘praise’ and ‘rewards’ I got for acting how they wanted me to have turned me into an adult desperate for validation and am unable to find any happiness in finishing passion projects without some sort of outside reward.
I hope you missed out on those life long issues! And I hope everything’s going a lot better for you, your advice will hopefully make things click for more parents.
Hmm, what about ABA where they don't use food, ever. Well except obv they give him the lunch that i pack for him. Either at the scheduled time like with school lunches, or some days he eats early bc he asks for his snack. Just wanna up extra hungry some days i guess lol. Mine loves playing chase, hide and seek and acting out the gingerbread man story. So we use those things as a reward for his willingness to engage in learning. For example, he has been working on memorizing my phone number and his address as part of a safety program. In case he ever gets lost and needs help from a stranger. They practice how to cross the street, they helped me get him to hold my hand or finger when crossing. These aren't making him appear allistic. But it does require compliance! Bc what parent wants their child running out into the parking lot or having no way to ask a stranger for help?
Totally agree. Great video. Inclusivity not exclusivity.
You explained it so very well Ella, another brilliant video for me to share 😬 Thank you
I come from an abusive family that forced me to stop stimming or my mum would bit me up with a tree brunch or a belt this provoked me ptsd for year and only last year I finally found the treatment that helped me.
I only discovered my neurodivergece this year but the thought of this therapy is just really upsetting, it should be illegal such treatment, we're not things to " fix" without any feelings.
The way Ella propose to approach the " undesirable" behaviour is the healthier option but I never understood how is it possible for someone to be so horrible and propose something like ABA treatment.
It's so beyond me.
Cool story, but that's not ABA
Wow! Thank God for a non-NT perspective on interventions that cause anxiety, distress with a harmful focus. Brilliant explanation PE👍👏😊
I've been a case manager for adults with disabilities including Autism for seven years. I have seen PTSD in adults who were in ABA when they were children as well as essentially trained obedience and compliance. The issue with that is they can be far more susceptible to exploitation, abuse or being taken advantage of because they have been trained to comply. Once they get to us as an adult, we are basically trying to undo all of that. Also, ABA "therapists" are often just people hired off the street with no specialized degree or anything. It's the same for adult services. They may not even have any college completed at all and are just trained by the company offering the services. Most work for not much more than minimum wage. Also, as far as I know, The Judge Rotenberg Center may still be using electric shock and other abusive methods. So, that still exists in this world.
I’ve worked as one of these uneducated “therapists” my coworkers were a mix of very dedicated overworked passionate people, often students in SLP OT or BC. And then depending on the Orginization, there absolutely are people who are just hired off the street, looking for a easy job with “cute” kids they can brag about
randomaccount747,
ABA hides lots of information from parents and even most people working in the field, especially criticisms.
ABA is more than abuse and parents are very uninformed of the effects of things for multiple concerning reasons.
1) ABA has no education in neurology, human biology, child and human development, mental health, emotional well-being. ABA is very narrow only concerned about the person's behaviour, not the person's health.
2) ABA puts learning a behaviour before the person's needs.
3) ABA is not educated in psychology itself.
4) Therapists have no more than one month's training nor require qualifications.
5) Modern psychology proves that reward systems reduce intrinsic motivation, reduce their level of performance, reduce their efforts, and reduces committment (I'm talking about all humans here).
6) ABA practices are compliance based, when autistic people conform stress and anxiety levels rise leading to anxiety disorders and PTSD.
7) ABA creates Conditional Love, the children are smart enough to notice the praises and affection is not based on them as a person, but they are only loved for doing as their told.
The children are left with the message they are not lovable as who they are, and in the 1940s psychologists concluded anyone who is not feeling love nor affection causes suicide.
Three concepts are required that ABA takes away.
• Autonomy
• Belonging
• Competence
Manipulation as a method to modify behaviour is controling disallowing the children autonomy.
Conditional love takes away the sense of belonging.
ABA disallows competence by focusing so much on difficulties.
Psychologists have discovered lacking any of these three concepts has a detrimental impact on human health and behaviour, and ABA takes away all three.
If we go into how the techniques effect people according to 21st century science, biology exposes ABA methodology contributes to the development of heart diseases, Alzheimer's, Dementia, Anxiety Disorders, Schizophrenia, Major Depression Disorders, PTSD and more due to their ignorance of all that's happening inside the body and brain as a reaction to the method.
