From Harm to Healing: Building the Future of ABA with Autistic Voices

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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Johnson, J. F. (2025). From Harm to Healing: Building the Future of ABA with Autistic Voices. Societies, 15(3), 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15030072

Publication date: 17 Mar 2025 Added to AutiHub: 4 Oct 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Joy F. Johnson *

Abstract

Since the 1960s, ABA has been applied to individuals with developmental and behavioral differences, including those later recognized as Autistic. While ABA is grounded in behavioral science, its historical application has raised significant ethical concerns. Early implementations often prioritized enforcing neurotypical conformity over the autonomy and well-being of Autistic individuals, contributing to psychological harm, the development of masking behaviors, and a disregard for neurodivergent needs. These concerns were further exacerbated by the exclusion of Autistic voices in defining intervention goals and measuring outcomes. This paper examines the historical context of ABA, critiques raised by the #ABAisAbuse movement, and the role of social media in amplifying both awareness and misconceptions about behavioral interventions for Autistic individuals. It highlights the challenges posed by self-diagnosis, the limitations of current therapeutic options, and systemic inequities in access to care. A critical analysis underscores the need for standardized, neurodivergent-affirming, and assent-based practices that prioritize the autonomy and individuality of Autistic people. The findings emphasize the necessity of reforming ABA through collaboration with the Autistic community, ensuring their involvement in shaping governance, intervention design, and ethical standards. By addressing historical harms and embedding neurodivergent-affirming principles, ABA can evolve into a practice that supports authentic engagement and fosters trust within the Autistic community. This transformation is not only a professional responsibility but an ethical imperative to align interventions for Autistic individuals with principles of dignity, equity, and inclusion.

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: 28 Oct 2026 01:01.

Cited references
44
With a DOI
27
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
17
13 / 44 (29.5%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
10 / 44 (22.7%)
References with detected author names
34 / 44 (77.3%)
Without detected author names
10
Without a structured title
9
Without a stable identifier
15
References with raw author names still to review
9
References with external metadata lookup issues
1
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
97
From DOI or external metadata
97
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
10
61 / 97 (62.9%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 36 / 97 (37.1%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
20 / 97 (20.6%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 20 / 61 (32.8%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 17 / 91 (18.7%).
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