Research: ABA Therapy

In this article by Lisa Jo Rudy, she compares ABA (applied behavior analysis) therapy to the rewards and consequences system that can be found in everyday life. She asks what is so different between this basic system and ABA therapy and criticizes ABA therapy for being too similar to typical parenting techniques. Human beings are motivated by these tactics, whether they are typically developing or diagnosed with autism. She uses several examples of this rewards/consequences system for both children and adults. An example for a child may be, "Clean your plate or you won't get your dessert" and for an adult, "Do your job well and you could get a raise or a bonus" I find this critique especially interesting because it exposes the simplicity of ABA therapy and lack of real creativity. This article begs several questions about ABA therapy and it's true nature.