One of the newest rebrands of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is “play-based ABA.” At first glance, it feels reassuring to parents and educators who have heard the critiques of traditional ABA. Instead of a child sitting at a table with flashcards, they’re now on the floor surrounded by toys, pretending with dolls or rolling cars across the carpet. The therapist smiles, joins the play, and reassures: “See? We’re not drilling or punishing — we’re just playing.” But underneath
