Applied Behavior Analysis and Occupational Therapy

Why are these two therapy disciplines in a turf war? There has been a huge debate over the years especially with the explosion of corporate Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) clinics popping up. They are franchises just like in the therapy world. Think of the rehab companies that contract in skilled nursing facilities. This is no different.

My early experiences with ABA were horrible. I was was working in home health pediatrics in 2005 and would get put on autism teams where the family’s would choose ABA as their preferred treatment method. I refused and would not do click and pay. One example I will never forget is a therapist was putting a Cherio on her nose and would state “look at me” and if the child did it, they would get the Cherio.

Um no. I refused to do any of this regardless of what team I was on. I hope the forced eye contact is something of the past. Then more recently, I have seen ABA go totally wrong to the point of me calling in an abuse report. What in the world are these people doing? Children are children and should be treated as children like they are your own. (Some teachers/therapists need to read that again.)

No wonder autistic adults have a problem with ABA. Trying to stay in a place of curiosity, I reached out to local ABA professionals and even joined the local ABA association. They introduced me to Dr. Bailey and his ethics guidelines. Most of what I was seeing, was not ethical. I was also introduced to The Global Autism Project. This is another ethical program on a global scale. I am currently in their leadership program as well as SkillCorp. All for a later post and in the mean time, listen to my podcast interviews on Autism Knows No Borders.

There is so much controversy with ABA. Much of which I have written about above. Many autistic adults have stated it should be banned. They believe it is abuse, causes trauma, and encourages masking. Neuroclastic is an online community having these difficult discussions. Here is a podcast episodes from the curators.

SCERTS: Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support, Part 1 with Dr. Barry Prizant – Autism Knows No Borders

Discover what’s possible when you learn to regulate – and you regulate to learn. How do you regulate your emotions? Whether you’re autistic or not, if you’re curious about practical strategies for emotional regulation, you’ll want to listen to this episode with Dr. Barry Prizant. Dr. Barry Prizant is a Speech-Language Pathologist, clinical scholar, consultant, and researcher. He co-developed the SCERTS Model, SCERTS standing for Social Communication-Emotional Regulation-and Transactional Support. This framework is designed to support individuals of all ages who experience or are at-risk for social-communicative and emotional regulatory difficulties. Dr. Prizant’s book, Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism, has been the best selling book on autism since 2015. Barry also co-hosts Uniquely Human: The Podcast.  This episode is part one of our conversation, and we discuss: Historical misconceptions about autism The impact of social media on the neurodiversity movement Gestalt language processing and echolalia, which is the involuntary repetition of words and sounds spoken by another person Why emotional regulation is central to development How the SCERTS Model is different from more traditional intervention approaches Practical emotional regulation techniques that you can apply today  To learn more about Dr. Barry Prizant and his work, please visit: Dr. Barry Prizant —-more—- We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too. Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast Join our Facebook group: Autism Knows No Borders  Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey.

1. SCERTS: Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support, Part 1 with Dr. Barry Prizant 25:47
2. Community Benefits of Homeschooling, with Hattie-Angelys Fox | Autism Tips & Tools 06:19
3. Building a Healthy Relationship With Your Autistic Child, Part 2 with Lafaya Mitchell 37:20
4. Autistic Strengths in Music, with Rawan Tuffaha and Spenser Murray | Autism Tips & Tools 04:54
5. Building a Healthy Relationship With Your Autistic Child, Part 1 with Lafaya Mitchell 36:24

This is why I have decided to come together with the local ABA association to put on a CEU event. 2 CEUs and a beer is back. We will be discussing what occupational therapy is, what ABA should look like, and using case studies to come together for the best outcomes for the children in our community in an ethical and humane way. Let me buy you a beer (or cider or non alcoholic beverage).

If you are interested, please click the image above or here to register: https://www.schedulicity.com/scheduling/STSX9BY

Please leave your thoughts and comments. I know this is a sensitive topic.