Essential Reading
The following exchange is from a fictional supervision between a BCBA called Janet and an RBT called Nelly.
Janet: Hey Nelly! How are you doing today? Is there anything specific on your mind that you’d like to discuss during our supervision session?
Nelly: Hi Janet! I’m doing well, thanks. Actually, I’ve been hearing some conflicting information about ABA and its perspective on “curing” autism. Could you help me understand this better?
Janet: Hey there, Nelly! I appreciate your question. It’s important to clarify that ABA does not aim to “cure” autism. Some pro-ABA organizations suggested that ABA could and should be used to cure autism in the past, but our focus is on supporting individuals in developing essential skills, reducing challenging behaviors, and enhancing their overall quality of life. In fact, it’s crucial to understand that this not involve trying to “cure” autism or reduce autistic behaviors like stimming, because stimming is a natural behavior for many autistic individuals, usually does not require any intervention.
Nelly: That’s interesting, Janet. So, most of the time, stimming is just a natural behavior that doesn’t need to be changed or reduced?
Janet: Absolutely, Nelly! In the past, some professionals used to try to eliminate stimming because they thought it was abnormal or they thought it might stigmatize an autistic child, but stimming is a natural and self-regulatory behavior that many autistic individuals engage in. It serves various purposes, such as self-soothing, expression of emotions, and sensory input. In many cases, these behaviors are an integral part of an individual’s neurodivergent identity and should be respected and accepted without seeking to change or reduce them. If it is self-injurious, we might try to replace it with other skills, and if a particular type of stimming is problematic in a certain situation, we might teach someone an additional skill that would not be problematic in the problem context, but there’s no need to try to eliminate stimming most of the time.
Nelly: Thanks for emphasizing that, Janet. I get that it’s important to recognize and honor the natural behaviors of individuals. I do have one more question though. If we’re focused on accepting and respecting autism, does that mean we don’t try to teach autistic individuals new skills? Does that question make sense.
Janet: It does, Nelly. Within ABA, our goal is to empower autistic individuals and support their learning and development. We absolutely recognize the importance of teaching new skills to enhance their independence, social interactions, communication, autonomy and overall functioning. The right to development, including learning new skills, is a fundamental human right.
Nelly: That makes sense, Janet. So, while we accept and embrace autism, we still strive to teach new skills that can benefit autistic individuals.
Janet: Absolutely, Nelly! The key is to strike a balance between accepting and embracing autism as a neurodivergent identity while still providing the necessary supports and teaching skills that contribute to an individual’s overall well-being, autonomy and independence.
Nelly: I appreciate your response, Janet. It’s important to remember that accepting autism doesn’t mean we shouldn’t support individuals in developing new skills that can improve their lives. We just need to ensure that we have consent or assent and make sure that what we’re trying to teach is meaningful to the learner.
Janet: You’re absolutely right, Nelly. It’s all about finding that balance and providing person-centered support that respects and supports the unique needs, strengths, and goals of each individual. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to bring them up in our supervision sessions.
Nelly: Thank you, Janet. I appreciate your guidance.
Essential Videos
Please visit the following page to view Jigsaw’s Autism Explainer video:
The following video from the Special Olympics provides a brief overview of Intellectual Disability (ID).
Optional Videos
The following video from the Special Olympics features people with ID discussing how to treat them with respect within the context of medical care.
The following videos were made by Alex Lowry. Alex is an autistic vlogger and public speaker. In the first video, Alex describes how he used to see the world when he was younger. In the second video Alex provides an overview of some famous autistic people.
The final optional video is from the Global Autism Project (GAP). The video is This is an excerpt from an interview with Joy F. Johnson for the podcast Autism Knows No Borders. Joy is an autistic BCBA and mother who received ABA interventions when she was younger. The video discusses Joy’s values as an autistic individual, the neurodiversity movement, the consequences of masking, and the functions of self-stimulatory behavior. There are other videos from the GAP where Joy discusses other subjects that you may also benefit from watching.
Conversation Exercise
In the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, you’ll see a conversation icon. Click on this to being the conversation exercise with FRED our AI-powered chatbot. Alternatively, click this link to open the chat interface directly.
If you have not already, read this article to learn how to get the most from your learning conversation with FRED.
You need to be registered and logged in to take this quiz. Log in or Register