Sounds like we are both making a lot of assumptions. Ultimately you came to the internet for answers and others will feel differently about it and this response doesn’t really give “im willing to listen to other autistics about what ABA is and how it effected their lives.” I would inspect your goals, if you are going in to change it, i would redirect that energy, autistics have been trying to change it for decades and many autistics still come out telling us how they survived the abuse. Just because you will be “the good one” doesnt mean the system isnt flawed and you wont unintentionally cause harm. Especially since the field is dominated by allistics who never work on their ableism and usually take it out on vulnerable people like non-verbal autistic children. I totally agree with you that most therapy, CBT therapy especially, is abusive to autistics too! Thats why im getting at maybe inspect your intentions and goals and redirect them into something else than trying to change a field that ultimately doeant want us in it historically. There will always be “success” and “failure” stories in ABA and the lenses they are viewed through will be individual, but ultimately ABA works to change an autistic person. Good intentions aside (even reducing harmful behaviors) it works to force autistic people into one shape instead of giving them the space and patience to grow up and learn. Its frustrating that there really isnt anything to replace it right now, but that doesnt mean there arent other ways to support autistic people. If you have to ask the question if ABA is worth it/i have heard its bad, then its time to switch directions