The method is founded upon dogmatic assumptions and false evidence, the dogmatic assumptions are;
• Only observable and measurable behaviours are to be studied.
• All behaviours are learned from experiences.
• We come in this world as a clean slate that genes have no influence on human behaviour.
• Non-human animals are valid test subjects as they follow the same learning principles as humans.
The whole framework of ABA is all about controling people taking away their autonomy and is not actually evidence based. If you want to see for yourself, look up what "Psychological Bulletin" has to say about ABA, the experts conclude that ABA is not even worthy to be included with reviews as they see it as an inadequate science, and see it is not a promising approach.
What kind of "case manager" were you? And, as a "case manager", did you personally diagnose these kids with PTSD? And if you did, can you prove it was solely a result of ABA and no other extraneous variables in the environment?
I totally agree with you. Thank you so much for this video, amazing work!
I work at an ABA clinic. We do everything that you say we should do and don’t do any of the things you say we shouldn’t.
It essentially works exactly the same as a school built around the needs of children with autism but with 1:1 student teacher ratio.
I agree though, we are not practicing ABA the way it used to be. Just like we moved away from the use of the term Asperger’s disorder, we should move away from calling our style of therapy ABA.
I think you got the nail on the head with this one. Excellent video.
This video makes me want to cry. Both my husband and daughter are autistic, and I can’t imagine them any other way. I’d argue their most loveable attributes are driven by their autism. And I 100% agree - this is all about making NTs more comfortable.
It's literally the attitude of "I don't want to be uncomfortable, so I'm going to make you uncomfortable," but always one sided. I've finally, in my 20s, learned to stop caring what people think, and be comfortable with me, my sensory challenges and all. Even if that means wearing my weird looking shoes with separate toes because I can't stand my toes together (I am working on finding nicer shoes that still allows me to wear toe socks, but they're not cheap).
You are such a breath of fresh air!!!!!
You teach me so much, I am very thankful for your videos
Thank you very very much ❤
Thank you for this insightful and informational video.
Hmmm I guess the ABA I was introduced to wasn't actually ABA. I feel great joy seeing my son spinning knowing he is feeling joy or calm. The most important thing I learned was to help identify his needs. Punishment was never advocated, only understanding of why and what I as his parent could do to help him (provided a calming space, giving him access to what he needs, how to advocate for him, etc).
Melissa DeVries,
Don't get your hopes up, ABA hides a lot of crucial information about itself from parents. Short term goals don't last and very negative consequences come later in life.
I’m fully with you there! 👏🏻👏🏻🌺
Brilliant video! Thinking about it, ABA reminds me of a song called "The Logical Song" by Supertramp.
Yes thank you I completely agree with everything I thought I was the only parent that felt this way about Aba therapy my son is 2 autistic and I want him to grow up with confidence not always feel in like he gotta mask his personality
I feel simular about school systems I really struggled in school as I now know is adhd and it destroyed my confidence knowing I was caipabile but struggled getting there I was put in support with no real progress just destroyed confidence when in hindsight I was just a hands on learner not a in the box of mainstream learner
Absolutely brilliant video
Great video - thank you 🙏
I'm not an educator, so I can blatantly say that ABA is torture that leads to life-long trauma and often suicide.
Really? Care to cite those sources? I'll take your silence as "no, I just say things to further my agenda and get attention"
@@IcanSeeMyselfOutThanks I only just woke up and had breakfast, so I apologise for my tardiness. No one wants to invest in this type of research as there's no money in it. All I have is multiple stories by young adults who went through ABA and are now in terrible state of mental health. I respect their experiences and as an autistic myself, will trust them over the word of parents/carers, which is the group of people that ABA was actually designed to help. Not the children themselves. Not in the long run anyway.
@Miro Hundak I respect that. Thank you for responding. However, I'd like to share with you that there are no scientific articles that show a correlation between ABA and any kind of PTSD. We should not discount the opinions of others, I agree, but taking someone's word over the internet is not scientific proof. ABA is the most researched and empirically backed method shown to improve the lives of autistic individuals. There's a lot of misinformation out there, and I hate to say it, but all of the ABA naysayers cannot provide citation to their stats they mention (e.g. "Most autistics are against ABA" "ABA causes trauma") which leads me to think that they are just throwing around misinformation because they get attention for it. When i provide scientific, peer reviewed articles contrary to what they say, they go silent. Why do you think this population turns a blind eye to science in favor of opinions and stories which might not be true? And just because an individual received ABA services and they got PTSD does not mean ABA caused it... it might have been any of the other 10000 variables in the environment.
