ABA and the Autism Partnership Method

A contested topic. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is both the most-researched behavioral intervention for autism and one of the most criticized by autistic self-advocates. This page presents both perspectives without endorsing either.

What ABA is

ABA is an intensive, structured teaching approach that breaks skills into small, measurable steps and teaches them through repeated practice and reinforcement (rewards that encourage a behavior to happen again), with careful data collection to track progress. Classic programs ran up to 40 hours a week, covering behavior, play, social skills, language, and self-help. Programs range from adult-directed (structured trials, often called DTT) to child-centered, built around your child's interests.

The clinical history

The foundational study, the UCLA Young Autism Project (Lovaas, 1987), worked with 38 young autistic children. Nineteen received an average of 40 hours a week of one-on-one ABA for two or more years; a comparison group received about 10 hours plus other services. The clinical source reports that 9 of the 19 intensive-group children reached what researchers called the "best outcome" — average-range IQ, general education placement, and no longer meeting diagnostic criteria — versus 1–2 in the comparison groups. Worth knowing: the 1987-era program did include punishment and aversive procedures, a fact the source acknowledges and one that later became a central focus of criticism.

Autism Partnership grew out of the UCLA project, co-founded in 1994 by Dr. Ronald Leaf and colleagues. Its approach is the Autism Partnership (AP) Method, or "Progressive ABA."

The AP Method ("Progressive ABA")

The core claim is "not all ABA is alike." Key contrasts it draws against "traditional" ABA:

• In-the-moment clinical judgement rather than a rigid protocol
• Daily supervision and performance-based staff training rather than weekly check-ins
• Natural delivery, continuous teaching, and group work alongside one-on-one
• Reinforcement through praise, activities, and engagement rather than food
• Ambitious, long-term goals: steady small daily gains over quick fixes
• A clinic-based model with peer exposure, plus school or home support as needed
• Parents as parents: you are essential, but encouraged to "be mom and dad," not the therapist

The criticism (neurodiversity perspective)

• Suppression vs. support. Critics argue that ABA's historic goal of making children "indistinguishable" from peers targets autistic traits — like stimming or avoiding eye contact — rather than building skills and wellbeing.
• Masking has costs. Performing typical behavior is not the same as being comfortable or healthy. As one autistic adult warns parents: successful masking does not mean "cured" — appearing typical can take constant, intense effort. Masking is increasingly linked to anxiety, burnout, and depression.
• Historical aversives. Modern providers say punishment is no longer used, but critics argue compliance-based goals can persist in subtler forms.
• "Recovery" framing. Language like "best outcome = indistinguishable" frames autism as something to eliminate; neurodiversity advocates frame it as a neurology to support, not cure.
• Counterpoints from proponents: contemporary ABA is described as play-based, assent-aware, and focused on functional skills and quality of life; many parents report meaningful gains, and behavioral approaches still carry the most research evidence in clinical guidelines.

This page takes no position. If you are evaluating an ABA provider, ask:

• Could any part of this harm my child?
• Are the goals about my child's skills and happiness, or about looking typical?
• How are assent and distress handled? Is reinforcement ever punitive?
• What data is collected, and can I see it?

This page is not medical advice. Observe sessions yourself, and involve your child's developmental pediatrician or local developmental services in the decision.