Recently, the New York Times put out an article under its health section titled, “Early Behavior Therapy Found to Aid Children with A.D.H.D.” Here is a choice quote from the article:
Behavior modification for A.D.H.D. is based on a fairly simple system of rewards and consequences. Parents reward the good or cooperative acts they see; subtle things, like paying attention for a few moments, can earn a pat on the back or a “good boy.” Completing homework without complaint might earn time on a smartphone. Parents withhold privileges, like playtime or video games, or enforce a “time out” in response to defiance and other misbehavior.
And they learn to ignore irritating but harmless bids to win attention, like making weird noises, tapping or acting like a baby.
[…]
The analysis did not account for the psychological cost to parents — in terms of a child’s tantrums, slammed doors and hurled tableware — of carrying out behavioral techniques.
If this sounds a lot like what is used on autistic children to extinguish stimming and reinforce “positive behaviors” and discourage “negative behaviors…” that’s because it is. What they are discussing is fundamentally Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). But wait, you say. Isn’t ABA good for Autistic children? Isn’t it evidence-based?
Yes, ABA is evidence-based in that it does what it’s designed to do — extinguish or replace certain behaviors. But it’s kind of like Jurassic Park, except no one gets eaten by dinosaurs, because people were so intense and focused on what they could do that no one thought — should we do it? B.F. Skinner and Ivar Lovaas would be thrilled that states are mandating private insurers pay for ABA for autistic children.
And that more children are falling under its scope. ADHD is often thought of as a “cousin” to autism by many — and with that comes the pathologization and attempts to erase all unwanted behaviors.
Let’s break this down further:
“And they learn to ignore irritating but harmless bids to win attention, like making weird noises, tapping or acting like a baby.”
I don’t know, I mostly made cat noises because I liked making cat noises. If they are harmless, why must they be extinguished? If they’re harmless, why are they pathologized? Irritating. I forgot that part. They’re “irritating,” and thus are seen as something to eradicate. Couple onto this the fact that most humans engage in “attention-seeking behaviors,” to be seen, to be heard. And adding a third objection to this, the “mental age” trope of “acting like a baby” is never an appropriate way to describe someone with a disability — in fact, I’d go further and object to anyone being told they’re acting like a baby. It is a complete invalidation.
“The analysis did not account for the psychological cost to parents — in terms of a child’s tantrums, slammed doors and hurled tableware — of carrying out behavioral techniques.”
And here we see the age-old “cost to parents” trope. What does it cost parents? What does it do to parents? My questions are:
·What does it do to a child to be treated like they are in a dog obedience training course?
·What does it do to a child to only receive affection conditionally?
·What does it do to a child to only have access to certain things if they are obedient, quiet, and have perfect behaviors?
·Will it improve access to actual life skills that aren’t “shut up and stay still” (which are not life skills)?
I’m Autistic too, but I wasn’t diagnosed with that until I was 14. My primary diagnosis until age 14 was ADHD, which I’m still medicated for. And before you ask — yeah, I was that kid. The one with a behavior chart that my teachers had to sign off on and the other students laughed at because of it. The one who couldn’t sit still in class, and the one who couldn’t pay attention and the one who blurted out things and tapped and meowed at people.
In the same way that autistic children are routinely forced to stop flapping, rocking, spinning, and making noise, children with ADHD are now going to go through that as well. Where does it end? It is not okay to do to autistic children, and it is not okay to do to children with ADHD, and it is not okay to do to anyone. And where does it end? With the kids people just think are “annoying” and “loud” but don’t have any sort of diagnosis? It was never okay to do to us, but when and where will you help make it end?
Originally published at kpaginatedthoughts.blogspot.com on February 19, 2016.
