Depicting the humanitarian abuses of ABA practice
This material was compiled in 2014, but there is plenty more equally revealing on the Internet …
// A word of caution – Because these videos deliver a strong suggestive message of the inherent validity of the ABA practice and its justification due to children’s autism, it is important to be aware of this effect on a viewer and therefore to make every effort to view the scenes with unbiased eye [just as you would if children were not autistic]. In fact this is an approach one should adapt when watching this material. The technique we suggest is to slow down the interaction and examine the facial and body expressions of all involved, frame by frame as well as the sounds, in order to perceive the true happenings. We also suggest prior to viewing to read the comments below which convey autistic take on interactions between these children and practitioners and we hope would help you see the many episodes in their own light.
The following video illustrates the various deficits attributed to autism; the kind of children generally subjected to early intervention, and in a process shows the glimpses of ABA as practiced [episodes] and the settings for administering it.
Early Childhood Development and Autism (17min) – https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J8h_cAKfBms
0:16-0:31 Episode – Look at me – A young boy and the aide walk through the door, boy is open eyed and makes a quick assessment of the room and the situation. He pulls back and away while making a wimping sound as he is walked towards another aid. His eyes downcast, his posture reveals fright and discomfort as he is placed in front of her. She lowers herself and puts her hands on him – he makes a move away towards the aide who walked him, but she lets his hand go -he is alone. The rest is a display of dominance by ABA practitioner including a grab of the face, and a stare down.
0:38-0:51 Episode – High five – The boy is nonverbal and appears to be in a state of apathy, which could be a result of medication, or exhaustion, or a defense he’s developed to be left alone. He is aware nevertheless and responding by imitating the motion of the practitioner by opening his palm, as she does. See him later in another episode coming alive when left alone.
1:02-1:10 Episode – Will you play with me – It shows an autistic girl disregarding the approaches of an older typical girl while continuing her own play. If you watch closely, you may notice that she is aware of her approaches; there is that fleeting pay back smile that comes to her lips as she ignores the older girl [clearly a surrogate]. //This autistic girl would in a later episode express her feelings about the older girl with a mocking (da da da).
1:35-1:47 Episode – Nice job asking – A boy from the first episode – he wants a book [likely withheld to make him ask] but he is hesitant; then he decides to go for it, he is nervous, not sure of the outcome, which makes him stimm; this time it worked [he gets the book and is congratulated] and he is pleasantly surprised and happy. // this is not necessarily bad when done episodically, but his obvious stress is a warning sign indicative of his diminished state.
1:55-2:10 Episode – May I have your car – Kirin, a very young boy is immersed in play and appears not to hear the therapist who asks him to give up his play // with ABA he’ll learn fairly soon not to ignore this woman, he’ll learn it a hard way while learning also a lot about people and his place among them.
2:15-2:31 Episode – Are you OK – The episode shows two girls, one autistic, the other typical; the episode is to demonstrate that autistic girl doesn’t notice or ignores emotions of others. There is a fake emotion [hurt] by therapist, and similarly fake “are you OK’ from a typical girl which she proudly learned, while the hardly verbal autistic girl delivers her personal response [a prolonged sound the meaning of which is not verbal] – one will be allowed to develop with freedom and dignity; the other will be interrupted and most likely subjected to lifelong therapy. She is arguably no less intelligent [based on her quick use of the situation to appropriate the toy the other girl took], yet she is the kind that get ensnared.
2:58-3:10 Episode – What do you want – In this episode observe the physical manipulation by therapist/aide including face grabbing, clearly unwanted by not responding boy [in an episode at 4:45 he is speaking in echolalia mode].
3:11-3:40 Episode – I want puzzle – a boy complies right away when prompted [taps on a floor] to come closer, and attempts to do anything the aid asks. He is already been schooled in compliance, but is lacking verbal ability due to his delayed development.
3:55-4:25 Episode – Conversation – Same still mostly not verbal girl – question “What did you do at school today” – answer “Why” [meaning why are you asking this question when you don’t really care], and later “Did you play with tour friends” – answer “sort off”. // But it’s not deemed adequate for her age, she is supposed to attempt an appropriate small talk. So there will be a lot of therapy and misery for her ahead, because this girl is not wired to do and say fake things.
7:55 starts a parade of diagnosed children – including little boy playing with wheels of the truck – labeled as “obsession with parts of objects”, followed by a boy Jumping in place, by hand flapping, toe walking, spinning, eye gazing, and watching things; making sounds to hear them; putting fingers in a mouth; playing with soft and fuzzy items! All labeled inappropriate and subject to intervention and lifelong [as a rule] therapy! // watch these episodes to get a better idea of children who are “diagnosed” with autism for these “transgressions” from typicality, and who as a result would be intervened in their natural development, segregated, kept captive, and subjected to “schooling” that denies child’s right to dignity and freedom.
15:00 Episode – “Niam niam niam” – Two adults [experts] demonstrating on a locked toddler a pretend play – hilarious, bewildering in absurdity, and ultimately sad.
