September 17th, 2026
Dear CBS News Philadelphia,
We are writing in response to your video “How Applied Behavior Analysis, the Gold Standard of Autism Therapy, Works” by Stephanie Stahl. We were pleased to see you highlight ABA as a scientifically supported intervention. We also appreciate the video’s efforts in identifying some of the early signs of autism that families may not recognize. Additionally, we appreciate the how the video highlighted the importance of evidence-based therapies and how utilizing behaviorally-based methods like prompting and positive reinforcement within intervention can support improvements in behavior, communication, and increased independence. This video does an excellent job both educating families about the support ABA can provide and steering them away from treatments that are misleading or lack solid research support.
Specifically, we wanted to highlight the portion of the video where Denny, a young child with autism, appears to experience a sudden regression and loss of speech. We value that the video acknowledges that, although there is no cure for autism, treatments exist that can support individuals experiencing similar regressions in communication, as seen with Denny. Highlighting a real-life situation like this can offer hope to caregivers navigating similar experiences and feeling overwhelmed by them. In addition to addressing functional communication challenges, ABA can also help children with autism build independent living skills and develop coping strategies for managing behavioral challenges. Including that additional information may have strengthened the video.
Lastly, the video mentioned the importance of early intervention for children with autism. By sharing this information, it can encourage families to seek evidence-based support early during very critical years of development.
We at ASAT advocate for science-based treatments for individuals with autism. Given ASAT’s mission, we appreciate the video’s attention towards promoting awareness for autism and evidenced-based autism intervention. We would also like to thank the creators for showcasing the first-hand experiences of families as they seek support and navigate assessment and intervention options for their child.
Thank you,
Jasmine Baig, BASc, RECE, Extern
Reva Mathieu, EdD., BCBA-D, ASAT Media Corner Co-Coordinator