@@IcanSeeMyselfOutThanks From autistic perspective, any intervention that tries to modify behaviour is intrinsically bad. Autistic behaviour is natural for autistic people and children. The only exception to that would be self-harming stims, which should be replaced with non-harmful ones. However, by the time self-harming is present, it indicates an already deeply stressed child, which is in an environment they find unbearable.
All autistic people living in modern environment have experienced this to some extent, with or without ABA. Those that can, mask heavily, hiding their autistic traits, which is kind of a self imposed ABA and just as harmful to mental health.
I don't think there is any need to extensively research harmful aspects of ABA since we know it's starting premise is already incorrect.
I get that this is difficult to understand from non-autistic perspective, but behaviour based "therapies" for autistic children are nothing more than glorified animal training and not the good kind.
I'm sorry if this is not the answer you are looking for.
@Miro Hundak I'm not seeking answers, I'm trying to educate, my friend. There are other behaviors beyond "self-harming stims" that need to be addressed, such as aggression towards others, biting people, property destruction... all have nothing to do with self-stimulatory behavior. It is a common mistake to label a behavior as self-stimulatory without scientifically analyzing it. A kid might bite themselves as self-stim behavior at home, but that exact same behavior is being maintained by escape in the school environment. Behavior should be looked into not by the typography, but by the function. I invite you to read the scientific, peer reviewed article by Leaf et al. 2022. I think that would be a good start. Let me know if you have any questions.
Yeah, the only way I can focus, is with medication, so... No amount of punishment ever helped, and my dad punished me a lot. He masks and thought I should too, but we have different conditions and ways of doing things. And yeah, talking to OT now as an adult, has been amazing! I masked for years, but started getting meltdowns in grade 11 or 12, and then got worse in university, so now I have some ways to manage, including one that no one ever tried but me and my logical problem solving put together, and that's taking GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid, an inhibitory neurotransmitter) to stop meltdowns when I feel them coming. It was given to me to help with anxiety when trying to sleep, but I found it didn't make me sleepy like the doctor said, but it would calm me down and bring me into a better headspace as many neurodivergent people have a hard time getting out of that fight or flight mode, which some people attribute to issues with GABA. I'm glad I found that, but I wouldn't have learned the other things that help, like weighted blankets, using music, and bouncing on an exercise ball, if it wasn't for my OT talking about her experiences with an autistic family member. It's been great, and I wish that was available to everyone, but I had to get accepted into a chronic illness clinic for that, but instead of talking about my chronic pain, we talk more about sensory needs.
I am so grateful for this video! I'm currently looking for a therapist specialised in autism and when I read ABA I knew I had seen it in this title and came to watch the video. That definitely sounds like a treatment to best avoid. The other type of relevant treatment I found was TEACCH - do you (or any other commenters) have any opinions on that? Does it have a similar history/goals or would you recommend it? Is it suitable for adults?
From my research just about any therapy is equally effective in helping a child develop. It does depend on the goals for your child, where you live, etc.
As an autistic adult I've had incredible success with CBT and DBT therapy.
Great video !
"Why not call it what it is instead of insisting of calling it modified ABA?" That question really helped me reconcile the inner struggle I was having with my training vs my actual approach to intervention with autistic pupils, and the "guilt" I have about putting my own son through a regimen of modified ABA when he was young... I've been struggling with that for a year now and that simple phrase actually made so much sense! Thx!
P.s. what do you think of the AFFIRM training modules... They do teach behavioral principles but the lens is more focused on the underlying need and the adaptation of the environment to meet that need than what the titles suggests... I guess I'm struggling with my "professional identify" after advocating for my son and students for so long and then realizing that I needed to reflect on how the perspective of autistic advocates was present in my practice and how to promote the insights that I've gained doing so...
Diana Maheux,
Due to ABA's ignorance and not liking the sound of hurting kids it is too defensive instead of willing to correct things, the main problem with ABA is it was already out of date in 1950 and excludes the human from the equation.
ABA clinics and working at homes uses all punishment, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and extinction.
ABA still uses all 4 but doesn't recognise it since ABA does not put critical thought into things.
