In this episode of Autistic Advocacy, hosts Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry, LPP are joined by advocates Winter and Kat to discuss a deeply concerning push to mandate ABA therapy in Kentucky public schools.

Together, they break down why this legislation is harmful, what it means for autistic students, and how our community can unite to resist it.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• ABA is unethical: It focuses on modifying outward behaviours without honouring inner experiences.
• Deficit model harm: ABA seeks to make autistic kids “look neurotypical,” regardless of the trauma and masking it causes.
• Trauma & risk: ABA deepens internalized ableism and significantly increases suicide risk among autistic individuals.
• Rooted in eugenics: Advocates call out ABA’s colonialist, cure-focused ideology as outdated and dangerous.
• Better alternatives exist: Invest in teacher training, hire autistic educators, build sensory rooms, and even bring in class support animals. These supports are affirming, not abusive.
• Burnout is real: Constantly fighting these battles exhausts autistic advocates—this work must be shared by the community.
• Call to action: Organize against Kentucky’s HCR 51 before it advances. Connect autistic-led orgs, amplify autistic voices, and demand real, compassionate supports in schools.

👤 Guest Bios

Winter

Winter (they/them) is an autistic educator, writer, and activist based in Kentucky. They are the founder of Translunar Academy, a project dedicated to creating neurodiversity-affirming educational spaces that honour curiosity, autonomy, and authentic self-expression. As the co-lead of Autistics United Kentucky, Winter organizes state-wide advocacy efforts, legislative resistance, and community-building events.

Kat

Kat (she/they) is an autistic advocate and community organizer with Autistics United Kentucky. Her work centres on fighting systemic ableism, educating the public on the harms of ABA, and uplifting autistic voices in policy conversations. She is especially passionate about building networks of mutual aid and support among disabled and neurodivergent people in the South.

Show notes and resources:

• Kentucky House concurrent Resolution 51
• Kentucky Advisory Council on Autism 
• Mandatory ABA lived-experience - ABA Abuse Traumatizes Autistic Teen (A First Hand Account)
• The Great Big ABA Opposition Resource List
• Milton’s Double Empathy Study
• Winter’s website: Translunar Academy
• Find Winter’s advocacy group: Autistics United Kentucky Facebook and Instagram

Related Episodes:

Bad Autism Diagnosis

Sesame Street is Autistic

The Trouble with Temple

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