All kinds of experiences are welcome. All ages over 18 are welcome. All communication methods are welcome including AAC.
Hi! I’m a neurodivergent (autistic adjacent) PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology working on a qualitative doctoral dissertation. I’m interviewing autistic adults about their memories of childhood Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and their thoughts and feelings about the long-term effects of it. There is still very little academic research bringing visibility to autistic experiences of childhood behavioral treatments, and stories from autistic adults have continued to be marginalized. All kinds of experiences (hard, helpful, a mix, or something else) are welcome. All ages over 18 are welcome. All communication methods are welcome including AAC.
I’d be thrilled to support other researchers and advocates, and also to engage in conversation about my work. In addition to this research, I am passionate about pursuing and understanding effective psychotherapy for the neurodivergent community.
Project team
- Ramana Gasch – researcher, PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology
- Dr. Camille Jarmie Harris – Dissertation Chair
- Dr. Monique Botha – External Reader
- Dr. Claire Mercurio – Internal Reader
- Amazing participants whose identities are confidential
Results to date
This research is focused on autistic adults who were in any kind of intensive ABA-based therapy 3 or more days/week when they were 7 years old or younger. All genders, all communication methods, and all backgrounds are welcome. This particular study is about ABA therapy, not ABA-based schools. My university’s ethics board does not approve studies with compensation, so this is not paid research.
Still actively searching for participants!
Relevant domains and disciplines
Critical Autism Studies
Critical Disability Studies
Behavioral Sciences
Clinical Psychology
Qualitative psychological research
Participating organisations
Researcher is a PhD candidate at Pacifica Graduate Institute