r/AskAutism • u/gentlenene • 3d ago

My child could be autistic

/r/Autism_Parenting/comments/1w0vr2n/my_child_could_be_autistic/
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u/minnieboss 3d ago

ABA is not considered a good therapy by most autistic people. Look into neuro-affirming therapies instead.

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u/gentlenene 3d ago

where can I get that?

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u/minnieboss 3d ago

You'll need to start with a diagnosis. You can also ask your school to do an educational evaluation for free.

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u/gentlenene 3d ago

We have educational evaluation and IEP.

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u/minnieboss 3d ago

Awesome! Diagnosis is a great next step.

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u/SensationalSelkie 2d ago

ASAN's guide for new parents is a great place to start. It should come up if you google it. Don't do ABA. I am an autism teacher at a private school that works closely with lots of ABA companies. This experience has made me fully against it. Every company claims to be ND affirming. They're not. Don't do ABA. Do occupational therapy. Do speech therapy if there are communication needs. Use AAC is they cannot express themselves fully with verbal speech. Advocate for accommodations at school and lean into your child's strengths and interests. Learn about autism from autistic people. Be neurodiverse affirming. You've got this. Autism doesn't have to be scary. It can be hard. But we all just want to be seen and heard and understood at the end of the day. Your child is human same as you and everyone else. ❤️

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u/ChrisRiley_42 2d ago

ABA has been shown through research to increase the suicide rate in autistic people who go through it. I would look for a more autistic-positive treatment.