When they observe the child and see what they're attracted to so they can take it to use as a "positive reinforcer" = Punishment
They've already punished the child by taking from them what they enjoy.
"If you do this we'll give you x to play with" = Positive reinforcement
"If you don't do what we want you to do we won't let you have your toy back" = Negative reinforcement
Extinction = Emotional abuse and damage to child development (especially when done by parents)
ABA is in and of itself a control system that leads to an evaporation of interest and commitment, I suggest you research "Self-Determination Theory".
Rewards undermine motivation, quality of performance and interest. Rewards cannot work in the long run as they do not help the person involved develop a long lasting commitment to the task in question.
The news is actually worse than that!
The more a person is rewarded for something, the more likely they are to lose interest in whatever they do to get the reward which is why quality of performance goes down. As long as the reward keeps coming you can get temperory compliance, but as soon as the reward stops the best case scenario is they go back to the way they were, but more commonly, because they lost interest while receiving the reward they are actually worse than they were from the beginning.
Rewards do not only undermine the quality of performance, they are actively counter-productive!
It is seen in job performance, learning at school, in homes, across cultures.
I'm scared of the idea of ABA I don't want to change who we are I just want help to manage the mad bad sad outbursts unfortunately that means isolating from everyone else and avoiding triggers or somehow changing the outside world, but the world doesn't want to change
Cool Squirtle T-Shirt! 👌
I had a business coach suggest that I come up with personal punishments for self accountability and internal deadlines. The idea never seemed to resonate with me.
Thank you, well explained. Questions, a friend w/autism always wants to hug me and it makes me uncomfortable so the other day I refused to hug him. He's angry at me about it. What should I do?
Society's in the 'box, stay in the box' if you don't fit in the box we define and design you are the one in the wrong!
Who she neurological is the best? They just shout louder than the rest!
have there been any studies observing if it's easier for non-verbals to communicate with Sign Language
I've seen many people have great success using AAC- a tablet with an app that allows them to choose their words and produce it as speech. When I go non-verbal I still have access to my ASL skills, so I don't see why not, though I haven't looked into the scientific backing.
Thank you so much for this video. My 2.5 years old daughter is autistic and she is starting to show some behaviors linked to emotional dysregulation and anxiety. I've been researching about the best therapy to help her and I agree 100% that the best approach is to identify and treat the cause of behaviors. ABA teaches the kids to be compliant and this can be very dangerous when they grow up and have to stand up for themselves in certain situations. Now I'm looking at OT focused on mental health for my baby girl. Maybe ABA is helpful to cases of severe autism, but in my specific case I'm pretty sure ABA is not the best path to go. Autistic kids are so sensitive, we really should be careful about the effects of any type of therapy on their self esteem and mental health.
Very cool video
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 100%!!!
I don't know that I fully agree with your position, but I learned a lot by listening to your video! Thanks for posting, these are great critiques!
What field can I go into where I can help autistic children that's not harmful like ABA?
ABA reminds me of the worst parts of my childhood. Here are some specific examples... When I was around 8 or 9 yrs old, my babysitter made me and the other similar aged children that she watched work all afternoon on a hot summer day gather discarded soda cans from the side of a road. We walked on foot gathering the cans while she slowly drove a car in front of us with the trunk door open so we could throw the cans into bags in the trunk. After several hours of this, she "rewarded" us by buying us each one snow cone. As we sat in the backseat of her car, sweaty and gratefully eating our snow cones while she drove us back to her house, she angrily pointed out how rude we were for not thanking her for those snow cones, which she purchased from part of the money she got for recycling all those cans she made us pick up for her.
Another example...one night when I was pregnant with my first son and I and my husband were staying for a short visit at my father and stepmom's house, I ended up spending the entire night being sick in the only bathroom in the house. The next morning, instead of showing concern for my exhaustion and emotional misery, my parents "jokingly" complained about the noise my vomiting had made all night. Then they seriously demanded I paste on a smile for them and go to church with them all morning so we could earn the approval of their pastor to use their church to hold our wedding ceremony (which we were only having for their sake since we were already married on paper and I'm an atheist). Apparently just because I was miserable didn't mean everyone around me should be made to see or hear that misery too.
I'm so sorry you went through those things. It's abuse on both counts, and I know the scars that abusive treatment can leave. You matter, you're worthy of love and compassion and genuine support, and you didn't deserve to be treated in that way.
