New Study Finds ABA Therapy Linked to Higher Mental Health Hospitalization Risk: What Parents Should Know (2026)

A new study published in the journal Autism in February 2026 is raising questions among parents and clinicians alike: does Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy carry mental health risks for the children who receive it? The research, led by Nahime G. Aguirre Mtanous and colleagues at Ohio State University, found that autistic youth who received ABA therapy had 30% higher odds of a mental health hospitalization compared to a matched group of autistic youth who did not receive ABA.

If your child is currently in ABA therapy, or you are weighing whether to start, a headline like that can be alarming. Here is what the study actually found, what it does not show, and how to use this information to make sure your child is getting safe, high-quality care.

What the Study Found

Researchers analyzed private insurance claims data for a national sample of autistic youth under age 18. They matched 17,120 children who had received ABA therapy with 17,120 similar autistic children who had not, then grouped the ABA recipients into four dose categories based on the intensity of services they received.

The key findings were:

• 30% higher odds of mental health hospitalization among youth who received ABA compared to the matched non-ABA group (odds ratio 1.30, statistically significant)
• 32% higher rate of hospitalizations overall among the ABA group
• No significant link between ABA and either PTSD diagnoses or suicidality in this dataset
• No dose-response relationship — children who received more hours of ABA were not more likely to be hospitalized than children who received fewer hours

That last point matters. If ABA itself were driving the increased hospitalization risk in a straightforward way, you would generally expect more intensive therapy to correlate with more risk. The researchers did not find that pattern, and they were careful to note that more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions about cause and effect. The full study, indexed on PubMed, is available to clinicians and researchers who want to review the methodology in detail.

What the Study Does Not Show

It is important to understand what this research can and cannot tell us:

It shows an association, not a cause

This was an observational study using insurance claims, not a controlled clinical trial. Children are referred to ABA therapy because they are already showing significant behavioral, communication, or safety challenges. Those same underlying challenges, not the therapy itself, may be part of why some of these children later experience a mental health crisis. Researchers call this "confounding by indication," and it is one of the hardest problems to fully rule out in claims-based research like this.

It did not find a PTSD or suicidality link

Much of the public criticism of ABA in recent years has centered on claims that it causes trauma. This particular study, looking specifically at PTSD diagnoses and suicidality in insurance data, did not find a statistically significant association between ABA and either outcome.

It does not tell us why hospitalizations were higher

The study cannot say whether the hospitalizations were related to the ABA program itself, to co-occurring conditions, to family stress, to the severity of the child's needs, or to some other factor entirely. The authors themselves called for more detailed research before drawing conclusions about ABA's direct impact on mental health.

How This Fits Into the Broader ABA Research Picture

This study adds to a growing body of research examining both the benefits and the risks of ABA therapy. Other recent studies, including larger controlled-trial meta-analyses, have found meaningful gains in language, adaptive behavior, and cognitive skills for many children who receive ABA. At the same time, researchers and autistic self-advocates have pushed for more attention to the emotional and psychological wellbeing of children in therapy, not just their behavioral progress.

The honest takeaway is that ABA is not a monolith. Outcomes, both positive and negative, vary enormously depending on how a program is designed and delivered, who is providing it, and how closely it is tailored to an individual child.

What Parents Can Do With This Information

Rather than causing panic, this research is a useful prompt to look closely at the quality of care your child is receiving. Signs of a well-run, ethical ABA program include:

• A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) actively supervising the program, not just designing it and stepping away
• Regular, honest communication with families about progress, setbacks, and any changes in your child's mood or behavior at home
• Goals that prioritize communication, safety, and independence rather than compliance for its own sake
• A willingness to adjust the plan if your child seems distressed, is regressing, or is showing signs of increased anxiety
• Openness to parent observation of sessions and parent training as part of the program

If your child seems more anxious, withdrawn, or dysregulated since starting therapy, do not assume that is simply "part of the process." Raise it directly with your child's BCBA, and do not hesitate to ask for changes to the plan or a second opinion from another qualified provider.

Finding a Provider You Can Trust

The quality of the individual provider matters more than the modality label on the door. When you are evaluating an ABA provider, ask about their supervision ratios, how they handle behavior that challenges, how they involve families, and how they measure success beyond just reducing "problem behaviors."

ABA Navigator's provider directory can help you compare ABA therapy providers near you, review their credentials and services, and find a practice that fits your family's needs and values. Taking the time to vet a provider carefully is one of the most protective steps you can take for your child.

The Bottom Line

A well-designed 2026 study found that autistic youth who received ABA therapy had a higher rate of mental health hospitalizations than a matched group who did not, but it found no link to PTSD or suicidality, and no evidence that more therapy meant more risk. That combination of findings does not prove ABA is unsafe, but it is a legitimate signal that the field, and individual families, should keep paying close attention to the emotional wellbeing of children in therapy, not just their measurable skill gains.

If you have concerns about your child's current ABA program, talk to your BCBA directly, and use ABA Navigator to explore other qualified providers in your area if you decide a change is right for your family.