Ethics
The article of Dawson (2004) discussed the ethical issue of the entitlement of autistics to human rights just like normal people. Under the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) which provides a treatment for children with autism, the skills training of the children should start at a young age to familiarize themselves to develop skills in the natural setting. Although these children appear to be different from the rest of the children, they are still entitled to human rights since they need special care and attention from their parents and other family members. The report of Dawson (2004) presented a litany of mistake and worthlessness of autistic children who have been afflicted with this condition. In fact, there are even some parents of the children with autism who have remained quiet and did not oppose the exaggerated views of the behaviorists. It is highly unethical for the autism-ABA industry to use disparaging opinions about autism only for the purpose of being paid by the community. Such approach had become the successful strategy for the autism-ABA industry to sustain the financial and other needs of the patients. As a result, for the purpose of developing attention from the public, the autism-ABA industry resorted to elaborate on the previously exploited repulsion and dismay over autism as well as the autistics (Dawson, 2014).
Further, the article explained how the parents and their industry have promoted autistics as insignificant agents of financial, social, and personal destruction. The parents and the entire autism industry have advertised these children with autism as insignificant representatives of personal, communal, and economic damage (Dawson, 2004). Some of them even resorted to sensationalism, both emotional and economic blackmail, where even lawyers took part. The autism industry also deals with lawyers who dedicate themselves in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) incidents who contributed to sensationalizing the negative reports on autism.
Dawson (2004) has reported that “Auton” is a legitimate and sanctioned collection of autistic mistake and futility that was compiled by behaviorists. These behaviorists claim that in the absence of ABA, the government believes that it is doomed to fail at all cost. Auton is the report that collects data and information from the parents of autistic children and the entire autism-ABA industry due to the unethical dissent (Gray, 1993). The Supreme Court’s request re: Auton disseminate is biased since it only covers information that out of the 64 autistics, only one of them has expressed an improvement even without the required treatment. Such ruling of Justice Allan demands condemnation due to its all-encompassing decision that had spread across the field of autism. Dawson (2004) argued that only one among the 64 persons involved in the study had included some patients who are at least 50 years of age were described to be “psychotic”. It is disappointing that such information manifest dishonesty. It is unethical and immoral to employ dishonesty and falsehood by manipulating a fresh report of Auton.
In fact, one behaviorist expert appeared before the Supreme Court to give a statement under oath that any musical talent will be put to waste among the autistics since they cannot learn obedience and conformity through ABA. Therefore, even if autistics do not progress or develop like ordinary people, they are still entitled to be given human rights for the simple fact that they are also human beings. To defy the ethics of the autism and ABA community will necessitate the position that autistics should be regarded as human beings with human rights. It is unfortunate that the modern society practice inequality by regarding the poverty of autistic social outcomes, despite their abilities which redounds to the conclusion that they are not afforded with rights and do not entitle to any ethical considerations (Dawson, 2004).
References
Dawson, M. (2004). The Misbehavior of Behaviourists: Ethical Challenges to the Autism-ABA Industry” Michelle Dawson. Web. October 7, 2013, Retrieved from
http://www.sentex.net/~nexus23/naa_aba.html.
Gray, D. E. (1993). Perceptions of Stigma: The Parents of Autistic Children. Sociology of Health and Illness.15(1), pp. 102-120.
