CW: Post discusses ABA and possibly Trauma, internalized ableism

Hello there! I’m currently researching the issue of ABA. I’m reading a lot about the criticisms, but most of the resources I found so far are (likely) made by level 1 autistics. As level 2 and level 3 autistics are not as well represented within autism self-advocacy, I would like to understand their position better on the topic. A usual defense for ABA is that it can help high-support-needs autistics to learn important skills, but I would like to read about that from an autistic perspective.

So if there are resources on the subject you can recommend, I’ll be grateful! thank you

edit: I’m updating because users in this thread changed my view on this issue. I’ve been caught up in functioning label, which at the end of the day “levels” of autism still are. Here is what changed my mind:

Those needs you are looking for in an autistic person are completely and utterly irrelevant to you as a reader of their experience, and as far as you’re concerned any or all of the people who have already written about their experience of ABA fit in to your narrow and ignorant category, they just didn’t mention it because again - it isn’t fucking relevant.

There is no reason for me to specifically look for “level 2 or 3” autistics since their experiences are valid, regardless of them disclosing their support needs. It is ableist to expect them to disclose to me how “disabled” they are in order for me to validate their experience. Thanks @[email protected] and @[email protected] for helping me understand this. So in a way I found the answers I was looking for, and now I have some thinking to do

  • @InvisibleShoeEnglish
    3•4 months ago

    I hadn’t heard of ABA before but it looks like it’s behaviour mod. with a different name. Is this correct?

    I’ve tried behaviour mod a couples of times and it never helped (I’m ASD 1). I found EMDR much better for working through some issues but for everything else I’m just muddling through with my psych.

    I found that having a notebook on hand to write down thoughts and musings about areas I felt I was lacking in regards to social skills and life skills useful. This helped me to clarify and narrow down some of the skills I wanted/needed to work on most and I brought this up with my psych and they are helping me work on those skills.

    Not everyone can see a psych but if you can identify the skill areas you feel are lacking, I’m sure someone could point you in the right direction.

    Sorry if I’m rambling. I do tend to.