Autism & ABA

Before you get too excited, ABA is not a 70's pop band.  Sad face.

I wish I could segue Abba into a post about autism (they were my first band crush.  I distinctly remember being a 4 year old groupie and horrifying my parents)..... but sadly I'm an autism mum, not a magician.  Until they create links by writing songs about naked trampolining, or licking the walls, we'll have to content ourselves with ABA.  More sad faces.

ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis, to give it it's full name) has been used for decades to help moderate some of the extreme behaviour displayed by autistic people. It works by focussing on a particular behaviour (e.g. brushing your teeth, or toilet training) and breaking it down into small, manageable pieces. It also helps with reducing or eliminating harmful behaviours like self-harm or pica.  It's what we teach our kids anyway, but with science. 

But.

ABA is singular in it's ability to evoke zealous devotion in some, while causing others to self-combust with rage.  It's love/hate polarisations could definitely fill a couple of episodes of Celebrity Death Match.  It's a pity that all the shouting has drowned out it's real, tangible value in the quality of life of autism kids and their families.

ABA has a murky history, which is why some people will have you publicly tarred and feathered for uttering it's name.   Tbf, it was originally punishment based, and the ethics behind it's use were sometimes ...... well, unethical.  

Way back when, kids were forced to comply with certain behaviours using punishments.   In addition, practitioners sometimes focussed on behaviours they wanted to change (such as stimming, or things they perceived as embarrassing) as opposed to what was good for the child (this sounds a lot like regular parenting in the 70s, but who am I to say?).  Any therapy is only as useful, or ethical, as the therapist.  

In more recent times, behaviour changes are reward based.  The focus is on encouraging behaviours that will benefit the kid rather than sparing the blushes of 'normal' people.  

ABA helped Finian to manage self-harm, aggression, pica, bolting, tolerating a haircut and nail trimming, toilet training and sitting long enough to actually learn at school.  We would be a lot worse off without it.  Like most therapies, it's best used in conjunction with others, and not as an isolated monolith.

It'd be great to see ABA more fairly perceived.  

It'd be especially great to see Abba write a floor filler called Repetitive Behaviour, or Sensory Processing Disorder.  I'd definitely dance to that. 

not an autism therapy