I just recently discovered your channel. I really like your content, I could be your lost twin sister because I am an aspie woman with ehlers danlos, add, eating disorders and a lot of "fun" mental issues. I have a question for you: have you tried medication for attention-deficit. I take ritalin (methylphenidate) and it is a real life changer. I simply could not do it without it.
As a currently self-diagnosed autistic (I'm waiting assessment), I believe I was raised by a parent who accidentally used ABA methods on me. It makes me VERY good at masking, but also anxious, at times depressed, very poor at identifying my own needs and frequently overwhelmed. I'd not heard of this therapy before but it sounds hideous. Just the idea of it makes me feel kind of panicky
Yes, my dad did a lot of the same techniques on me... But I attribute that to his neurodivergence and being raised in a strict home. The British side of his family was extreme when it came to making people look and act proper, so I suspect he was victim to it as well. It did still hurt me, but I've been able to forgive him. He's dyslexic and works very hard to hide it, but I suspect he might be on the autism spectrum as well just with the way he speaks and has hyperfixations on projects, as well as difficulty with black and white thinking.
@@jlbeeen I'm British so this probably explains a lot!
Just a Viewer,
Don't use ABA, it's founded upon dogmatic assumptions and is a tool for controlling people.
Your parents used positive reinforcement to increase desired behaviors? Mazel tov, your parents are better than the ones using coercion and punishment
I went through the same and it was traumatic. Still is.
Hi I have a question my twelve-year-old just got diagnosed with autism two, non verbal but speaks at home to me freely, no intellectual problem besides executive functioning. Ok. So Easter Seals evaluated her and said they're going to teach her how to communicate through a device instead of speaking and they're not going to use punishments they're just going to try to take her out into the community and encourage her to use her device to interact with the outside world she got approved for 20 hours a week and they promise not to use punishments because it's not going to work I told them I'd pull her out immediately. Do you think it's worth a try? She 100% cannot speak outside the home thank you 🙏
I hated it though it was not called ABA but that is what it was back in the 60s my parents took me out of it after I think 3 months and they put me on Ridlen that I think is why they took me out it was doctor who suggested I go to this place first each day then 3 times a week I am glad they took me out of it did not have great parents but they did do some things right.
I learned about AVA and some of my courses relating to special education in psychology. Many of the points you made like it initially being made to normalize autism behaviors in a Nuro typical sense of the word, and not assessing the child’s strengths, seem to me as though they should definitely be considered by people when deciding whether or not to implement this technique. I have friends in the autism community who you have told me how harmful they found ABA for themselves and how it did encourage masking.
ABA is considered the best therapeutic approach based on evidence in scientific studies, defined by neurotypical views.
Bruce,
If ABA workers ever try using that to invalidate your views point out to them every single case is individualized and use diverse techniques, which is against the rules of science meaning it is not scientific evidence.
Damm I have an interview for a entry level ABA position tomorrow, this is making rethink it. I want to help people with autism not stick a bandaid on them and mask who they are
Hey!! I am an RBT(registered behavioral technician). A lot of the information seems to be one sided and in a way outdated. I am also doing my masters in ABA, and throughout my masters, my prof have been open about the criticism (largely existing due to unregulated, ineffective, and deeply disturbed bcba). It's funny coz the aba technique I use are so vastly different from the above mentioned. A lot of us are told that our clients needs are above everyone's, that with ABA communication and choices is the key. A lot of the techniques I use are full of choices and 'work' is often committed to 10min per day. Please don't judge a whole profession until you have worked in it. There are some extremely bad bcba, but there are some amazing ones. Aba is highly effective and the one treatment method that proved effective for a long time, especially with those with SIB and are not independent in tasks. At the end, I believe aba alone isn't the best therapy for anyone, Aba with SLT or OT and even clinical psychology is much better treatment protocol for all, in the end our client needs and health are the upmost important. I really hope you give it a chance.
No what it sounds like is you are just trying to defend the existence your cashflow
Have you heard of Chris Chan?
My son has been recieivng ABA , in that time we have had less behaviors that are dangerous to himslef and family, he is allowed to stem, and do other things, how ever he is dissaloowed to hit, kick, bite and other forms of violence, Our son is now bathing and learning to cook, aba is teaching him how to do his own blood test, an important function needed for when he becomes an adult, Our son has PKU a rare disease so it is important for him to learn why he needs to do this .
