If you’ve ever questioned the system—the rigid, insurance-shaped world of autism therapy that insists ABA is the only “evidence-based” model—then you already know what it feels like to run headfirst into the wall of status quo. What may surprise you is just how many professionals inside that system are starting to feel the same way.
A recent research paper led by Dr. Elizabeth Torres, a neuroscientist and previous guest on The Lighter Side of the Spectrum, confirms what so many parents, autistic individuals, and forward-thinking clinicians have been sensing for years: the tide is turning. Quietly, unevenly—but undeniably. And this time, the data comes directly from the very people tasked with upholding the old model: Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs).
In The Time Is Ripe for the Renaissance of Autism Treatments, Dr. Torres and her team surveyed over 170 BCBAs from across the United States. What they found wasn’t more defensiveness or dogma—it was openness. An overwhelming 93% of respondents expressed interest in incorporating additional treatment modalities beyond traditional ABA. Nearly 90% said they were ready to explore wearable biosensors to track emotional and behavioral states with more precision. And more than 75% said they wanted more training in neuroscience to better understand the children they serve. These aren’t critics shouting from the outside. These are professionals reflecting from within.
The study also surfaced a set of shared frustrations that many families will find familiar: standardized protocols that leave no room for nuance, limited training around emotional regulation, and burnout driven by insurance demands and rigid documentation requirements. Perhaps most telling was the admission that engaging with families—something most of these professionals deeply value—is often a major source of stress, not because parents are combative, but because the system gives providers neither the time nor the tools to do that work well. That’s not a personnel problem. That’s a structural failure.
But this isn’t just a critique. What makes this study so important is that it offers a vision for something better. Torres and her team point toward therapies grounded in developmental neuroscience, tools that measure nervous system states in real time rather than relying solely on surface behaviors, and care models that integrate multiple disciplines—occupational therapy, speech, relationship-based practices, co-regulation support, and trauma-informed care. At the heart of this vision is a different set of values: curiosity, flexibility, autonomy, and respect. It’s a model that sees the child not just as a bundle of behaviors, but as a full human being.
So what do we do with this?
We start by listening. We share the paper with our providers, our school teams, our elected officials. We ask our BCBAs, “What would you add to your practice if you could?” We push for training programs that don’t wall off neuroscience, motor development, and emotional regulation as separate fields. We challenge the myth that one method—and one billing code—should define the path of every autistic child. And most of all, we take seriously the opportunity this moment presents: to build a future of autism care that is rooted in science and compassion, innovation and relationship, data and dignity.
Because when professionals inside the walls of a dominant model begin to name their limits, their burnout, and their desire for change, we should pay attention. Change doesn’t always start with protests and headlines. Sometimes it starts with a quiet reckoning—an honest look in the mirror by the very people we’ve been told were the guardians of “best practices.”
The families and children have been ready. The professionals are finally speaking. And yes—its about time.
