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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Reference: Lovaas, O. I. (1978). Parents as therapists. In Autism: A reappraisal of concepts and treatment (pp. 369-378). Boston, MA: Springer US.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

So this is just saying, fuck the poor, you need to be a one income household to treat your autistic child. And also this is America, so private healthcare from a Stanford quack is prohibitively expensive anyways. So no matter what the poor autistic children gets to be institutionalised!

Quotation which reads: " Once a child is accepted for treatment, the parents are informed about the time requirements for treatment, namely, that one of them (usually the mother, since for financial reasons the father most often works) will be expected to work with the child for most of the day for at least one year. If both parents work, this necessitates one of them quitting work, postponing having more children, and the like. If the parents understand and agree to that, they sign a legal contract with us which states in general terms what they can expect from us, and what we will expect from them. For example, the family is allowed to miss only two clinic visits per month."

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Pumpkin Spice8Rack @spice8rack.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I BEG YOUR FUCKING PARDON EXCUSE ME WHAT?? As if I didn't already think the @uwotc-official.bsky.social was NECESSARY.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Reference: Lovaas, O. I., Varni, J. W., Koegel, R. L., & Lorsch, N. (1977). Some observations on the nonextinguishability of children's speech. Child Development, 1121-1127.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Just to drive the nail into the coffin, the neurotypical kids GET THE SAME GRAPH LAYOUT ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

A set of three graphs from three neurotypical children. This shows private (non-social communication), social communication and incomprehensible communication. Each graph goes from 0-30% rates of communication. Each child has around 0-5% social communication.

The first child's graph shows similar levels of private and incomprehensible speech with only a couple spikes of incomprehensible speech around 30%. Otherwise they are around 15% though dips at one point to around 3%.

The second child's graph shows higher levels of incomprehensible speech and shows and increase in such speech towards the end of the graph. The child's private speech fluctuates from 5% to 15%.

The third child has similar levels of private and incomprehensible speech, only ever peaking at around 15%, and averaging closer to 8%.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

And why is the same child's data in two different locations having two different axes. It feels like it is deliberate to trick people into thinking the data is more interesting than it really is. Or they just don't consider readability to be important considerations for their paper. Or both.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

These graphs are so fucking bad. Like not only are they very difficult to compare with one another, some have innane choices. Why is the gap between 12% and 24% the same as the gap between 6-8% ON THE SAME GRAPH?

Image 1: A set of two graphs from two different autistic children on their rates of private (non social) and incomprehensible dialogue when alone. The first graph ranges from 0 to 70% duration of speech, showing incomprehensible evenly between 0 and 10% whilst private goes up and down from 65% to 5%.
The second graph ranges from 0 to 90% and only shows private speech. The child starts at 30% and gradually evens out to around 70% average speech.

Image 2: A set of two graphs from the data of one autistic child. The first are rates of private (non social) and social communication whilst the child was in the bathroom. The graph goes from 0-8% in increments of 2% before jumping to 12-24% which is about as large a gap as the 6-8% margin below it. The graph shows the child's social speech jumping from 8 to 24% initially before dropping down to 0% by 15 sessions where it stabilises. The private speech sits around 5% though looks like a much more dramatic difference.

The second graph is from 0-10% rates of communication but only shows private communication. The rate is consistently around 3% with one jump to 10%. Again, this looks more dramatic because of the scale used.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Reference: Lovaas, O. I. (1978). Parents as therapists. In Autism: A reappraisal of concepts and treatment (pp. 369-378). Boston, MA: Springer US.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

But especially not during a very difficult time for both a child with high support needs autism and a parent who is going through a lot of emotions to see their child in a clinical setting.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

So this is part of a larger explanation in which Lovaas outlines his treatment plan for autistic children who need outpatient psychiatric care. And as an ex undergraduate student let me speak for all of us when I say that we should not be in the room whilst anyone is first accessing treatment.

Quotation which reads: " Typically, the first treatment session begins with the child and the treatment team (which consists of the clinic supervisor, parent, a graduate student, and three or four undergraduate student volunteers) together in one room."

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Gavin Lingiah 🧬⚖️ @gav1nx.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Andy Burnham: We shall improve society a little bit. Conservatives:

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Peter Smith @redpeter99.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Unlike Simon Clarke, I was alive during the 1970s. A combination of low inequality, low crime and aspects of culture made 1976 one of the happiest years on record in the UK. The IMF bailout had zero impact. Lesson for Simon, happiness is not just a function of wealth.

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Pumpkin Spice8Rack @spice8rack.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

CW// Rape I despise seeing "mistake" used RE: The Cornell 7. It's a "mistake" to make an Instagram group chat when sending the same reel to multiple friends. These men (allegedly) deployed digital communication infrastructure for the purpose of organising sexual abuse. They're not the same thing.

