“Building a Person”: Legal and Clinical Personhood for Autistic and Trans Children in Ontario
Pyne (2020)
In the 1960s and 70s, two behaviour modification programs were developed at UCLA—one aimed at eliminating feminine behaviours in boys, and the other at removing so-called problem behaviours in autistic children. The former evolved into conversion therapy, while the latter became Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). This article traces the intertwined histories of both practices in the context of Ontario, Canada, examining laws, case studies, media, and clinical literature. The author argues that legal bans on LGBT conversion therapy required a fundamental shift in how society understands what it means to be human—a shift not yet extended to autistic, and especially autistic queer, teenagers. The piece critiques how ABA continues to be rooted in the idea of constructing a person from a ‘shell,’ denying full personhood to many autistic individuals.
Disclaimer: discusses applied behavioural analysis, conversion therapy, child abuse, ableism.
