Member Emilyapojemma, is on the spectrum herself had this to say on your topic, below. Introspective and useful too. Thanks Emily!
" I'm 2-3 years late to this conversation, but wanted to agree with Buurd and add an observation of mine. As I got into training my birds, the obvious connections to ABA therapy for Autism came to mind. ABA is widely considered a form of abuse/torture at worst, and ineffective at best, by autistic adults. There's a savant-like quality and amazing potential for learning, along with features of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Birdtricks was my go-to until I dove into peer-reviewed research on my own (human & avian psych/behavior/neuro). I learned that avian brains likely resemble the actual structure of human autistic brains. So using draconian behavioral conditioning on a bird (what most conventional bird training influencers do) is unethical and not effective across all species.
My Caique enjoys the video of Jamie working with a WBC named Widget. I was disturbed however that a career trainer couldn't handle baby caique vocalizations and isolated the bird in a dark room at night, letting the bird cry out loudly. Caiques live up to 40 years in captivity, so they have slower psych/social development than a cockatiel or other small bird. Caiques--like primates!--stay in "baby" mode well past 1 year of age; the bird in the video was under 1 year, with baby plumage. Baby caiques did not evolve to self-soothe and fall asleep in alone in a dark room; this is obvious to any science/avian enthusiast, right? A quick google for photos of caiques in groups, in aviaries or in the wild, shows they sleep huddled together in tree cavities or some "cozy" environment. They are capable of burrowing and hollowing out living spaces for themselves, and in the home they will fight to sleep under your covers or anywhere other than a perch. They lack developed flight skills; sleeping exposed on a perch would instinctively feel unsafe for a penguin-like creature. A one-size-fits-all approach to avian behavior breaks down here, since parrots have evolved across various continents in all sorts of climates/ecosystems.
In the video, the poor baby caique refuses to sleep, and Jamie discusses how her family was struggling with the noise--though this was a paid gig. Birds "roost" at night prior to actual sleep. This bird was essentially feeling orphaned and expressing confusion & healthy fear. Widget only fell asleep after the BT family put her in a different cage/sleeping location--the attention from a "flock" plus exhaustion from screaming is likely what caused her to sleep.
The thing is--if you talk to any caique owner--you'd know it's a fool's errand to make a caique sleep alone in a dark room or closet. Caiques usually sleep in a smaller cage, in a room near another bird or family member. There's a level of mild grifting or just ego in making instructional videos about a species about which you are not super knowledgeable. It feels less than ethical to take on a "project bird" only to confuse them during their crucial psychological attachment stage; in the wild a caique that age would sleep cuddled with a family/kinship group in which they're learning secure attachment. The "screaming" is communication of a need, not a behavioral problem.
No hate to Birdtricks, as this is more of a critique of a common training modality I find problematic. I've switched my own training method to one influenced by the Montessori method, Jen Cunha's "Parrot Kindergarten," and sensory-friendly techniques that work well for neurodivergent humans (think: Occupational Therapy instead of ABA therapy). The week I switched from techniques like "ignore the screaming bird" to techniques rooted in research, my Caique started talking more (in place of screeching) and using communication methods like flashcards, "yes/no" training, etc. to get needs met (see: Jen Cunha's work). It is night & day. These animals must be regarded as sentient and capable of sophisticated communication; otherwise you'll find yourself managing screaming all day and functioning essentially as a prison guard. If that floats your boat, so be it."