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Robert Evans (the Only Robert Evans) @iwriteok.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

you gotta appreciate that the Bechdel cast has 49% of the vote and the official Harry Potter film podcast is sitting at 5% (This is because the Bechdel cast has actual fans)

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Reference: Lovaas, O. I., Varni, J. W., Koegel, R. L., & Lorsch, N. (1977). Some observations on the nonextinguishability of children's speech. Child Development, 1121-1127.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Hi Lovaas, hate your work and am glad you are dead, just one question...WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEIR AGES ARE RANGING IN TWO OVERLAPPING BOUNDARIES?! WHAT CRYPTIC BULLSHIT IS THIS? SHOULD I GO TO A SPHINX AND ANSWER RIDDLES THREE TO GET THEIR AGE RANGE?!

Quotation which reads: " Their average chronological age was 4 years (ranging from 3-5 to 4-9)"

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Reference: Lovaas, O. I., Varni, J. W., Koegel, R. L., & Lorsch, N. (1977). Some observations on the nonextinguishability of children's speech. Child Development, 1121-1127.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Reading this again and I am hit with the realisation that perhaps I have read too many horrific scientific papers that just auditory recordings of people in a bathroom without informed consent is background radiation...I need to touch grass for a little bit.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Look, on the one hand it is just auditory recordings. On the other hand, it's auditory recordings of a young disabled girl between the age of 10-16 in the bathroom. It's just profoundly gross and invasive as well as completely unnecessary.

Quotation which reads: " The ward staff reported that [Redacted] spent considerable time in the bathroom, where she would exhibit considerable delayed echolalia. Therefore, we also recorded her verbal behavior in that setting by attaching a microphone to her shirt with a lightweight (3-pound) cassette recorder in a small backpack designed especially for her. The recordings were started as soon as she entered the room and were terminated some 30 min later when she was taken out."

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Reference: Rosen, A. C., Rekers, G. A., & Bentler, P. M. (1978). Ethical issues in the treatment of children. Journal of Social Issues, 34(2), 122-136.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Also, also, my genitals are rightfully my property so I will change them how I like. Kiss my ass and my new gentials.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Also children having active imaginations and a less than realistic understanding of anatomy is pretty normal especially when they haven't had sex education. They are not deviant, you just haven't explained the mechanics by which it won't work for them. Because you're all conservative fuckwits.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Let me answer these in order. Yes. No. Considering you define corrective as conversion therapy, it is never far enough. No. Yes. Glad we could hash those out.

Quotation which reads: " We must consider carefully what we call “deviant,” however. It has been alleged that transsexual, transvestic, or homosexual behavior is deviant or pathological only in the eyes of a skewed society with distorted and antiquated social standards. But is that indeed always true? If a boy believes that he can bear children and wishes to do so, and wears maternity clothes, is this not deviant? How far must this belief go before one identifies it as requiring corrective efforts? If a person states that his or her genitals are not rightfully his or her property and wishes them surgically altered, isn’t that pathological? Should penectomy in a transsexual be an elective surgical procedure, as is the cosmetic removal of a wart or the procedure of face-lifting?"

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Reference: Rosen, A. C., Rekers, G. A., & Bentler, P. M. (1978). Ethical issues in the treatment of children. Journal of Social Issues, 34(2), 122-136.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Furthermore, "caricature feminine movements" feels like they watched children play games, where they always act like caricatures and ascribed it a moral value because it was not same-sex behaviour. Or they finally saw a John Waters movie.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I love the idea of an extreme preference for feminine activities. Like you see a boy playing with a Barbie and go "NOOOOOOOO", as you dive to dramatically knock the doll out of their hand.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Reference: Rosen, A. C., Rekers, G. A., & Bentler, P. M. (1978). Ethical issues in the treatment of children. Journal of Social Issues, 34(2), 122-136.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Finally, the cis people are getting called out

Quotation which reads: "There are four general types of childhood gender disturbance: (a) compulsively feminine boys, (b) compulsively masculine (“macho”) boys, (c) compulsively feminine girls, and (d) compulsively masculine (extremely “tomboyish”) girls."

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Reference: Rosen, A. C., Rekers, G. A., & Bentler, P. M. (1978). Ethical issues in the treatment of children. Journal of Social Issues, 34(2), 122-136.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Don't get me wrong, it has gotten better. But there is still that constant undercurrent that children should be safeguarded from having free will and actual control over their lives when it comes to their own care and health. Especially things which are deeply intimate to the individual person.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Ladies, gentlemen and those whose gender transcends the binary. I present to you, the clearest summation of the issues with developmental and child psychology.

Quotation which reads: " We do not believe it possible to obtain proper consent from the child which truly satisfies the legal criteria of being informed and competent."

