28/12/2025
We do too! Aurora Consulting 💛
Yesterday I mentioned in a post that ABA and PBS encourages masking but didn’t include more details as to why I strongly support a ban on behaviourism. I want to look more at this today.
What counts as behaviourism?
Behaviourism has a basis thinking that our way of being is inherently wrong and needs to be adjusted. This way we can match Western standards of what is deemed “socially acceptable” so racism is also inherently a component.
Goals are set for the person to reach, often without their input or consent. Remember how I talk about enthusiastic consent a lot? That’s not what is sought here. It’s compliance based so while agreement is nice, it’s not necessary.
These goals are often contradictory to our communication and culture. Different behaviourists will have different goals. Some will tell you it’s not about stopping stimming and encouraging eye contact, but their understanding of what stimming covers and how we communicate may be fundamentally flawed. Having seen the reading lists for some of the courses available in the UK they are not up to date and they are not based on Autistic lived experiences.
Here’s a wee example I used earlier this year that pretty much every teacher will recognise.
“We are waiting till everyone is sitting nicely”
What on earth does that mean?
For many teachers it means:
Looking at the teacher
Straight back, legs crossed
Arms folded
No fidgeting
And I’ll admit when I was teaching and didn’t know any better I said this too to my enormous regret because that’s what I was taught.
But why is this such an issue?
Let’s break it down.
Looking at the teacher: not all kids feel comfortable looking at the teacher. Sometimes it’s far easier to listen if we aren’t looking.
A straight back and crossed legs might be difficult to manage if we have hyper mobility which many Autistic people do.
Arms folded: but my arms and my hands might need to move! There’s nothing wrong with that.
No fidgeting: my body sometimes needs to move too, especially if I want to listen. Sometimes stimming is exactly what I need to regulate my emotions.
And if the teacher then singles out that one child who can’t manage this without extreme discomfort, all eyes are on them to conform. That was often me in school.
Making Autistic people behave in a way that is contrary to our natural ways of being encourages us to mask heavily. It disconnects us from our bodies as we ignore the discomfort in the hopes of gaining a sticker. As a late identified adult I assure you, it takes a long, long time to reconnect with our bodies and emotions.
In this example, teachers should instead encourage pupils to sit as they feel comfortably! Let them look where they feel comfortable too. This sends a strong message that they value Autistic needs.
But promoting “good” behaviours isn’t all they do.
Behaviourists also ignore unwanted behaviours or negative behaviours - but again, who decides which behaviours are negative or unwanted?
Ignoring a meltdown is actively ignoring Autistic distress. The use of “antecedent behaviour consequence” charts focus on what happened right before the meltdown and doesn’t consider the complex range of factors that could have contributed to a meltdown. It teaches nothing about co-regulation or exploring how to minimise the chances of future meltdowns with similar causes.
Repeatedly having distress ignored and boundaries crossed, repeatedly getting the message that we are wrong in a fundamental level. No wonder this is strongly linked to cPTSD.
Our position of supporting a ban on behaviourism that we take at Aurora is based on a lifetime worth of experience. Of having these “approaches” used on me. Having seen the impact of them being used on my family. Having seen them used on innumerable clients. On reading the testimonies of those who have been subjected to them. On talking to former behaviourists. Autistic dignity is not a debate.
People may ask “what can we do instead?” Excellent question!
* Learn from Autistic people
* Recognise that Autistic people are not built “wrong”
* Support disability Rights and reasonable adjustments
* Support Autistic people up advocate for those rights and reasonable adjustments
* Create connections
* Support passionate interests
* Support all forms of communication
* Stim!
* Celebrate Autistic Pride
* Learn about Monotropism
* Learn about Autistic culture
* Practice radical Autistic acceptance every day
* Keep challenging your preconceptions
This is a starters list but it’s a good start. The more people value Autistic identity and call out behaviourism the better.
