#but i'm good at it cause *motions to self* neurodiverse child

[system-of-a-feather]

Too tired to elaborate but hot take, as someone in the DID community, ABA - especially in the past (though even present ones that actually identify as "ABA" as their main treatment / focus / "product") - is a 100% valid trauma to have and a 100% valid cause for DID trauma imo. That shit even at its best is highkey emotionally manipulative and highkey organized. I also 100% believe that especially in the worse horror story facilities that it would 100% count as organized abuse.

Prior to starting this new job I had a few more "eh I heavily disagree with it but I can see a niche value to it" and honestly, having done a little under a year of part-time work as a "good ABA facility" and shit and now just working generally with "special ed" kids where ABA is more so a grading tool than an inherent 'behavioral modification' method and where a much more natural person-person approach is done to help these kiddos I am very much on the team of "ABA is 100% outdated and needs to GO and be replaced with something that actually cares about the kids and their wellbeing long term and not their outward wellbeing in a capitalist society and there are 1000 better approaches that can be done, just because your kid doesn't communicate clearly / at all doesn't mean they are a dog nor should they be trained like a dog"

The ONLY case, ONLY case that can be made is that "ABA is cheap and quick to train people in and thus make it easier to get en masse 'early intervention' out to as many people at a low price" but that is 1) quantity over quality which is a HORRIBLE mindset for healthcare and 2) not a long term solution its just a band-aid to a broken capitalistic society that literally only cares if you outwardly look like you cope / work like a "normal person"

Anyways, the teacher running the SDC classroom that I'm in is honestly so fucking amazing with these kids and 100% made me go "okay THIS guy unintentionally radicalized my stance on ABA even more" cause we have some "problem children" and the much more normal human approaches actually fucking work just as well even for the more struggling and problematic kiddos and I'm like bruh

ANYWAYS, I said I wouldnt go on too long cause I'm tired but like

To all the people who went through ABA growing up and feel as if it was traumatic, you are 50000% valid and you deserved a lot better. People shouldn't have tried to "fix" you as a kid, they should have met you where you were and if that was "too hard" because you were "too difficult" of a child, they should have sought help to learn to parent and communicate with you better - not the other way around.

Children - no matter how difficult or "clinically difficult" or whatever - are not the problem. There is literally no such thing and the idea that this talk is valid for autistic / adhd / "emotionally disturbed" children / "developmentally delayed" children is fucking disgusting honestly.

ANYWAYS X3

I just had a lot of thoughts walking out of honestly a good day with a bunch of sweet kiddos who are honestly doing their best.

Working in an "ABA" informed classroom for kids with disabilities has me realizing even more how inherently abusive ABA is, cause here, beyond casual and loose data collection while doing work and just general learning themes rather than Actual ABA (government requires the training to be counted iirc) - its just so fucking unnecessarily dehumanizing