Autism + Early Days - Christine + Aarti
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Sharing some more thoughts on Autism in the early days and interventions that worked or didn’t work and the language we use to try to help people. It’s so hard when you’re a new parent because the path is undefined. Also talking about creating new interventions and supports for the way autism affects people differently and what we’re understanding about people who have struggled throughout their lives without a diagnosis.
The criticism I have with ABA is not being well standardized between ABA providers. ABA was a miracle for my 6 year old daughter. She started so nonverbal that she could not point. She is now fully verbal and is learning at grade level with her IEP. She socializes. ABA helped break down the wall. Watching Love on the Spectrum was so important to me during this time. My 4 year old daughter is also autistic. Her symptoms were less severe so she is only doing half days. I have felt a huge part of her wall lift as she is starting to spontaneously tell me things and make observations.
Aww Sabbod was one of my favorites, so much personality! What a sweetheart! Love his sister loving him so much!
Excellent interview. Very informative indeed.
If Abbey would like to share, I would love to hear from Abbey what her experience was like doing ABA. What did she like? What didn’t she like? What was helpful? What was not helpful?
I think the perspectives of people that it helped and did not help are both important to hear about. Input from both sides of the controversy are important to understand how to move forward.
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…as preschoolers, my neighbor friend and I didn’t want our playdate to end, so we hid in the closet to the point of our parents calling the police… we just wanted to keep playing chess…
Closets are a great asset for avoidance 😅
The human brain is fascinating and intriguing. Creating names for “different types of autism” with targeted or recommended therapies may exclude those who don’t fit into these categories but still need services. This is especially problematic with insurance, as they might deny services based on these categories. It could also contribute to increased discrimination and bullying.
It’s important to know about available therapies that could benefit our children, but without attaching them to specific subcategories. Targeting their needs is a better approach. What are the therapies and approaches that could help with expressive language? They need to be inclusive and benefit patients trying to improve in this area no matter the diagnosis.
I agree that every parent should do their own research when choosing the best services for their kids. My daughter was diagnosed on the spectrum at age 3 and attended ABA for two years. When I first heard about ABA and did some research, it was terrified because of the sad and valid stories I heard. However, every parent around me who used the services only had good things to say-I was conflicted.
At the end I followed my instincts, and we had the most amazing experience and wouldn’t change a thing about it. She loved every day there; they used play, stories, and fun to make it engaging, and they respected her time. The therapists were the most human, caring, and loving people I have ever met, and I’m forever grateful for the amazing experience. I acknowledge that there are many families out there who can’t say the same, and that’s terrible.
I appreciate the video and sharing your journey. It’s always great to hear others perspectives.
Thank you beautiful ladies so much. My youngest is being evaluated for 12m. As she is 4 and can mask. So they are watching her. She's in OT and gonna start speech as she is selectively mute.
I think the vast differences in experiences with ABA partly has to do with the different ways behavior technicians abd behsvior analysts interepret and prescribe the ABA therapy practices. Being so "new", there just are still plenty of people out there with misguided understandings, not enough experience, and inappropriate/not enough oversight & supervision of services. I love hearing and seeing the processes & outcomes of ABA done right... But I feel as though if we aren't educated on the history we could be doomed to repeat it. I aim to learn equally from the traumatic/negative ABA experiences - as much as we wish they NEVER occured 😢, we owe it to the victims.
In the same way these lovely people have challenged assumptions, parents have to challenge conventions when it comes to therapies to find out what works best.
ABA is not (and SHOULD NOT BE) the only therapy out there. Unfortunately ABA is used as the standard in public schools and for some inhumane reason has not changed in decades. There are plenty of reports that have finally come out on autistic adults and their traumatizing experiences with ABA. There is something to be said for something that was partly developed by an individual who believed in electro shock therapy along with gay conversion therapy. Again, your experience may be positive but there's plenty of evidence out there that ABA has done more harm than good. ABA does not take into account nervous systems and polyvagal theory which we are seeing as one of the key factors in how autistic individuals react to the neurotypical world. Autistic voices are not heard and not considered for the most part in the ABA field. It's a conversation that needs to be brought up more in the mainstream (and not from the usual neurotypical individuals who speak for them).
Take your soapbox elsewhere. They clearly said do what works for you and shared their own personal experiences of what worked for their family, so clearly it is effective for some.
@@elisabethmcallister3989 I totally understand it works for some and the issue arises when therapists (particularly in public schools) think the ABA approach is the ONLY way. All I was trying to point out was that there should be choices for parents with what works with different children (and not push back if a parent even suggests an approach that doesn't follow the ABA model). Just like they pointed out they tried all types of approaches and found one that works with their child. I obviously hit a nerve with you but it wasn't the intention and I'm not sure where your anger lies as aren't we all trying to help people and find what works for them? Just like ABA may work for some, it may not work for others (that's all I was saying).
@@elisabethmcallister3989 also, there are many parents who I have come across who aren't even aware that there are other therapies that are a better fit for their child (after trying ABA and seeing massive regression).
I appreciate your content and I am glad that aba helped Abby and other people with autism to get out of their isolation which the more progressive therapy couldn't. Cause it was the wrong approach for her, so she could go around it. On the other hand I think it's important to see the critic aba gets from lots of autistics themselves. Cause for autistics to get pushed to hard out of their isolation can be harmful. So to just say than it's not for you diminishes all valid critic on the ABA concept.