#cw aba therapy

[mamabearwonders]

so hard to find a job working with kids on the autism spectrum that does not use ABA torture i mean "therapy".

[the-unlucky-trevor]

So I have this headcanon post for Kaleena. Be warned, it's REALLY long, and woobifies Esme a little more. My interpretation of the Page parents is that Kaleena's motives were her children while Gorman's (yes that's actually his name) motives were money and potentially his kids as well.

//CW: GROOMING, MURDER, PRISON VIOLENCE, ABA, CHILD ABUSE, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, SELF-TERMINATION, SWEARING//

Ever since Kaleena became pregnant with Reggie and Esme, she made it her mission to protect them with all she got. It was to the point where she hit her would-be carjacker with her car while she was 8 months pregnant.

However, when it became apparent that her two children were squibs, she became stricter on them, especially considering she barely got enough sleep because she'd just given birth to Daniel.

Despite this, she still had the mission to protect her children with everything she could do. When she found out that Daniel was being abused in his ABA clinic, Kali wanted to KILL one of his so-called “therapists” for hurting her favourite child. She ended up holding back and was one of the many parents that bankrupted the clinic. It was to the point where Esme and Reg got Daniel a Super NES for Christmas.

Enough rambling, now to the part where Esme started to distrust her own mother.

When Esme was about 14-15, she was being groomed by an older man, so she told her mother about it, as she'd also experienced sexual harassment from a classmate when she was 13.

Kali took this very seriously.

So seriously, that she took a gun, found the address of the man grooming her daughter, and shot him, making it look like self-termination.

The next day, she told Esme “You don't need to worry about him again.”

Esme felt relieved, thinking that her abuser got arrested, until her mother continued her sentence,

“I shot him.”

This horrified Esme.

So much so that she wouldn’t even come near her mother because of this. As in, she would rather read Twilight than be in the same room as her mother.

Eventually, when Esme was 16, her father and brother were arrested and her mother ended up locked up as well for trying to get them out, and by God, poor Dani boy being absolutely miserable was an understatement.

However, despite this, Kaleena still had a desire to protect her children, to the point where she straight-up KILLED Gridley once he got into Azkaban for using her daughter as extortion (sorry gridley stans, but if you fuck with the cubs, you fuck with the bear)

Sometimes, Kali could feel herself going insane from isolation when thinking about her being separated from her kids, especially Daniel. Aaand that's it. Don't say I didn’t warn ya

[moth-mayh3m]

that moment when i barely have anymore triggers relating to my trauma because i am So So Angry and Autistic so i actually end LOVING talking about the trauma

[pinbfdikinniereal]

why did I just hear like something about aba therapy echo in my brain what

[rachelwritesstories]

Your characterization of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) does sound sad! In the hope of brightening your day, I asked my Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA) wife about the items in your parenthetical, whether they’d correct these so-called “bad behaviors” in their work.

(I found your post this morning while I was scrolling in bed, recovering from poor sleep due to a 3 a.m. meltdown. Z was buttoning up their favorite goth-vacation-uncle shirt, getting ready for a day of in-home supervisions.)

Z responded that they wouldn’t correct most of your listed traits:

Eye contact: Z has never and will never force a client to make eye contact. It wouldn’t be ethical to do so.

Stimming: Z would never attempt to correct a client’s benign stimming, and they’ve educated many parents who have requested they do so. Stimming is addressed only when it is dangerous or so disruptive it completely prohibits the client from learning.

Overstimulation/meltdowns: Overstimulation isn’t a behavior, and ABA can only address behaviors. Regarding meltdowns, a related behavior, Z wouldn’t force a client to stop a meltdown, and they pointed out that attempting to do so would only lead to a more severe meltdown at a later point.

Socialization: While many treatment plans include social skills, Z never forces clients to socialize in a session, though Z acknowledges that clients do have to interact with the therapist during treatment. During break periods, clients can play by themselves, though many still seek out playing with the therapist.

Your post shows great empathy for autistic children, and I hope learning about ABA ethics provides comfort. When clients’ parents ask “when will my child be normal?,” Z addresses their assumption with patience and mindfulness to their biases. ABA therapy isn’t about fitting into a box of normalcy. The goal is to develop skills that improve the clients’ quality of life—including the communication skills to give informed consent.

As Z left this morning, knowing they’d be leaving me home alone for 11 hours—me, on four hours sleep, racked with suicidal ideation, and with a goal to apply to jobs, one of my most triggering activities after being fired for spurious reasons related to my autistic traits—my wife looked at me so dearly. “Be gentle with yourself today.”

