My AUTISTIC MOM told me this. I understand what she means but like ๐ญ
this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2024
737 points (99.7% liked)
196
16714 readers
1887 users here now
Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.
Rule: You must post before you leave.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Had this convo with an older coworker and he said it was common for parents that couldn't handle their kids ( meaning they didn't parent) to get a doc to medicate them. He had a friend who would be energetic and funny first 2 hours, then go to the nurse and become a zombie for the rest of the day.
oh boy, manmade horrors well within my comprehension!
I was odd and a nerd ( geek, dork, spaz, weird, etc.) and a prime target for bullies. Gen-X
I was also gay when gay meant generically contemptable. As we were in grade school, few of us had figured out actual state of gayness.
You left out dweeb.
I forgot several of them. Yes. The etc. is doing some heavy lifting.
That's how it is in ABA schools today, and the trauma from literally being abused is blamed on aUtIsM, and the abused kids are kept there because it's supposed to "help" when it's literally causing issues the kid never had before they were put in there. Then the kid ages out at 21 and moves into a group home connected to the same facility, instead of living an actual life. They could have had jobs, real friends, spouses, children, degrees, businesses, and lives, but now they wait to die in a cruel 'Truman Show' like reality where they're gaslit into believing they're living the best life possible. Yeah, a life where the best thing you've ever experienced, a once-in-a-lifetime dream come true, was eating a hot pocket.
Yeah I wonder why a seven year old who was shoved to the floor and sat on for looking at a clock was suicidal, must be the autism.
What are ABA schools?
Schools where kids are treated like the picture in this post and educated with YouTube videos and free printouts. Having a problem with anything gets the kids treated like this picture, and they're gaslit into believing their feelings are non-issues that don't matter.
The kids will deteriorate into zombies who don't shower, because if they don't like being dirty then they just need to get over it. They won't wipe their ass anymore because wanting to wipe is just a spoiled attitude hissy fit tantrum and not wasting resources on non-issues is being good.
Everything other than being a zombie robot that does exactly what it's told immediately results in being this picture. Everything they remotely feel positive towards is used as a "reinforcer", literally a bribe, or is used to emotionally abuse them, which always results in them losing interest in whatever the thing is.
All schoolwork really is watching a YouTube video, answering questions and writing a summary of the video. Some subjects will be reading a book or passage, then answering questions and writing a summary.
Gym is a reward if the whole 12-person class is good which never happens because suddenly a Star Wars shirt is inappropriate to wear and everyone is punished because you specifically decided to wear an inappropriate shirt with a weapon on it. Everyone else is told to "thank their friend" and are conditioned into hating you for ruining everything. So gym class becomes health class where you watch a YouTube video on health, answer questions and write a summary. In between subjects, you read a book. You're not allowed to talk to anyone or do anything other than read. If you're on a page for longer than usual, you'll end up like the picture above because you're throwing a fit because you don't like reading.
But why does the kid have physical coordination issues, trouble lifting anything over 10 pounds, zero healthy hygiene habits, and no hobbies or interests? Why would the kid never say anything if they need help or if something or someone is hurting them? Why does the kid never look at anyone's face? Why can't the kid concentrate on anything, even things they used to enjoy?
Because autism. And the ABA school is helping, so no you can't go to another school. You're only going to have violent meltdowns at worst and stare into space at best in a regular school where no one gets manhandled for holding in a sneeze. You only don't like school because it isn't playing video games all day, so you just need to get over it, spoiled.
I'll be permanently mentally and physically stunted for the rest of my life, and that stupid puzzle piece will be blamed on it, while credited for every positive thing I ever accomplish. Fuck that puzzle piece. It's not even a real disorder, it's just an excuse to neglect and abuse a kid instead of putting effort into knowing them.
That sounds like a fucking nightmare. I feel sorry for everyone who has to go through this.
ABA schools are still a thing??
Most likely. I was in one from 2005 to 2015 and watched kids deteriorate into violent monsters and mindless zombies. I honestly wish I was just euthanized, that's less fucked up.
I'm sorry you and others had/have to go through that. It's infuriating that anyone would do that.
Unfortunately autistic kids still today, because knowing that autism exists and is much more common than previously realised hasn't really stopped anyone, but rather just gives ableists more opportunities to express their ableism.
Pretty much the same energy when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed that there were no homosexuals in Iran and was laughed at promptly after.