Why autism therapies have an evidence problem

[VictorR]

Why autism therapies have an evidence problem | Spectrum | Autism Research News

 

[Darkkin]

You hear a lot of horror stories of fellow autistics ending up with PTSD from therapies like ABA, (which was developed by the same guy who invented conversion therapy.)

I've had an ADHD diagnosis since preschool, but met all the criteria for autism. Mom and my long time psychiatrist made the decision to use just the ADHD label because there was less stigma attached and at the time of my diagnosis you could not be autistic and ADHD at the same time.

Never mind that there is a 40 - 60% comorbidity rate of ADHD among autistics...

That fact aside, the inaccurate label I had shielded me from therapies like ABA, which I can tell you hands down would have been a disaster.

Even as a very young child my stubbornness was a byword in my family. I didn't want to do something; I would point blank refuse.

Put hands on me, I would wriggle free or fight to do so. My family learned early on, I responded to logic and reason. Ask, don't force or treat me like I was stupid and I generally comply. Be clear about the rules, my order loving little soul would adhere.

Insult my intelligence or baby talk to me, not happening. Try to force an outcome, I would do the exact opposite out of sheer frustration.

 

[Aspychata]

You hear a lot of horror stories of fellow autistics ending up with PTSD from therapies like ABA, (which was developed by the same guy who invented conversion therapy.)

I've had an ADHD diagnosis since preschool, but met all the criteria for autism. Mom and my long time psychiatrist made the decision to use just the ADHD label because there was less stigma attached and at the time of my diagnosis you could not be autistic and ADHD at the same time.

Never mind that there is a 40 - 60% comorbidity rate of ADHD among autistics...

That fact aside, the inaccurate label I had shielded me from therapies like ABA, which I can tell you hands down would have been a disaster.

Even as a very young child my stubbornness was a byword in my family. I didn't want to do something; I would point blank refuse.

Put hands on me, I would wriggle free or fight to do so. My family learned early on, I responded to logic and reason. Ask, don't force or treat me like I was stupid and I generally comply. Be clear about the rules, my order loving little soul would adhere.

Insult my intelligence or baby talk to me, not happening. Try to force an outcome, I would do the exact opposite out of sheer frustration.

Definitely get this. Have this streak so did my daughter. So l made sure we just didn't fight about things. Always treated her as a mini adult. Think this helped in the end. Respect, explain choices, children respond to fairness.

 

[Nervous Rex]

The connection between ABA and gay conversion therapy was an eye-opener for me. I had to look it up and found this: NSAdvocate.org - Treating Autism As A Problem: The Connection Between Gay Conversion Therapy And ABA.

I found this quote by Ivar Lovaas' to be deeply offensive: “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.”

Lovaas implies that because we don't behave like other people, we're not people??? This tells me that he had an idée fixe for normalcy, and no further qualifications. He had a profound lack of understanding of people in general, focusing only on the outward behaviors. He was blind to the inner person - emotions, thoughts, motivations, understanding, and worldviews.

This is the first time I've heard of this man and I instantly hate him. Taking a breath to calm down....



The article's description of harsh punishments in ABA therapy struck a nerve with me.

During my time with the counselor who diagnosed me with autism, he commented that he would like to figure out why I'm so guarded and untrusting in everything I do. I didn't entirely understand why at the time, but I have come to realize that it's because when I didn't mask and was just myself in society, I was shouted down, picked on, ostracized, and ridiculed. Emotional outbursts and meltdowns never led to help or understanding, just more scorn. So, I learned to hide everything and present as normal as I could.

I have struggled to find a way to express this - that even though the question "why are you so guarded" was asked 5 years ago, I still want to go back and give the answer. I think I can now: I wasn't placed in therapy, but throughout all of my social development, I lived ABA therapy.