When you have fears and agonize over social forces that demand normalcy, I hope Z’s words bring you comfort too. Instead of an ABA strawman, picture my queer, disabled, and pink-haired wife and caretaker modeling language skills by providing enthusiastic commentary as a child stacks blocks. Picture Z’s delight when we started weightlifting and they could better meet stimulation-seeking clients’ demands for more swing pushing, tickling, and tossing on the couch. Picture Z empowering non- and low-verbal clients to request their preferred reinforcement, whether that’s iPad time, outside time, or sitting on the couch time.

There are people who want you to live a happy, fulfilling life—and who understand that your innate traits are part of that, not a hindrance to it.

I was never put into aba therapy but the whole idea of putting a disabled/autistic child into therapy to correct their "bad behavior" which is actually behavior that are common autistic traits (no eye contact, stimming, overstimulation, socialization, etc) to fit into a box of normalcy is absolutely horrific. also given the fact that a majority of parents are often pressured into putting their children into the program, their children never truly being unable to consent to this as well is so sad.

[whumpbump]

Immersion Therapy

Cw: noncon (nonsexual) touching, noncon drugging, mentions of PTSD, control by a big organization, forced immersion therapy, forced ABA, forced conversion therapy

Whumpee was diagnosed with PTSD and under the Caretaking Organization’s decision, Whumpee was to go through immersion therapy with their assigned Caretaker.

Whumpee’s immersion therapy was to sit on Caretaker’s lap for an hour, three times a week while being hugged to overcome their aversion to being touched and held.

Caretaker was given their orders and uncomfortable with the decision made, tried to gently explain to Whumpee what would be happening from the doorway of Whumpee’s room. Caretaker received an “Absolutely NOT” from the lump of blankets on the bed and with that, closed the door and reported back.

An injectable sedative was delivered to Caretaker’s doorstep within three hours.

Caretaker took a deep breath and called to Whumpee from the doorway.

“Whumpee? It’s time for immersion therapy. The sooner we do it, the sooner it’s over.”

The lump of blankets was silent. This was generally Whumpee’s way of saying no without having to verbalize. Typical avoidance behaviors like pretending they can’t hear or looking away so they can’t acknowledge by looking in Caretaker’s eyes that they’ve been told something.

Caretaker swallowed uncomfortably, knowing what was likely coming next.

“Whumpee, I’m giving you the chance to try it out before we move on to next steps.”

The lump was silent and seemed to become quieter if that was even possible.

Caretaker walked over to the blankets, pulled them back and quickly sunk the needle into exposed flesh. Whumpee looked up in surprise and horror as Caretaker pulled the needle away and clicked the safety cap on.

In an instant, Whumpee bolted for the door. Caretaker followed, concerned they would fall down the steps. Fortunately Caretaker was able to pass Whumpee on the stairs as they slowed significantly, cursing up a storm in slurred speech. When they did end up sliding towards the floor, Caretaker was there to catch them and scoop them up. Like a small child restrained by a parent during a tantrum, Whumpee huffed and cried as they tried to wiggle away from the offending arms.

Caretaker calmly sat them both on the couch and curled Whumpee into their body as their hour together started. Whumpee cried and cried. Caretaker cried too, knowing this was not therapeutic in any sense of the word and would only cause Whumpee to lose trust in them but they had their orders and would lose their job if they refused.

As they sat, Caretaker apologized profusely through their tears and explained they had to do this lest they lose their job and Whumpee end up with someone not as caring, only in it for the money. Whumpee understood this but was so overwhelmed by the touch and shock of being drugged that all they could do was make big ugly sobs into Caretaker’s shirt.

Caretaker wiped Whumpee’s tears and nose with a tissue and shushed them while rubbing small circles on their back, patting them, and rocking them intermittently. They felt Whumpee’s heart rate slow and Whumpee allowed the drugs to lull them to sleep. As they slept, Caretaker thought deeply about the events that had unfolded, leading them to this moment. Was it worth it to stay in the Organization if this was how they treated their patients?

[b00knerd1o1]

The person who started Conversion 'therapy' was a student of the man who created ABA 'therapy' and borrowed many ideas from it.

