Discussing ABA

Our Neurodivergent Life

This episode discusses ABA, both old and new. We make links with similar approaches seen around us in everyday society, and explore whether ‘Modern ABA’ deserves to be associated with ABA in its original form. ABA was developed to ‘normalise’ autistic people. This was not done to help the autistic person and was instead designed to suppress or eradicate ‘undesirable’ behaviours. For clarity, we are opposed to ABA, or anything that forces autistic people to be anything but themselves. However, we also acknowledge that every autistic person has their own unique experience, and requires a different level of support. We discuss whether services that support individuals to fill ‘skill gaps’ might be useful, and whether these still come under the umbrella of ABA. There are many providers who want to help autistic people thrive, without forcing them to deny their natural urges, and essentially who they are. What is not clear, is what methods are used. This is merely an introduction to the topic, and much more research and investigation will need to be conducted. We will revisit this in future podcasts, and welcome any comments, experiences and insights related to ABA that can be used to educate...us and our listeners.