( ABA therapy ගැන පේජ් එකේ ලියූ සිංහල ලිපියක ඉංග්රීසි පරිවර්තනයකි )
➤ Exposing the Harmful Legacy of Autism Therapy
When we examine the history of autism therapy, the origins of harm become clear. Many early methods were designed to serve personal or professional agendas, often at the expense of autistic children, whose futures were compromised in the process. The suffering of these children is embedded in that history.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy was founded by Ole Ivar Lovaas, a Norwegian-American psychologist and professor. Originally, ABA relied on punishment to modify autistic children’s behavior. While the therapy has evolved over the years, its fundamental goal has often remained the same: to transform autistic children into “non-autistic” children.
Today, the neurodivergent community emphasizes that differences are rights, not deficits. Autistic identities should not be erased to conform to societal norms. Attempting to forcefully change a child’s fundamental identity is not only unethical, it is scientifically baseless.
Before introducing ABA to autism, Lovaas applied similar methods to homosexuality, treating it as a disorder to be “corrected” to fit heteronormative expectations. He viewed autism in the same way—as a condition to be forcibly altered. In one controversial interview, he stated: “You are looking at an autistic person. Eyes, ears, nose—all human. But internally, they are not human.”
His methods included severe aversive: electric shocks, withholding food, withholding affection, and physical punishment. ABA therapy, in this form, erased autistic children’s voices and personalities. Many experienced trauma: being physically restrained during stimming, forced to have objects in their mouths, or having their hands strapped to prevent self-hand movements. Punishment was disguised as therapy, all aimed at creating “non-autistic” children.
Even the foundational principles of ABA drew from behaviorist experiments designed for animals, prioritizing repetition and compliance over understanding, autonomy, or consent. Some extreme practices included electric shock bands for “undesired” behaviors.
Despite modern modifications, these methods persist in different forms. Nonverbal children are particularly vulnerable, as they cannot advocate for themselves. Autistic children’s autonomy, dignity, and humanity remain at stake.
Parents: educate yourselves. Ask critical questions about any therapy being applied. Know your rights, and prioritize your child’s well-being over conformity.