[darlinguistics]

calling autistic people willing to share and/or psych or slp studyblrs ! cw: aba therapy

im in a communication disorders class and we have a week on asd. theres a section where she teaches about aba therapy and its presented fully as just an effective 'treatment' method, she goes into detail on the different techniques used in it and the goals of it but doesnt ever bring up like. any of the bad stuff or any alternative viewpoints. my school/program is already so weird when it comes to aba therapy and i really resent that my education here is so not from real neurodivergent perspectives and now that im finally facing it so head on in actual class material i feel so icky and like i need to do SOMETHING

so does anyone have recs on good resources to learn about other povs on aba therapy or about autism and communication disorders in general, since i feel like i need to teach myself atp cuz i really dont trust this curriculum now? or any recs on like if/how i should maybe ask the prof about it herself, is that a conversation worth having? for what its worth i am not autistic myself, just adhd and very into developmental psychology lol. i always cringe internally when aba therapy comes up but up till now ive never felt well versed enough in the topic to genuinely challenge anyone on it, but i want to change that now cuz im getting too far into my education to Not be opinionated on this i feel.

i genuinely really appreciate any feedback yall, thanks for reading <3

[mamabearwonders]

i always wanted to work more with autistic kids, but every single agency or school uses ABA therapy. the founder never saw autistic children as human beings. it's just legalized torture. legality doesn't equal morality.⭐

[the-unlucky-trevor]

I've been gaining interest in Owl House again and thought of a better version of HPMA

drumroll please…………

BOILING ISLES: MAGIC AWAKENED

An artsy teen names Lottie Inês Turner is upset that her mother is sending her to ABA therapy again and donating her old books that she still loves to a thrift shop. One day, while about to say goodbye to said books, she notices a little owl stealing one of her favourites, so she follows it into an abandoned shed near her house and into a strange door, and the other side is full of things she only saw in her books…

[opaline-entropy]

yeah OBVIOUSLY it's impossible for personality disorders (caused by trauma) to be comorbid with traumagenic plurality (also caused by trauma)

I think for every time a system gets fakeclaimed they should be allowed at least one (1) treat of their choosing.

[moth-mayh3m]

thinking about my angsty self-projection aba-related headcanons for gin's past. someone needs to take this character away from me RIGHT NOW./j

[salinelakedweller]

being late diagnosed autistic in a developing country

cw: ableism, ABA

searching for "autism jobs" and the first search result being an opening to be an ABA "therapist" from an org whose goal is to "open doors to mainstream schooling" with "recovery" in its name

trying to find jobs for disabled people, only finding very limited ones and only ones that accept specific physical disabilities

having to fight to not use the word "Aspergers" in your diagnositic papers despite being diagnosed a whole 8 years after it is no longer considered its own diagnosis [i failed. my paper says "Aspergers Disorder (Autism Spectrum Disorder, mild)"]

knowing i'm insanely privileged to have been diagnosed at all and worrying that i'm just being ungrateful

grieving a version of myself that was diagnosed earlier in life but knowing i'd near definitely have been put in abusive "therapies"

not being able to find any local community that isn't just for parents of autistic children

i feel so isolated.

[saunteredserpent]

also guess who got an ✨ autism diagnosis ✨ today and has mixed feelings about it ✌🏻

semi long post under the cut, cw for mental diagnoses talk and whatnot. basically me just word vomiting my feelings and thoughts regarding the diagnosis

I'm relieved because I finally know... what the fuck... has been going on with me all these years between either potentially autism or ADHD (spoiler alert now of course: it's the former!) but I'm also like. really scared and uncertain going forward with this now lmao. I'm relieved because I finally, properly, have something to start with to go the rest of the way and I'm scared because this will be such a big step in my journey into the newest territory, and newest aspects, of my mental health.

I know I have support systems in my close friends and loved ones, but like. when it comes to everyone else. will I be treated differently from here on out. will I still need to mask in general public, etc.

I've been told by my own mother in the past, and I quote, "there's no way you could be autistic. you're too high-functioning!" like... woman. it's referred to as a spectrum for a reason. this is the same woman, btw, who didn't want me getting tested for ADHD in middle school because the potential stigma of having the ADHD label itself wasn't what she wanted for me back then. which, okay, fine — as a parent your intentions at the time were arguably, at best, decent. but because of her refusal to see past that, she didn't see I was beginning to struggle academically and socially for quite possibly the first time in my life.

this in turn led to me having to also go through my later teens and then my twenties still struggling with, you know... gestures vaguely at self, and having to do so without any diagnoses outside of depression and anxiety.

that said, my meds provider said she personally believes it's autism based on what she's seen from and knows about me, and what I've told her about how I behave around and communicate towards others in person on a regular to daily basis, and other things I struggle with on said daily basis, and she recommended for me to check out ABA therapy once my anxiety and depression have both been further stabilized from her upping my meds dosages.

if you've read up to this point, thank you :v I appreciate you

[galaxy-quartz-stars]

CW: ableist, bullying, False information, ABA.

