ABA and PTSD

If traumatized autistic voices are not enough to make people understand the truly horrible ramifications of ABA therapy, perhaps a proven link between ABA and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is.

In a recent study, 46 percent of participants exposed to ABA met the diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD.

The ABA exposed respondents also have a substantially higher probability of PTSD symptoms when compared to those not exposed to ABA.

“Respondents of all ages who were exposed to ABA were 86 percent more likely to meet the PTSD criteria than respondents who were not exposed to ABA.”

– Henny Kupferstein

In particular, children receiving ABA have a nearly 50% chance of meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD within only four weeks of beginning ABA.

ABA undeniably increases the risk of PTSD in autistic people, who are already more likely to get PTSD as a result of trauma because of the specific genetic makeup and brain processes seen in autism.

The most chilling takeaway from this study is how rapidly an autistic child receiving ABA may develop PTSD.

“The Average 18-month-old autistic child who is exposed to 40 hours of ABA per week will be expected to surpass the severe threshold of the PTSD criteria within six weeks… The average three-year-old autistic child who is exposed to 20 hours of ABA per week will be expected to surpass the severe threshold of the PTSD criteria within five months of ABA exposure…”

– Henny Kupferstein