Why do so many autistic adults oppose the use of ABA?

Most autistic people who have experienced ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) do not support its use. August 31st is observed annually as the International Day of Protest Against ABA.

This can be confusing for parents in the United States, who are often told that ABA is the “gold standard” for autism therapy. This is not the case everywhere - in the U.K., for example, ABA is not covered by the national health service and not considered an important part of treatment for most autistic children.

ABA relies on operant conditioning - using rewards (and sometimes punishments) to change or teach specific behaviors. Almost any mammal can be trained to perform certain tasks using this approach, but many autistic adults say that it does not treat the underlying neurological symptoms of autism and does more harm than good.

Autistic Perspectives on ABA

Below you will find several articles discussing autistic people’s perspectives on ABA. Listening to their perspectives can help us understand our own children, consider our own experiences, and make us better advocates.