Eileen lamb aka @/theautismcafe Is a mother with two children with Neurodiversity disabilities and she is well known as she works for Autism $peaks And when it comes to her free speech and her saying that we are bad guys, She is also pulling the Victim card on us because we are the ones that are treating her like trash but guess what she is the one that is putting the blame on herself because she doesn’t want to listen to us she cares about Her precious fans and tells them That she’s being bullied,

If you don’t know why here is two images of her crying about autistic people Harassing her and another one that she said that she’s “autistic” but she’s being called an ableist woman when she said that she’s “autistic” Which she using autism as excuse to being a ableist person In fact it could be many ways that people would use Autism as an excuse like using it as a crime, using it as a way to hurt and abused people for sexual abuse Or to manipulate people etc. in fact their are just too many bad people that use Victim blame to Cover their tracks, But many people Are going to the comment section and be like why are you saying that in fact Eileen is not a ableist person in fact she listens to everyone and she is a good mom Well yeah like I see this one right there that she said that otherwise that she would listens to us,

But what bothers me the most is that she wants to compare ABA to life skills, helping parents, and to have a better life for their Autistic children, It’s like everything that Non-disabled people want is trying to convince them that ABA is not abuse like you can’t change the history and Research you know it was made by a homophobic man Who he wanted people with sexuality and gender to be straight and Cis that is Called “gay conversion therapy” And it’s the same thing to ABA knows as “applied behavior analysis” for autism, But yet again this is like a slap in the face when she said stuff like “I disagree in fact ABA is not abuse like come on stop being a Bunch of Snowflake”

And another thing is that when she said that AAC is helpful but in reality she doesn’t like AAC So the company Autism $peaks wants to pass a bill for schools To not allow access for Nonverbal autistic kids for the use of AAC Or other helpful and Good alternatives, In fact This posted had been one year later and she came up with the use of pulling up Another victim blaming And another destructive lies of trying to cover their tracks but with this time By blaming a another Autistic advocates by the name of @notanautismmom

In fact this poor young woman has been Fighting for the right simply because she’s telling the truth of Autism $peaks trying to take away AAC for Nonverbal autistic kids and she has been facing in harassment by Eileen lamb,

In fact I am sick and tired of her bullcrap just because that she’s being called out and saying that she is upset by autistic people but she being an ableist woman she is not a good person whatsoever and people should not be defending Eileen lamb at all like in fact why can’t people just listen to us why can’t people just let us be who we want to be instead of treating us like We’re burdens This is why that she is just making excuses for us excuses and for all that she works for autism $peaks just proves how ableist she is, Also I don’t care if Eileen lamb is autistic In fact autistic or not she needs to not pull the victim Card Nor treat us like garbage it is not right it is disrespectful and she knows that what she’s doing is wrong and that including her working for Autism $peaks and for her Disgusting behavior In fact as an autistic person like myself you know I don’t support hate groups like this I support love and Accept I support the parents of autistic children who Actually love them for no matter what, No one deserves to be punished no one deserves to be treated like we’re Puzzle pieces or burdens, no one deserves to be treated like we are disease, we deserve to be treated like We’re human Like we are welcome to this world in fact we deserve better #Nothingwithuswithoutus

[sillylilfairy]

Free to Use Pride Flags!

Made these two ace, aro and neurodiversity inclusive pride flags inspired by the intersex inclusive progress pride flag and posted on my Deviantart awhile back. I also made it a point to explicitly include BIPOC in the neurodiversity symbol since they often get spoken over by white neurodivergent folks. Use these however you like. Credit is appreciated but not required :3 Cw: Ableism, transphobia, aspec erasure and ABA/conversion therapy mentions under the cut

I made it a point to include aros and aces because of the separatism, erasure and denial of ace and aro oppression in queer spaces. And I included neurodiversity due to the huge overlap between queerness and neurodivergence as well as our shared struggle with conversion therapy (ABA). Especially autistic people (though it gets used on ADHDers and other folks too). Being autistic is also often cited as a reason to deny trans people gender affirming care (which I've experienced personally), as in the case of Missouri's "emergency" ban on trans affirming care.

We're also 7 times more likely than neurotypicals to openly identify as trans because we place less value on social hierarchy and neurotypical social norms than we do on authenticity. Being neurodivergent can also have a direct influence on how we experience queerness which is why identities like autigender and neuroqueer exist.

Feel free to use these in whatever way you see fit. Or don't. There's no pressure. I just wanted them to exist and to share them with others who may have felt ostracized from what should have been safe spaces due to gatekeepers, exclusionists, ableists or racists