“Recalling hidden harms”: autistic experiences of childhood applied behavioural analysis (ABA)

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

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McGill, O. & Robinson, A. (2020). “Recalling hidden harms”: autistic experiences of childhood applied behavioural analysis (ABA). Advances in Autism, 7(4), 269-282. https://doi.org/10.1108/aia-04-2020-0025

Publication date: 23 Oct 2020 Added to AutiHub: 22 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
2
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 2 (50.0%)
  1. Owen McGill *
  2. Anna Robinson

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the long-term impacts autistic adults experienced from childhood participation in the applied behavioural analysis (ABA). Design/methodology/approach Possible participants were recruited through advertisements on social media and autism and ABA organisations. Possible participants were given the choice between an online or face-to-face interview or an anonymised online questionnaire. Findings Reflections from 10 participants were indicative of a predominantly detrimental impact of ABA. Reflections gave rise to a core theme “recalling hidden harms of childhood experiences of ABA”. Outcomes are discussed in relation to the impact on autistic identity, current research and progressing understanding of the impacts of early intervention from the autistic perspective. Research limitations/implications The practical implications of ABA are discussed alongside recommendations for future practice and research with the involvement of autistic individuals within interventive processes. Originality/value This is the first paper to take an in-depth, qualitative approach to autistic experiences of ABA. The findings themselves are driven to conceptualise and give voice to the core impacts which carried through participants’ exploration and understanding of self.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 01:35.

Cited references
48
With a DOI
30
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
17
5 / 48 (10.4%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
16 / 48 (33.3%)
References with detected author names
32 / 48 (66.7%)
Without detected author names
16
Without a structured title
10
Without a stable identifier
16
References with raw author names still to review
8
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
156
From DOI or external metadata
156
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
8
36 / 156 (23.1%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 120 / 156 (76.9%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
8 / 156 (5.1%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 8 / 36 (22.2%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 5 / 144 (3.5%).
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