“Our Family is Different” In the sixth grade, my father sat me down for a “serious talk.” This was the first of a few “serious talks” he would need to have with me over the course of my childhood. As a diagnosed autistic person (Asperger’s at the time), I was…
Tag: disabilities
TW: ableism, contingent electric skin shock (CESS) Well, it took the better part of a year, but ABAI finally released their – erm – “statement” regarding the use of Contingent Electric Skin Shock (CESS). It’s hard to call a 34-page document a “statement,” so I supposed the authors’ description of…
Many a caregiver of autistic kids will proudly declare that they don’t treat their child any differently than they would if they weren’t autistic. Especially if they have more than 1 child, at least one of whom is neurotypical, they will often provide several examples of how they will put…
CW: Ableism, mention of suicide, sexism, hate symbols, sexual assault It’s that time again: Upon the end of March the world will swarm with blue lights and puzzle pieces, dedicating the entire month of April to Autism Awareness Month. Depending on your corner of social media, you will probably see…
One of the most “annoying” stereotypes about ABA is that it’s robotic. BCBAs and therapists are portrayed as unemotional beings walking around with our clipboards watching with deadpan expressions as a toddler cries. Many of us find this description deeply offensive and launch into a pedantic explanation for how inaccurate…
Health insurance. The one thing all providers in America can agree on. I’ve yet to meet a single provider in any field that has any kind words to spare for it. In the 10+ years I’ve been in the field, I’ve watched health insurance pull our hands farther and farther…
Raise your hand if you came out of grad school thinking ABA has all the answers. Have you ever scoffed at an occupational therapist’s report, with all of its mentalistic language and “poor measurement?” What about working with speech pathologists? How often have you tried to convince families to drop…
CW: Ableism Halloween season is upon us, so let’s talk about that blue pumpkin thing that’s going around. If you’re not familiar, the idea is that autistic children should be given blue pumpkins or buckets to carry when trick-or-treating, so they can be identified as autistic when they hold it…
This is in response, and speaking directly, to the creator of this video. Edit: On 9/23/22, Soup Emporium actually contacted me about this article, and his classy AF response is below. Folx, this is how scientists should behave. Thank you, Soup, for your humility and openness to learning. Everyone else,…
This one was a doozy, kids. I’ve spent over a week combing through research across psychology, general education, special education, and ABA, trying to answer this question: What is appropriate play and is it even important? There is no simple answer to any of it, but then again I think…