UPDATE: My son with autism was kicked out of ABA Therapy

I won’t keep the suspense any longer: After discharging Charlie from ABA Therapy due to him not meeting the required 80% of recommended hours, Charlie’s ABA Therapy Center agreed to be flexible with their policy so Charlie could attend both school and ABA Therapy.

The need for flexible ABA Therapy

In an era dominated by “cancel culture,” I believe it’s essential to forgive and allow individuals and companies the opportunity to make mistakes and grow from them. Plus, you know, you gotta give that positive reinforcement. 😉 After I expressed my disappointment with Charlie’s discharge from ABA therapy for not meeting 80% of the recommended hours, his center contacted me, held internal discussions, and ultimately addressed all my concerns.

3 positive outcomes from my discussion with Charlie’s ABA center:

1- Charlie will have a full 40-hour schedule during the summer (YAY!)

2- Charlie will continue with ABA therapy for two days a week during the school year

3- Charlie’s private ABA team will continue to collaborate closely with his school team, and we will reevaluate the situation in a few months.

Would they have changed their mind if I hadn’t made that blog post?

You might be thinking, “Well, they only changed their mind because you called them out publicly.” While that may be true, I did not mention them by name. Regardless, the outcome for Charlie is positive. The many comments from others who had experienced similar situations likely highlighted the broader issue within the ABA field, prompting the center to act and align itself with the right side of history.

I will continue to share the positives and negatives of ABA therapy, but I also believe in forgiving and giving people a second chance when they rectify their mistakes.

I hope that Charlie’s center’s change in stance will encourage other ABA providers to be more flexible with school-aged children. It shouldn’t be 40 hours of ABA Therapy or nothing. ABA isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach; if a mix of school hours and direct ABA is working for the child, then that should be the deciding factor. 

Listen to people’s experiences with ABA Therapy, don’t get defensive, learn and grow. Together, we can make ABA better.