Emotional Response to ABA

Kathy is an autistic person who does wonderful videos on youtube. In a couple of them, she talks about her experience in working in an ABA school (recently). Watch Kathy's emotional response to seeing what she saw in this school. Kathy is a gentle soul I've come to know a little through youtube and her method of advocacy is very different than mine. Kathy tries to build consensus and understanding in her very unique and gentle way. I ask you to watch the entire video, especially the last 90 seconds. I post this to ask Interverbal a question, which I hope he will answer on this blog, rather than his own. What evidence do you want to see to indicate whether a study of PTSD is warranted in children that go through ABA? What evidence do you need?

Comments

[Rose Walker]

There HAS to be a better way. I don't know what else to say. You obviously love the children. Somebody has to speak up about this! There HAS to be a better way!

Good luck to you in your new work. You aren't alone.

[Interverbal]

Hi CS,

"What evidence do you want to see to indicate whether a study of PTSD is warranted in children that go through ABA? What evidence do you need?"

A court document or case study where this is alleged.

As to the video. I am outraged. I don't care what you believe, holding a student's arms behind
him or her to hurt them into standing isn't ethical. Hair pulling is even more outrageous.

Overt and covert aversives have no place in modern education whether it be behavior analytic or otherwise. Ditto for seclusionary time-out for self-stimulatory behaviors.

Kathy did the right thing by walking away, as tough as this obviously was. Thank you Kathy, for your courage.

[suzanne]

oop. This is the one i meant . Thanks for adding it to the discussion CS.

[jd]

thanks, CS and Kathy.

what is needed, really comes down to relating to a child from where they are coming from. - not comparing what they are doing to other people, but relating to how they are feeling and how what they do makes them feel.

People can chose to use *force* or *guidance* & support. Every, every, every child learns and matures even if it is difficult to see to some. - What lessons do we wish to teach? Behaviors that hurt no one should always be accepted as long as they are too difficult to self-moderate. Gentle suggestion, from a person who the child can see is good to them is much easier to receive than being reprimanded (when even the child can see they meant no harm), punished, and often restrained - and all other forms of control that rob a child - and any Person - of their own sense of liberty and instills in its place - fear. Extra consideration (not less) is needed for the population's most sensitive individuals.

Every autistic child is LOVEABLE just as they are. (just as any other.)

[Jill]

Kathy, I'm so sorry you went through what you did. You are obviously a very kind-hearted person. Many so-called normal people think people with autism don't have feelings and don't acre about others. You proved them wrong.
ABA is harmful. Its practitioners take advantage of terrified, exhausted parents so desperately want their autistic children to become self-sufficient adults. I disagree that forcing a child to sit at a desk and telling him "good sitting!" when he does so is any form of teaching. It resembles animal training and I would never subject a child to it. Forcing a child to make eye contact and forcibly holding down an over-stimulated child is wrong. As Kathy says, it's punishment.

[Maeve]

Kathy, you must be so frustrated with the system. i commend you for your courage in trying to stand up for the child. It must have been so difficult to walk away but not because you didn't want to take it further but because your own disability prevented you from confronting people. Like you, I have seen many cases of child abuse and, just to vent, I want to list some. I witnessed a nominee for teacher of the year "encourage" a student to get up off the floor by pulling his neck hair straight up. I saw a team of therapists use, as part of their equipment, a water spray bottle on this same student to "encourage" him to get up. I saw a therapist use a student's own fist to hit himself in the mouth when he became self injurious. I saw students bruised and carpet burned from being held down/restrained. I witnessed verbal abuse, threats and off the wall methods of applied behavior analysis and I reported it to the the school and when it wasn't handled I told the parents. I have been called in and reprimanded about "confidentiality" so many times It's a miracle I still have a job. Many of these educators are ignorant and cruel but the school districts are aware of this neglect and abuse but ignore it rather than fully train and monitor their staff so I blame the districts.