Editing Applied Behavior Analysis

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'''Applied Behavior Analysis''', or '''ABA''' (not to be confused with the American Board Association) is called the "gold standard" for ASD by ABA, despite all the studies to the contrary.

== History of ABA ==

History of ABA (e.g. Ole Ivar Løvaas), its development alongside Gay and Trans Conversion Therapy.

== Problems with ABA ==

Most studies on the effectiveness of ABA is done by ABA practitioner

The autism community (mostly parents of autistic children) tend to push this "therapy" while the Autistic Community (autistics themselves) tend to vehemently oppose it.

Advocates for ABA tend to say, "That's the '''old''' ABA! The new ABA is kind and gentle!" There is a multitude of problems here, not the least of which is the ones saying this are often ABA providers/workers (aka, conflict of interest).  Also, this is similar to the Moving Goalpost fallacy, where those in the "new ABA" are too young to speak up (even online), and by the time they can speak up, what they went through will be considered "old ABA".

While the "new ABA" may or may not utilize punishments, they often ''withhold'' food, toys, communication devices, etc. until the child complies. It also relies on rewards, or "positive reinforcemnt"<ref>[https://www.abacenters.com/aba-therapy-positive-reinforcement/ Positive reinforcement. CW: ABA site]</ref>, which has been shown to decrease intrinsic motivation (meaning they are less likely to do the thing when there will be no reward) <ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27084549/ Rewards decrease intrinsic motivation, pubmed]</ref>

ABA often includes "teaching" autistic kids to do stuff that is not natural to them, which leads to [[Masking|masking]], or camouflaging. This can include making [[eye contact]], selecting appropriate topics, expressing emotions, and more. <ref>[https://www.abacenters.com/social-skills-for-children-with-autism/ "Necessary" social skills according to this ABA site]</ref> Masking has been linked to increased risk of anxiety, PTSD, and suicidality. <ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31820344/ Increased suicidality, pubmed]</ref><ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33593423/ Increased anxiety]</ref><ref>[https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AIA-08-2017-0016/full/html 46% of ABA-exposed respondents had PTSD, and 47% of that group was severe]</ref>

There are also ethical concerns: 
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Assuming for the sake of argument that ABA is effective at changing people’s behavior, it either does so via changing their underlying thought structures or values (“deep change”), or it does not (“superficial change”). If ABA is “successful” by way of deep change, then ABA violates autonomy insofar as it coercively closes off certain paths of identity formation. If ABA is “successful” by way of superficial change, then ABA violates autonomy by coercively modifying children’s patterns of behavior to be misaligned with their preferences, passions, and pursuits.<ref>[https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1353/ken.2020.0000 Ethical concerns regarding ABA]</ref>
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== Judge Rotenberg Center ==
The Judge Rotenberg Center is a school in Canton, Massachusetts for ASD children and adults using ABA principles, including electric shock.

In March 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the Graduated Electronic Decelerator (GED) that administers the shocks.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fda-bans-shock-device-used-mentally-disabled-patients-n1149646 FDA bans GED]</ref> The JRC petitioned the court to appeal the ban and, in July 2021, a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., overturned it.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/appeals-court-axes-fda-ban-electric-shock-disabled-n1273572 Court overturns ban]</ref>

In November 2022, the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), which is the governing body of ABA practitioners, condemned the use of electric shock.<ref>[https://autisticadvocacy.org/2022/11/abai-finally-opposes-the-use-of-electric-shocks-at-the-jrc/ ABAI condemns electric shock]</ref>

== Alternatives to ABA == The Low Arousal Approach (McDonnell. A, 1994).

== An Autist's definition ==

An Autist's definition: 

The ableist bigoted abuse of a child in which they are crippled for life by being ritualistically exposed to hostile conditions devised to manifest an artificial Autistic mask burdening the Disabled with accommodating the whims of the Abled.

== Similarities to gay conversion therapy ==

The abhorrent practice of ABA shares a common origin with Gay Conversion Therapy: Dr. Ole Ivar Loovas

Dr. Ole Ivar Loovas famously rejected the basic humanity of Autistic people, as he openly and unabashedly demonstrated in the following quote:

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"You see, you start pretty much from scratch when you work with an autistic child. You have a person in the physical sense – they have hair, a nose and a mouth – but they are not people in the psychological sense. One way to look at the job of helping autistic kids is to see it as a matter of constructing a person. You have the raw materials, but you have to build the person."
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== References ==

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