[Note: Shared for #AutisticHistory archive purposes. This is NOT An Autistic Ally.]
West Virginia Psychology Board Withdraws Controversial ABA Proposal
September 29, 2011
NEW YORK (September 29, 2011) – Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, today applauded the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists for acting in the best interests of the state’s families by withdrawing an emergency rule that would have disrupted care for children with autism.
The rule, which took effect in June, would have prevented practitioners of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from providing treatment for children with autism unless they were supervised by licensed psychologists. A new law enacted earlier this year required health insurance companies to begin covering the cost of ABA treatments.
But under the emergency rule issued in June, the practice of behavior analysis without a psychology license was deemed an “immediate threat to public health, safety, or welfare.” The rule disrupted treatments for many families caring for children with autism by effectively suspending the work of Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts.
“Autism Speaks intends to continue working closely with state officials and the autism community to enable ABA practitioners to continue providing services needed by West Virginia families, said Lorri Unumb, Autism Speaks vice president for state government affairs.
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Note/Warning:
Autistic people have fought the inclusion of ABA in therapy for us since before Autism Speaks, and other non-Autistic-led autism organizations, started lobbying legislation to get it covered by insurances and Medicaid.
ABA is a myth originally sold to parents that it would keep their Autistic child out of an institution. Today, parents are told that with early intervention therapy their child will either be less Autistic or no longer Autistic by elementary school, and can be mainstreamed in typical education classes. ABA is very expensive to pay out of pocket. Essentially, Autism Speaks has justified the big price tag up front will offset the overall burden on resources for an Autistic’s lifetime. The recommendation for this therapy is 40 hours a week for children and toddlers.
The original study that showed the success rate of ABA to be at 50% has never been replicated. In fact, the study of ABA by United States Department of Defense was denounced as a failure. Not just once, but multiple times. Simply stated: ABA doesn’t work. In study after repeated study: ABA (conversion therapy) doesn’t work.
What more recent studies do show: Autistics who experienced ABA therapy are at high risk to develop PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions. Historically, the autism organizations promoting ABA as a cure or solution have silenced Autistic advocates’ opposition. ABA is also known as gay conversion therapy.
The ‘cure’ for Autistics not born yet is the prevention of birth.
The ‘cure’ is a choice to terminate a pregnancy based on ‘autism risk.’ The cure is abortion. This is the same ‘cure’ society has for Down Syndrome.
This is eugenics 2021. Instead of killing Autistics and disabled children in gas chambers or ‘mercy killings’ like in Aktion T4, it’ll happen at the doctor’s office, quietly, one Autistic baby at a time. Different approaches yes, but still eugenics and the extinction of an entire minority group of people.
Fact: You can’t cure Autistics from being Autistic.
Fact: You can’t recover an Autistic from being Autistic.
Fact: You can groom an Autistic to mask and hide their traits. Somewhat. … however, this comes at the expense of the Autistic child, promotes Autistic Burnout (this should not be confused with typical burnout, Autistic Burnout can kill Autistics), and places the Autistic child at high risk for PTSD and other lifelong trauma-related conditions.
[Note: Autism is NOT a disease, but a neurodevelopmental difference and disability.]
Fact: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.
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