ABA for us has been a positive thing, less danger to his mother who has severe disability due to brain cancer to whcih she survived at 9 years old leaving her the inability to balance.
ABA is starting to cary over in to the school as he learns to maintain a safebody that will then allow him to go in to a mainstream school, do take note, I am stating we are using aba, to assist our son has a safe body, not to eliminate slimming, but to reduce self harm .
What I can state is that are indeed good BCBAs and Bad BCBAs. this could enforce the negative Ideals of ABA being bad, where as a good BCBA would result in a happy child, free to stem, but not allowed to hurt others, free to communicate, and the freedom to persut that which makes him happy.
In short, It is allowing for our son to know and understand the constitution and the bill of rights that apply equally to all people.
I am autistic myself. a level 2 with the ability to drive a car.
I however was also abused and have acquired PTSD, as my parents whipped me, swore at me. ABA is in no way abusive.
and I have experienced abuse.
I was also abused in the foster care system before I was adopted.
It was only through intense counseling at 15 that I had received that prevented me from being a statistic, also my faith in God.
I will also add that becasue of ABA, my son has been able to participate in wrestling and other events, even when a kid kicked him in the knee-cap, infact instead of my son getting in to trouble it was the kid whohad kicked hom that got in to trouble, ABA is giving our son tools to help him.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy has evolved significantly over the years and has undergone several changes for the better. ABA is a therapy based on the principles of behaviorism, which involves systematically analyzing and modifying behavior. It has been used for decades to treat a wide range of developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
One significant change in ABA therapy over the years has been the move towards a more child-centered approach. Earlier, ABA therapy focused solely on reducing unwanted behaviors and increasing desirable ones. However, modern ABA therapy takes a more comprehensive approach that takes into account the child's unique strengths, interests, and needs. This approach includes teaching adaptive skills, promoting social interaction and communication, and supporting the development of independent living skills.
Another significant change has been the shift towards naturalistic teaching strategies. Rather than relying solely on discrete trial teaching, which involves repeated drills of targeted skills, modern ABA therapy incorporates more naturalistic teaching strategies that promote learning in real-life settings. This approach includes teaching skills through play, daily routines, and community activities.
Studies have shown that ABA therapy can be highly effective in improving social, communication, and adaptive skills in children with ASD. It has also been shown to reduce challenging behaviors and improve cognitive function. In particular, early and intensive ABA therapy can result in significant gains in developmental outcomes for children with ASD.
In summary, ABA therapy has undergone significant changes over the years, moving towards a more child-centered, naturalistic approach. Children have benefited greatly from ABA therapy, with improved social, communication, and adaptive skills, as well as reduced challenging behaviors.
Hi haven’t seen your videos in a while
That's strange, I have been making videos
@@PurpleElla , it’s just me being busy
I have applied for ABA for myself,it is not jsut for children but for adults as well.
It can be brain washing
I think there is a middle ground. Teaching a "scripted" way to get needs met, in order to remedy physical aggression toward caregivers, one's self,, and one's environment sounds very sensible. In severe cases there is some degree of change that may have to occur in order for an individual to live among others in society; without doing those others harm. Families with autistic children are stressed more than those with children having other disabilities. They may need some basic behavioral changes from the autistic member, just to function.
Functional behavior assessments only look at problematic behaviors, because those are the behaviors being nominated for change. Why would a functional behavior assessment assess non-problematic behaviors? That would be like going to your doctor and asking for a list of all of your properly-functioning biological processes.
So why didn't you say that then I'd have jumped on her these people as well as ABA needs to go
I would like to ask you do you really belive that "autistic" or perhaps alternative ways of communication (considering speech to be regular way) are good enough for being well integrated into the society?
Of course, writing things can be almost as good of a way (almost because it takes more time), but what about other types? Most neurotypical people, exept maybe those who know you very well, can not understand anything but the basic stuff, and sometimes not even that. How would you express more complex ideas, plans and requests without words in a way that average person (or anyone for that matter) would understand? I am not asking about visual art and similar stuff, but about day to day communication with people around you.
Btw, I am not saying that you should teach kids to speak using ABA, but there are other ways.
Uhmmm....I think there's a difference between speech therapy and trying your best to help them to communicate as efficiently as possible doesn't necessarily mean you need ABA.