The following five videos demonstrate the various methods of ABA practice. These videos provide a better look at how ABA praxis defies the physical and spiritual space of the child – revealing the settings of physical and psychological restraint, and the persistent uninvited [and unwelcome] physical invasion of child’s body as a way of reinforcement. Specifically, the manipulation of sensual zones of child’s upper body as a way of positive reinforcement, which if were performed by a teacher on a typical child, would freak out any parent (and if that teacher was a male would likely result in criminal charges). Yet this is practiced with impunity as a part of ABA schooling/therapy. // some of the episodes there are truly bothersome [especially the episode with suspected covert pinching]. Note that these episodes shown are a part of endless hours of the same, day after day, holidays included, and there isn’t generally anything else for these children aside from it at school and often at home.
ABA Autism Training – Chapter 1 – The Discrete Trial (10:37) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pN6ydLE4EQ
ABA Autism Training – Chapter 2 – Reinforcement (11:50) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crFjZlWWZo0
ABA Autism Training – Chapter 3 – Prompting (14:40) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDijJjKHMVQ
ABA Autism Training – Chapter 4 – Generalization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU395HgXl2s&spfreload=1
ABA Autism Training – Chapter 5 – Incidental Teaching (5:01) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzgC9ZPzot8
Episodes video 1 [ABA Autism Training – Chapter 1] – 0:18-1:06 – Do this – observe constant restriction of girls hands, and at 1:02 bodily manipulation]. 1:49-1:51, 2:09-2:12, 2:16-2:18 – [just to give few examples] – bodily manipulation as recommended by the practice for a positive reinforcement. Most often it is unwanted and unwelcome. 9:25 child shirt is lifted to stimulate naked body. 3:37-3:50 – observe girl crying out, composing herself and continuing work [suspect reason a covert pinching]
Episodes video 2 [ABA Autism Training – Chapter 2] – 0:34-1:01; 1:50-1:54 – Escalating physical touch as ‘Reinforcer’– manipulation and bodily stimulation. 1:57-2:10 – ‘wonderful reinforcers’ – girl crying out sequence resulting from a suspected covert pinching. 1:57 – observe frame by frame – The reason for girl crying out, immediately composing herself, and complying with subsequent orders is quite telling and is very common in this practice according to autistic accounts. The question may be asked why this episode was included here, and not just once but twice. I think it is not by mistake; perhaps the therapist couldn’t resist demonstrating to fellow practitioners the level of mastery she has achieved over this girl; the supremacy of control – “see what I can do”.
And more episodes – of similar techniques and enforcers using restraint, stimulation, food, toys, etc to manipulate children to perform questionable [and mostly meaningless] tasks which somehow [as claimed by practitioners] would make these children to be cured and become normal.
Episodes Video 2: 10:52 –11:05 REINFORCER quote – “Once you find ‘Reinforcer’ that motivates the child, like a toy child really likes – you don’t allow child to play with it outside the therapy [including child’s home], so that the therapist may use it exclusively in a therapy”! //This one in particular is the hardest on most kids according to our observations and is commonly practiced with great ingenuity. Therapist is encouraged to be innovative.
Note: The episodes in these videos showcase ABA techniques on children who are already trained to be ‘complying’. It should be noted that autistic children are not any more prone to be complying with the kinds of requests shown in the episode than would any other child of their age. The reasons for their compliance [sitting obediently and performing commands “Do this, do this, do this…” for many hours a day] is due to a practice of deprivation that has taught them with plentiful proof of persuasion to submit without objection.
// the videos listed below have only minimal commenting [please slow videos down and examine as needed]
3. ABA Therapy with Sarah (4:35min) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLBLnNxzftM
4. ABA Skills Training: Discrete Trial Testing (11:20min) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPfErTUYNkY
5. Autism therapy – ABA (1:51min) // Working for eminems – https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NbVG8lYEsNs
6. ABA Verbal Behavior Session (22min) // Locked in a corner working for food – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1t22nP8oxs
Some uglier episodes:
7. Quest Kids – Early Intervention & ABA in Autism (4:09min) – https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z4-ZZ8tyaY – 1:24-1:27 keeping at attention [therapist and aide controlling two kids] – just a few telling seconds. 1:57-2:03 – how containment is done in a classroom [observe tired aides and restrained children]. 3:26-3:35 keeping at attention [therapist controlling two kids] – continued
8. ABA/Discrete Trial Training (9:35min) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2afb4i7LMJc&list=PLEC5D17653B49455A //same except to observe the little boy, his little restraining chair, and changing therapists; at 5:56 he revolts for an instant, expressing his view of experience he is in
To see: A revealing documentary named “BYE” by a young director Anthony Morrison, showing typical classroom, aired on PBS but [unfortunately] since removed – a trailer here: // http://vimeo.com/9631495 – While it intends to laud ABA, it records real classroom background and that is something to see.