Why don't parents with autistic children LISTEN to autistic adults?

Hi

After a recent debacle in Ontario with a local dog rescue implementing a ban on adopting out dogs to families with autistic children - I stumbled into the Ontario Autism Coalition group on Facebook. I totally missed the part in the rules that says ABA therapy is not abuse - only after reading a post from a mom asking about ABA therapy. I'm shocked - when there is so much evidence that says it is traumatic and harmful. Why do these parents not listen to autistic adults??? Do they not understand their autistic children will in fact, grow up to be autistic adults?? How the hell are we supposed to get through to these people? I obviously left the group because I knew if I tried to say anything I would get the boot. I'm so frustrated.

Parents
  • I understand your frustration and we as autistic people are experts on being autistic.  ABA is a form of behaviourism and basically teaches autistic people that they should mask their natural autistic way of being, therefore it is traumatic.I think after ‘diagnosis’ parents usually only have access to unnecessarily medicalised descriptions of autistic experience and therefore are directed to ‘autism’ organisations or sometimes harmful’ ‘therapy’. The whole basis of ‘diagnosis’ stems from the pathology paradigm. Parents typically only access the autistic community if they use social media.

Reply
  • I understand your frustration and we as autistic people are experts on being autistic.  ABA is a form of behaviourism and basically teaches autistic people that they should mask their natural autistic way of being, therefore it is traumatic.I think after ‘diagnosis’ parents usually only have access to unnecessarily medicalised descriptions of autistic experience and therefore are directed to ‘autism’ organisations or sometimes harmful’ ‘therapy’. The whole basis of ‘diagnosis’ stems from the pathology paradigm. Parents typically only access the autistic community if they use social media.

Children
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