Even using positive reinforcement (like praise or a little reward for working so hard) can be used in a healthy way. Building up a genuine relationship with the person and trying to pre-plan and script for difficult situations is also not wrong IF IT HELPS THE PERSON. Also if the person is old enough to agree to working with you and can cancel it at any time of they feel it's not good for them.
It shouldn't be done in a physically or mentally damaging way just for the convenience of the people around that person though and the person needs to consent to whatever is done to them.
Masking is harmful, because it teaches you that only the fake-you is being accepted and worth of praise and love which means by proxy that the authentic you, which might have visible stims or might be (partially) mute or might be really uncomfortable with eye/physical contact is not worth of love, respect a having the basic needs fulfilled.
@@mathilda6763 Thanks for the answer.
I was not trying to say that preparing in advance what you are going to say is bad, but that still falls under verbal communication, so I do not see what made you think I was talking about that.
Of course, nonverbal communication is not bad either, it is just not good enough for many situations.
And to make it clear, I am deffinitely not suggesting ABA is a good for teaching people how to speak, but that doesn't mean thay should not try to learn that (those who can).
Give us a better solution or is ABA the best tool we have.
As an autistic person, I see a lot of difference between a tantrum and a meltdown, having both myself. You have to treat them in a different way, so it's good to acknowledge the difference. I'm using ABA on high support autistic adults, I'm finding it very helpful. I think it depends on how it's used. Maybe because I'm working with adults, where I work the drive to "normalize" them is not so strong as it could be with children. I mean they are clearly autistic, we let them stim in peace, nobody is trying to make them look nt, the treatment is more focused on self care, communication of needs and extinguisheing aggressions and self harm. I have a bit of a meh moment when my coworkers focus on looking in the eyes, greeting people, small talk, etc... But it's a very small part so I think overall they are working fine.
But perhaps those autistic adults are finding being made to have eye contact and make small talk painful and uncomfortable, but their feelings are being ignored because it makes them seem more NT? That in itself is damaging.
@@powderandpaint14 they are not forced to do it, they do it to have a reinforcement, as all the other activities. It means having potato chips is worth being a little bit uncomfortable for them, so I see it as a form of choice.
@@HypnoRhymes why should they have to be uncomfortable to get potato chips?! None of us have to do that.
@@HypnoRhymes it’s exactly the same thing no matter how you try to dress it up. These are grown adults and you’re making them perform like an animal just for a ‘treat’. Disgusting
@@HypnoRhymes using food as rewards can lead to life long eating disorders. It’s also exactly what you do with dogs.
How about you stop making people go through things that are proven to cause the pain centres of the brain to activate for food and instead advocate for a world where autistic people aren’t treated like burdens of society that need to fit certain social norms that aren’t that important NOR are world wide things. It would be a much better use of your time.
And I’ll be honest, as someone who is Autistic and ADHD who has fluctuating support needs and loves crisps, no amount of snacks in the world is worth distressing myself and causing myself to regress to make NTs happy.
I thought you were going to talk about something really steaming like Abba the blondes from the band 🤨
Autism? Man, what a turn off topic 😁
Perhaps if you learned how to spell the band names you like, you wouldn't be disappointed.
Man, what a turn off comment.
@@Catlily5 This comment made my day!
@@oliviatuck4421 Glad to help!
If you want to know the truth about ABA, read up on Leaf et al 2022
Thank you, well explained. Questions, a friend w/autism always wants to hug me and it makes me uncomfortable so the other day I refused to hug him. He's angry at me about it. What should I do?
Hey, I know this is kind of late, and I hope it's still helpful. The following can be applicable to other interactions as well.
It is absolutely okay to set boundaries.
If he was subjected to ABA or similar practices, that may be why he got upset, because coerced/forced repeated hugging is often still incorporated in modern ABA. In other words, he may have been taught that having that boundary is not allowed.
It is also possible that since he is used to you agreeing to hug him, that the sudden change was upsetting.
Wait until a time that is calm, and then approach what happened with non-accusatory language, and focus on describing how you feel, why you said no, that what you did is setting a boundary, and why the boundary is important.
Ask if he's okay with working on alternative ways to meet that need. The need might be sensory regulation related, which would be proprioceptive (pressure), in this case. It could also be that it serves as a routine or otherwise repetitive and predictable interaction for him, so you could find a different thing to do that isn’t hugging.
There are other possible factors, these are just the ones I’ve thought of “off the top of my head” here.
Feel free to ask any further questions about this! Wishing you the best.