CW: Post discusses ABA and possibly Trauma, internalized ableism

Hello there! I’m currently researching the issue of ABA. I’m reading a lot about the criticisms, but most of the resources I found so far are (likely) made by level 1 autistics. As level 2 and level 3 autistics are not as well represented within autism self-advocacy, I would like to understand their position better on the topic. A usual defense for ABA is that it can help high-support-needs autistics to learn important skills, but I would like to read about that from an autistic perspective.

So if there are resources on the subject you can recommend, I’ll be grateful! thank you

edit: I’m updating because users in this thread changed my view on this issue. I’ve been caught up in functioning label, which at the end of the day “levels” of autism still are. Here is what changed my mind:

Those needs you are looking for in an autistic person are completely and utterly irrelevant to you as a reader of their experience, and as far as you’re concerned any or all of the people who have already written about their experience of ABA fit in to your narrow and ignorant category, they just didn’t mention it because again - it isn’t fucking relevant.

There is no reason for me to specifically look for “level 2 or 3” autistics since their experiences are valid, regardless of them disclosing their support needs. It is ableist to expect them to disclose to me how “disabled” they are in order for me to validate their experience. Thanks @DessertStorms@kbin.social and @Ransom@lemmy.ca for helping me understand this. So in a way I found the answers I was looking for, and now I have some thinking to do

  • SavvyWolf@pawb.social
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    9 months ago

    Just a heads up on what you are looking for as well.

    You seem to be looking for opinions made by people that are very vulnerable and sheltered about an act which many consider abusive.

    If you do find a positive experience, how do you know whether it’s genuinely positive, or whether the person was just abused into thinking it was positive? With enough torture you can make people think anything you want them to.

    • nichtsowichtig@feddit.deOP
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      9 months ago

      good point. I have already shifted my position on this. Patients won’t be able to get their needs met unless they comply, so acting like you like it, or even convincing yourself that you enjoy it is pretty much the only way to get through this process.