[CW: Autism Speaks, ABA, suicide, more]
Autism Speaks, and parent-founded autism organizations, were instrumental in forcing insurance companies to cover the cost of controversial and experimental autism therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), on the federal and state level.
In several states this reform was enacted as part of their Mental Health Parity Acts. The fact that ABA doesn’t work, and causes PTSD in Autistics which in turn only increases our suicide rates, has yet to be acknowledged by these states.
The number one cause of early death for Autistics is suicide. This is the real Autistic crisis. ABA compounds this crisis by causing PTSD (evidence-based) in many Autistics. ABA is not a solution, it is an abuse. Autistics are working hard to get this ’therapy’ banned and out of our lives.
Right now, ABA is in all sectors public and private, including schools, doctor’s offices, regional centers, job support programs and more. ABA was sold as the only hope for Autistics already born to be ’recovered’ or at least ’less Autistic’ by elementary school, thus lessening the ‘burden’ Autistics place on society with our differences and disabilities.
The demand for this very expensive falsehood was created by the same parent-founded autism organizations that advocated ’autism awareness’ through tragedy and fear narratives. ABA was offered as the great hope. It was the only hope offered to help an Autistic child.
Parents were going broke and losing their homes because of the cost. These parent’s believed ABA would solve these hardships they were unable to manage, save their marriages, save their other children’s futures – and keep their Autistic child from being a burden on their siblings later in life.
The same parent-founded organizations then lobbied legislation that forced Medicare, Medicaid to pay for autism therapies via the Combating Autism Act of 2006. Afterwards, they lobbied each state to do the same for private and other insurances as well. Now all 50 states have autism insurance enacted and the ABA market now not only exists, it’s a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry. An industry that’s booming with no end in sight.
The money and power that went into these campaigns is astounding and surreal. Even public service announcements by the AD council promoted early diagnosis and intervention (aka: ABA). Sesame Street on PBS now does the same. Autism Speaks, and these other organizations, still promote ABA as the great hope for Autistics born today.
Autistics nationwide, and worldwide, are battling this abuse and intrusion into our lives. We are working hard to get the truth known and to change this legislation, ban ABA and loosen the grip Autism Speaks has on our Autistic Healthcare.
Below you can find each states’ legislative history in regards to autism insurance reform.
Autistically,
Eve Reiland
- Alaska – Enacted June 27, 2012
- Arizona – Enacted March 21, 2008
- Arkansas – Enacted March 4, 2011
- California – Enacted Oct. 9, 2011; Amended October 10, 2013
- Colorado – Enacted June 2, 2009
- Connecticut – Enacted June 9, 2009
- Delaware – Enacted August 13, 2012
- District of Columbia – Enacted July 17, 2013
- Florida – Enacted May 2, 2008
- Georgia – Enacted April 29, 2015
- Hawaii – Enacted July 13, 2015
- Iowa – Enacted April 29, 2010
- Illinois – Enacted December 13, 2008
- Indiana – Enacted May 3, 2001
- Kansas – Enacted April 19, 2010; Amended April 16, 2014
- Kentucky – Enacted April 14, 2010
- Louisiana – Enacted July 2, 2008; Amended June 28, 2012
- Maine – Enacted April 12, 2010; Amended May 1, 2014
- Maryland – Enacted May 5, 2014
- Massachusetts – Enacted August 3, 2010; Amended January 11, 2013
- Michigan– Enacted April 18, 2012
- Minnesota– Enacted May 23, 2013
- Missouri – Enacted June 10, 2010
- Mississippi – Enacted March 27, 2015
- Montana – Enacted May 5, 2009
- Nebraska – Enacted April 21, 2014
- Nevada – Enacted May 29, 2009
- New Hampshire – Enacted July 23, 2010
- New Jersey – Enacted August 13, 2009
- New Mexico – Enacted April 2, 2009; Amended April 5, 2013
- New York– Enacted Nov. 1, 2011
- North Carolina– Enacted October 15, 2015
- Oklahoma – Enacted May 4, 2016
- Ohio – Enacted Jan. 4, 2017
- Oregon – Enacted Aug. 15, 2013
- Pennsylvania – Enacted July 9, 2008
- Rhode Island– Enacted June 30, 2011; Amended June 28, 2012
- South Carolina – Enacted June 7, 2007
- South Dakota – Enacted March 19, 2015
- Texas – Enacted June 15, 2007; Amended June 19, 2009; June 15, 2013
- U.S. Virgin Islands – Enacted May 19, 2014
- Utah – Enacted April 2, 2014
- Vermont – Enacted May 27, 2010; Amended May 16, 2012
- Virginia– Enacted May 6, 2011; Amended February 7, 2012
- Washington – Announced November 15, 2014 (litigation, state regulation)
- West Virginia– Enacted April 1, 2011; Amended April 2, 2012
- Wisconsin – Enacted October 19, 2009
- Wyoming – Enacted April 19, 2019.
The Autism Community Is Not The Autistic Community
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.
International Badass Activists 