Criticism of Applied Behavior Therapy
In this video from the TEDx talk, the speaker, Chloe Everett, critiques Applied Behavior Therapy. ABA is used to help autistic individuals worldwide.
Chloe highlights that the goal of ABA therapy is typically to improve behaviors, but sometimes the ABA therapy focuses too heavily on conformity, pushing autistic individuals to act in ways that don’t align with their authentic selves. This pressure to fit in can be harmful, causing stress, burnout, and even trauma in autistic kids as it discourages the natural behavior patterns and uniqueness of autistic children.
The speaker calls for more compassionate, individualized approaches that respect each person’s natural ways of being and focus on fostering acceptance rather than demanding change.
