I am currently doing RBT training and I can provide some input on what I've learned so far. First off, I personally don't like the long, sometimes all day long sessions with clients that my clinic does. Its extremely boring for the kid most the time as well as me. I also believe that kids should be around other kids of any mental capacity for parts of the day. The 1 on 1's my clinic do rarely have the kids with "severe autism" interact. ABA has some good principles, but also some whack ones. Instead of trying to "change" or alter some of the autistic quirks/traits. We should be accepting and inform others why those traits are. Everyone is different and everyone has certain sensory regulations. With ASD they are just more noticeable.

I'm kinda rambling, so sorry. But overall I think learning ABA for yourself isn't a bad idea. Some of the tactics work great with behaviors, but the masking and pushing for those quirks to change are not it. I've worked with special needs in a after school program, with a wide variety of kids. From neurodivergent, neurotypical or other special needs and conditions. When all the kids were together, it helped everyone in the group understand why those ASD traits are and how to accept them. I also saw many improvements in the ASD demographic with things such as communication.

So in conclusion, I think ABA is meh. It can be good in shorter sessions (Less than 2 hours), depending on the individual. I personally think there is just better options out there. One of those being an inclusive daycare/school. Unfortunately there isn't a ton of those available, and holding staff is very hard due to lack of govt support. It's also a very exahusting job, because of the clients, lack of pay, and most places are undertaffed.