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Since I am taking a while to write up my next essay, I thought I would start writing more informal essays on my Ko-fi. If you join my Ko-fi at Moon Tier you get access to my u̷n̷h̷i̷n̷g̷e̷d̷ ̷r̷a̷n̷t̷s̷ informal essays. I've got two up relating to Lovaas' work. ko-fi.com/lowrisagender

ko-fi.com

Support Lowri's Agender

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The Onion @theonion.com · 18/09/2026

Trans Teen Hatches Nefarious Plot To Undergo Years Of Medical Treatments And Counseling To Win At Swimming theonion.com/trans-teen-hatches-nef…

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Reference: Rekers, G. A., Bentler, P. M., Rosen, A. C., & Lovaas, O. I. (1977). Child gender disturbances: A clinical rationale for intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 14(1), 2.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Its also worth noting they call transgender and deviant people handicapped later on. Truly astounding work.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Sure my feet and legs cause chronic paim, I need to take iron tablets so I am not constantly tired and I am so mentally unwell I have been in therapy on and off for various conditions since I was 18. But my real issue is the fact I look great in a corset. Truly the worst burden I must shoulder.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

When I think of my disabilities, of course the first thing I think of is that I want to wear a dress. Look, being trans or gender deviant causes social issues but those do not constitute a disability. It's just prejudice. It would be like saying being gay is a- No wait they think that is too.

Quotation which reads: " The insistent nature of such compulsive wishes to cross-dress can have serious disabling consequences. In adults they may range from an interference with normal heterosexual relationships to a continuing sense of shame and fear of disclosure which can be extremely disabling."

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Ali Trotta @alwayscoffee.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This is the dumbest thing I’ve read in ages. This is not accurate. This is some sci-fi bro woo woo nonsense. Please do not take this seriously.

Will Stancil writing: Yes, Als think. You can read their thoughts as they have them. Al companies hide the Al's thoughts because other Al companies might read them and use those thoughts to train their own Als. This is all very strange and astonishing science fiction territory but it's real.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Reference: Rekers, G. A., Bentler, P. M., Rosen, A. C., & Lovaas, O. I. (1977). Child gender disturbances: A clinical rationale for intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 14(1), 2.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Look it is possible they talked to people outside of clinical settings but I don't believe any of these authors were exactly at drag balls or into John Waters. Although one of them did have a proclivity for twinks at least.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Gee, I wonder why the gender deviant adults who clinicans interact with would all want elimination of their gender deviance. I wonder if there is some reason this group would specifically want this. A bias in the sample one might say.

Quotation which reads: "With rare exception, adults who demonstrate such compulsive cross-dressing recognize it as at least awkward and in many instances, disruptive and distressing. The elimination of such behavior is actively sought by many and is seen by them as a desirable therapeutic outcome."

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Reference:Rekers, G. A., Bentler, P. M., Rosen, A. C., & Lovaas, O. I. (1977). Child gender disturbances: A clinical rationale for intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 14(1), 2.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

One of the many problems with this being that they are just making kids once again conform to their version of normality and not actually allowing gender diversity.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Or rather, that they are more in line with the, at the time, modern idea of androgyny or gender neutrality, whereby boys and girls could explore and embody both forms of sex typed behaviour.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This might be me reading in a modern context, but there is a degree to which this paper seems to be stating that it is progressive of them to do conversion therapy.

Quotation which reads: "These boys would be more acceptable to both male and female peers if they could overcome their deficit in and aversion to masculine behavior, and reduce the frequency of stereotyped feminine behaviors. That is, it would be helpful to provide for each youngster the opportunity for the full range rather than a restricted range of gender role behaviors."

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Reference: Rekers, G. A., Bentler, P. M., Rosen, A. C., & Lovaas, O. I. (1977). Child gender disturbances: A clinical rationale for intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 14(1), 2.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Plus there is something funny about a child wearing clothes of the opposite gender being called "a compulsive stereotyped transvestic behaviour" and a "deeply ingrained, chronic maladaptive pattern of behaviour." Like oh no, Timmy wore a dress, he must be doomed!

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

And then to say "legitimate clinical constellation" just reeks of insecurity. If it's legitimate you really don't need to emphasise that it is and can just explain how it is.

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Lowri @lowrisagender.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I found this passage infinitely funny in both it's pettiness and insecurity. Like calling people "engrossed" with the problem of gender identity just to postulate your own system with no backing.

Quotation which reads: " Although the recent investigators have become engrossed with the problem of gender identity (e.g., Green, 1974, who uses the term "sexual identity conflict"), our own research indicates that within the general class of male childhood gender problems there are two major syndromes. First, boys with ''gender identity disturbance'' (also referred to as ' 'cross-gender identity") have assumed the sex-role identity of the female (cf., definition by Green, 1968). In addition to evidencing feminine behavior, the boy with gender identity disturbance wishes to be or believes himself to be a girl. Second, we propose that "gender behavior disturbance" is a legitimate clinical constellation distinct from disturbance in gender identity. The gender behavior disturbed boy exhibits feminine sex typed behaviors to a greater or lesser degree without evidencing a female core identity. This syndrome has been overlooked by previous writers, but is a significant clinical entity accompanied by child adjustment difficulties as well as a prognosis for compulsive stereotyped transvestic behaviors in adulthood. Neither of these syndromes is transient in nature, but rather are characterized by deeply ingrained, chronic maladaptive patterns of behavior in childhood."

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