Is ABA Therapy Harmful? Autistic BCBA Speaks About ABA Controversy

coming from an autistic person who went through the treatment, The issue lies with the mental aspect of what is done. ABA takes the human right to say no, I have had teachers get upset because I watched a horror movie at home (this was in high school) which isn't any of their business. Even other ABA therapists thought she was crazy for getting upset over me watching a horror movie at home, which tells me it was just a bad therapist and not aba as a whole. But still it can be very hard to find a good ABA therapist so its not worth it in my eyes.

Wait so he wasn't put through ABA? Do people who are have good things to say about it?

Thank you so much for talking about this.

Hi Mary, thank you so much for making this video. It's great to hear Armando's story.

I'm just starting my ABA career

Promoting torturing kids and dehumanizing autistic people.

I found this helpful. Mary, I would love it if you had more resources for adults with autism. I wasn’t diagnosed until 22 years old, so I received very little support as a child

I think neurotypical people take their abilities for granted and don’t realize autistic people just need some extra help with skills. So I feel that’s where a lot of the ignorance comes from.

I used DIR and verbal ABA with my son as recommended by the founder of Floortime, Stanley Greenspan, MD. The combination was successful and significantly more cost effective. We provided 15 hours of Floortime at home and 10 hours of verbal ABA. This needs to be the future of treatment of autism, mixing the scientifically proven therapies adjusted to each child. This is the future-providing quality treatment at much less cost.

Absolutly why not !!! i mean the Nazies wanted to do behavior modification using electro shock to individuals they didnt feel fit in with their warped idea of what life is about also, shure lets all get on that band wagon. As an autistic indivual with truama dissorder i will tell you these assholes can take a flying leap into the grand canyon.

I cant believe that buttoned clothing is an Sd of mine, I am able to tell myself the buttons aren’t evil but until middle school the sight of buttoned shirts was something that made me mad lol

I think that ASD people should be in the field. I am neurotypical and tried to go into it and its really frustrating. I have no connection to it and I am not sure why people keep asking me things over and over. I think that many people in this field need to just support eachother and not try to get people to be like them or expect so much from others. I am so frustrated because I try to help and they get so mad. Im sorry. good luck

Where would Helen Keller be without the teacher that never gave up on her

I live in Puerto Rico, and I'm struggling to find professionals for ABA Therapy for my 4 year old son, because we're short of professionales here in the island. Where i can find online courses for parents, specially in spanish language so we can help our son in our home? my son cant waste more time.

Actually my son is receiving dysphagia , occupational, speech and phsycological therapy and is in a classroom specially for autism. But was referred to evaluation and aba therapy and we still don't have a solution.

Thank You.

Anxious and desperate mom

Thank you this is great! I was autistic as a child and have been afraid of how to approach helping parents, and speaking my thoughts, because I have been afraid of having everything I say discounted and tainted if I mention that I have first hand experience with Autism, and also at the same time, I've been afraid of discounted and beaten at by the Autistic community. I'm glad to see some middle ground, some space in-between here, that embraces healing is possible

It’s great to know that there are so many other autistic RBTs out there.

I am an autistic, my son who has Autism ABA has a safer body, He is allowed to stem.

Does ABA only for autism diagnose?

ABA Therapy caused psychological trauma to my child, the therapist was really strict with my 4 year old boy. I canceled the therapy. I got tired to switch so many times agencies.

compassion over compliance

The thing is, ABA therapy is very helpful for many . . . but not everyone needs or should have ABA therapy. Not every child who happens to be on "the spectrum" NEEDS to be in this type of therapy.

On a slightly different note, thank you for this video! I'm going to start training to become an RBT soon, and I've been struggling with whether I'm a hypocrite or not, going into a field where I actually strongly disagree with the main tenants of the school of psychology behind it, behaviorism. However, I believe that many of the therapeutic techniques can be helpful, even though I don't subscribe to the entirety of the philosophy of behaviorism.

ABA wasn’t any help for my two ASD kids as they had sensory issues that overrode any ABA tactics. Weirdly I didn’t need ABA at all when they were regulated. But I know kids who received tremendous benefit from it. So long story short for some kids and with the right therapist ABA works. Not sure why there is so controversy surrounding it.

My son is about to start but I asked the lady could I stay there when my son go because it’s so far. She said I can sit in the waiting room. Why parents can’t sit in the room where he’s getting his aba at? What they don’t want me to see? I thought she would let me sit back there

Please discuss ABA as administered by people with only a high school diploma who have simply passed a 40 hour certification. This guy is great, but has a Masters degree.

a big part of the problem is BAD ABA done by poorly trained aides. and failing to still be child focused. for example, I was working on joint attention with toy cars. a week into the program, the 2.5 year old suddenly became distressed. it wasn't non compliance he was legit upset. I tried it a couple more times on different days and got the same reaction. Bad ABA would insist on mastering the program. but that is counter productive to force a child to play with a toy he hates. Instead I used incidental learning to prompt appropriate communication to say 'no' when offered the toy with the Sd 'do you want this?' we chose a toy he liked for joint attention/reciprocal play....there is no NEED to know how to play cars...so it would be ridiculous to force it just to force behavior compliance

He didnt receive ABA treatment…interview ppl that had the treatment…it would be more helpful

I heard that they use electric shot therapy for autistic children in ABA. Is this true because I just enrolled my 2 years old. This is really scares me to death if this is true. Please let me know if this is correct? Thank you 🙏

I am an autistic rBT and going back to school to become a BCBA. I wasn’t sure how to feel about going into the field knowing that it is controversial in the autistic community. This really encouraged me. Thank you!

I have worked in ABA for 5 years now and am planning on becoming a BCBA. I didn't know the controversy until a couple years in. Thank you so much for your view on this. It makes me feel more confident in my decision

Wow, I really appreciate this perspective! I am graduating with my Bachelor's in Psychology this semester and am SO on the fence about a career in ABA. Thanks for this video!

What a wonderful video, this is the hope I needed thank u so much

As an educator working with children on the spectrum a video like this is so inspiring. I am so glad that I found this channel.

great job 🙂 ... :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

This channel has helped me tremendously! Thank you for what you do for this community.... my son has benefited from ABA tremendously!! He is more verbal, can handle his emotions, has learned so much skills. Thank you for what you ALL do !!

As a mom going through the diagnostic process with my daughter I am very confused and stressed about ABA. I find it really hard to find information that shows the whole picture

This video spoke volumes to me. Thank you for what you're doing. My wife and I have had MANY conversations about whether ABA was the best thing for our 5 year old son with Autism. The therapists comments were just what I needed to hear.