When my child was first diagnosed, everyone told me the same thing: “You need to start ABA right away.” It felt like there was no room to pause or even ask what it really was.
So, like many parents, I trusted the experts. I wanted to do what was best. But as time went on, something felt off. I watched my child work so hard to follow directions, to “behave,” but not to feel understood. The focus was always on what needed to stop, not on what my child was trying to say through their actions.
That’s when I started asking questions. Why do we treat behavior as the problem instead of the message? Why is compliance seen as progress?
Those questions led me to learn more about other approaches that value connection, sensory understanding, and communication. I realized that what my child needed wasn’t more control — it was more compassion.
