Behavior Analysis Center for Autism - BACA

BACA provides ABA therapy to help children with autism.

applied behavior analysis

Voices for All: Ash Franks Talks about Supporting Autistic People While Being Autistic and Her Role on LEARN’s New Neurodiversity Advisory Committee

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In September 2020, LEARN convened a group of neurodivergent staff to form our Neurodivergent Advisory Committee. The committee reviews and gives feedback on matters relating to neurodiversity and other person-centered ABA topics and was instrumental in the content, messaging, and visual design of LEARN’s Neurodiversity Values Statement. We asked Ash Franks, a member of the Neurodivergent Advisory Committee, to share her thoughts with us.   

HI, ASH! FIRST, I’D LIKE TO ASK YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU TO BE AN AUTISTIC PERSON SUPPORTING OTHER AUTISTIC PEOPLE? 

Supporting other autistic people while being autistic means listening to what they have to say, however they communicate it, whether it be through an AAC device, sign language, PECS, or verbal language. It also means giving them breaks if they need it, and allowing them to use tools to cope (e.g. stuffed animals, headphones, weighted blankets, etc.). Looking back on my experiences as an autistic child has been very helpful in trying to help children who are at AST. 

HOW DOES BEING AUTISTIC INSPIRE YOUR WORK IN ABA? 

Being autistic allows me to see different perspectives and ideas compared to neurotypical people, as they tend to think differently than I do. 

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEURODIVERGENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND HOW IT WORKS. 

Basically, we are trying to re-vamp ABA materials through a more neurodivergent-friendly lens, so we can make our treatment as effective as possible. Having autistic people and other neurodivergent people look at ABA therapy through their eyes allows them to explain what works and what doesn’t work. This way, we can work to have treatment be as effective, safe, and as fun as possible for everyone involved. Having BCBAs see the autistic perspective is important because we have direct experience with what worked for us growing up versus what didn’t and might be able to help streamline the treatment to be as effective as possible.

CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF SOME FEEDBACK YOU HAVE GIVEN IN YOUR ROLE ON THE COMMITTEE? 

I tend to give feedback on the more artistic and creative side of things, as I am very geared towards having an eye for creative things in the world. 

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE AUTISTIC PERSPECTIVES IN OUR FIELD? 

Including autistic people in ABA is super important because we need to account for neurodivergent perspectives to make treatment as effective as possible. Since I am autistic, I can give a firsthand account of what has personally worked for me throughout my life, and what hasn’t. I myself was never in ABA therapy growing up, but I did other types of therapies that I also have found helpful from time to time. 

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER PLACES IN OUR SOCIETY THAT YOU THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO LISTEN TO THE AUTISTIC PERSPECTIVE?

I think listening to autistic perspectives in the workplace would be very helpful. I think having a quiet room for staff that has sensory toys specific for staff would be very helpful, also maybe including a comfy place to sit with a weighted blanket would be good too. Another place it would be helpful to listen to autistic people is when it comes to shopping at malls, since malls can be overwhelming for most autistic people. I know some stores have “quiet” shopping hours where they reduce the lighting and turn off the music, and I really wish more places would do this. 

ASH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AND FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK YOU’RE DOING ON THE NEURODIVERGENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE!

 

Ash Franks is a Behavior Technician for Learn Behavioral. Ash works in AST’s Hillsboro, Oregon location. Outside of work, she enjoys photography, cooking, video games, and spending time with family and friends. 

What is Contemporary ABA?

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Clinically Reviewed by Genevieve Marshall Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA 

People often say that history is written by the victors. When the colonists won the American Revolution, they described the war as a noble struggle to escape tyranny. Had the British won, history books might have called it a heroic effort to save the empire from ungrateful rebels. 

In the same way, most people in America are able-bodied, so they decide what is “normal.” For example, we might see an autistic brain or someone with poor eyesight (but stronger other senses) as less valuable. But really, these are just different ways of thinking and living. 

For more than 60 million Americans with disabilities, this can be a challenge. They have to fit their lives into a world designed for able-bodied people, even though it would be easy to make the world work for everyone.  

Ableism and Ableist Misconceptions

Contemporary treatments include the individual in planning when possible. Contemporary practices change in response to the voices of those who have received therapy in the past. 

Ableism is when able-bodied people assume everyone is like them and fail to see the challenges people with disabilities face.  

Ableism includes unfair ideas, such as thinking people with disabilities always need help, even if they don’t ask for it. Not all disabilities are visible, which can lead to wrong assumptions about mental illnesses being different from physical ones. These false beliefs make it harder for people with disabilities to be treated equally and included in society.  

 

ABA Intervention

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is widely regarded as the most effective treatment for autism, supported by decades of research. It isn’t a single therapy method. Instead, it’s a flexible approach that uses different techniques to help children build the skills they need to thrive at school and in daily life. 

Recently, ABA has increasingly become the target of much controversy as self-advocates are speaking up about their experiences. They reject the idea that teaching people with autism the skills deemed necessary without their input or choice. Some advocates say independence is meaningless without happiness and that people with autism should choose their own goals, which might not include fitting in with others.  

ABA, which is essentially the science of good teaching, has a long history and was originally developed in the 1960s by a group of researchers at the University of Washington. ABA was used to treat individuals with developmental disabilities and initially was a rigid, highly structured and teacher-directed program, which led to some of the negative experiences and associations with ABA. Historically, for example, ABA was used to reduce or eliminate “stimming” – repetitive physical movements and sounds that may soothe and reduce anxiety. We now better understand that stimming helps people with autism manage their sensory processing and their environments. 

Just like in other areas of medicine and science, the field of ABA has advanced in a significant and meaningful way to become a play-based, naturalistic, family-focused and individualized, contemporary treatment that is tailored to the unique needs and goals of everyone. A good ABA program collects and reports data to show effectiveness. Providers must demonstrate success, validated by parents, through goals set with the family. If your provider doesn’t follow this approach, they may not be using best practices.  

ABA now adapts to individual needs by learning from adults. While negative experiences must be addressed, dismissing ABA entirely overlooks its success for many. Good programs focus on the client, seek consent, and value input. Research and ask key questions when choosing a provider.  

What to Look for in an ABA Program 

  • Will I participate in determining the goals of treatment for myself/my child? 
  • How are your staff trained? 
  • How is my child’s program developed? Do all clients receive the same program or are they individualized? 
  • Will there be parent goals as part of my child’s program? 
  • How often is my child’s program modified or revised? 
  • How is data collected and reported? 
  • How often will I see data on my child’s progress? 

Your child’s program should be client-centered and future looking, which means that your family and relevant caregivers are providing input into your child’s strengths and challenges, and that you and your child are helping to guide the goals of his/her program based on your preferences and needs. 

The science of ABA has a long history with decades of research to support its development and evolution. While ABA is most widely known in its application to autism, ABA was developed, and has been applied, to address many circumstances regarding behavior that matter to society. ABA is applied in many different areas, including mental health, animal training, organizational behavior management, marketing, forensics, sports, and physical health, to name a few. Just as other areas of science and medicine advance and application of treatments change, so has the field of ABA. Many lives have been impacted by ABA for the better. It is incumbent upon the professional community to listen, learn, and evolve its practice so that their services are as relevant and effective as possible. After all, the purpose of ABA is to help children with autism achieve the goals that matter most to them and their families — goals that foster growth, independence, and joy in their everyday lives.