[FEAT BC Admin]

In this discussion area, please feel free to share your experience in implementing A.B.A. programs in the school system. We would particularly like to hear from those parents who converted their school teams to A.B.A. We’d like to hear the nightmares as well as the success stories.

Any insight that can be shared by school-based special education assistants to help parents would also be very meaningful.

Topic

[Chen Tan]

We are looking for a Kindergarten for my son who has PDD-NOS. We are very flexible in terms of locations as we are planning to move anyways.

We are not sure if private schools will be better compare to public schools as they tend to have smaller classes, but I heard that private school will not get enough funding from the Ministry and may not have the resources to support children with ASD. So your opinion and experiences with either the private school or the public school will be much appreciated.

We are thinking about either North Vancouver or West Vancouver area. Do you know any school in particular that is real good/experienced with children with ADS?

Also what criteria should we look for a school: size of the class? Qualifications of the support personnel? Any input would be appreciated.

Please email to tc_1015@hotmail.com

Thanks!

[Jane Parker]

IEP question: I have been told that no changes can be made to my son's IEP in terms of long term goals. I wish to have the wording changed and a few of the objectives moved to a different goal area where they will fit better. I have been told "no". I was under the impression that IEP were "living documents" and parents were always welcome to be involved / have input. This is not what is happening with my child's IEP. I will not be signing the document until I am clear what rights I have. Any advice would be appreciated!
janeparker1@live.ca

[Dione Costanzo]

Here is an article highlighting the success of ABA in schools. Edcom is a Surrey district publication. The link to the edition containing this article is here https://www.surreyschools.ca/ParentServices/EdComParentNewspaper/Documents/Edcom_November_2012.pdf

Edcom NOW – Volume 8, Edition 4
November 2012

When Nic Robins was in Grade 5, something happened that would change his life forever. He met applied behaviour analysis (ABA) support worker Craig Rudder. “Craig changed Nic’s life, and ours, too,” says Nic’s mom, Nancy Robins. “If it hadn’t been for ABA, Nic would probably be in an institution.”
A student at North Surrey Secondary, Nic is among a growing population of Canadian children with autism spectrum disorder, a neurological condition resulting in developmental disabilities. Autism affects communication, social understanding and behaviour and is the most common neurological disorder of childhood.

In Nic’s case, he used to scream all the time and spoke only a handful of words. Although he went to school and was cared for, he wasn’t learning anything. Robins believed Nic’s experience at school was the one step back to the two steps forward he was making with the behaviour interventionists Robins had hired to work with Nic at home.

“The last thing a parent of an autistic child wants to do is lose progress,” says Robins.

Applied behaviour analysis is the process of breaking tasks into small teachable parts and then reinforcing the learning and demonstration of those parts. This is done for life skills and academic work.

While Nic’s homebased specialist employed ABA, there were no such specialists working in public education in B.C. The Surrey School District recognized the value of ABA back in 2001 by providing training in applied behaviour analysis to education assistants. But that was only an interim measure as the district soon began working on a specific ABA training and certification program to be delivered by Surrey College. By September 2006 the first 20 dedicated ABA support workers were hired in the district. Today, the district has more than 100 ABA support workers, each working one-on-one with a child who has autism. So sought-after is their expertise that parents from Langley and Delta cross boundaries to send their children here.

“Nic’s not just going to school; he’s actually learning,” says Robins. “I know it sounds odd but because of Craig, he’s actually able to learn at school.”

At North Surrey Secondary, Nic learns functional and daily living skills with Rudder and also participates in the BASES (Building Academic, Social and Employment Skills) program as well as parts of the regular classroom curriculum.

“He’s leaps and bounds different from when fi rst met him,” says Rudder. “Socially is where he’s made some of the highest gains.” ABA is considered one of the most effective evidence based therapeutic approaches to treating children with autism, yet the Surrey School District is the only district in B.C. that has dedicated ABA support workers and offers training certification through its adult education arm, Surrey College.
“ABA is an evidence-based approach to teaching children with autism. The district supports this and parents have the choice of whether or not they wish to ask for this service,” says Cory McLaughlin, District Principal in Education Services.
Autism is on the rise and the Surrey School District is leading the way in accommodating the needs of children with autism spectrum disorders. Students in the ABA support worker program at Surrey College must have 500 documented hours of home-based ABA experience under an ABA consultant prior to entering the program, and another 500 hours before they can achieve their ABA certification to work in the school system.
“It’s a behavioural and academic program based on data collection and the observation of children,” explains McLaughlin.
Robins, who chairs the district ABA Advisory Committee, credits ABA for giving her son his life back and revealing him to be not just a boy with autism, but an artist, a conversationalist and a well-mannered teen who always holds the door for people at the grocery store.
“I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without ABA,” says Robins.
For his part, Rudder’s biggest reward is seeing Nic succeed. “Yes, my job is awesome.”
For more information, contact the District ABA Advisory Committee at ABAAdvisory@gmail.com.

[Jane Parker]

I am wondering if anyone knows the expected dates to hold IEP meetings each year, when should signatures be done, and when should parents receive a copy of their child's IEP. It is now mid November and we are still waiting for an updated version of our child's IEP to sign for this school year. We had the IEP meeting a month ago!

Please share your expertise!
janeparker1@live.ca

[L Suk]

Hi,
To parents / school staffs in Langley, your experience with the secondary school in Langley would be appreciated.
Thanks.
email to hksaba@yahoo.ca

[Michelle Granove]

My five year old son will enter kindergarten in September 2013. Our catchment school is False Creek Elementary. Do any parents have experience with this school and familiarity with resources in our district?

Registration begins in November and we won't be able to conference with our preschool and the new school until Spring. Although staff is helpful I have not been able to get much specific information from the school at this point other than supports are available and many autistic children have enrolled at the school in the past. If anybody has insight with regards to this particular school and/or other schools and resources availabe in Vancouver it would be much appreciated.

We are not adverse to a private school rather than public,so also if anyone has feedback with regards to their experiences public vs private it would be much appreciated.

Please email me at mgranove@yahoo.ca
Thanks very much.

[Dione Costanzo]

****date correction for ABA SUPPORT NETWORK Presentation****

Tuesday, October 16th at 7pm

[Dione Costanzo]

The ABA SUPPORT NETWORK proudly presents:

a special presentation by Leah Mumford, M. Ed., BCBA

"SOCIAL SKILLS AND LUNCH BUNCH"

at
7:00pm, Tues October 19

at
Best Western Peace Arch Inn

2293 King George Highway, V3X 344 White Rock

TOPIC:

Children with autism often have challenges with the social skills required to enter and engage in appropriate play, and often end up alone or on the perimeter of the group when at school. Structured social skills groups (or “Lunch Bunches”) are one way to help children with autism spend lunchtime with a specific group of peers that play, learn key social skills, and develop friendships together. These groups are a structured social skills setting with several objectives: 1) to provide children with autism greater possibilities for developing friendships with peers; 2) to provide a structured setting to facilitate learning and generalizing specific social skills and behavior management; and 3) to provide the framework for SEA’s and ABA-SW’s to effectively integrate and include children into successful play situations. The discussion will cover how to create a structured social skills group within the school setting, benefits and challenges associated with these groups, and how to measure progress.

Coffee/Tea and snacks provided. Donations are greatly appreciated (but not required).

Please RSVP to Dione at dione@abasupportnetwork.com

[nmalekpour]

my son is 3/5 and he's just been diagnosed for Autism I'm looking for a group daycare or preschool for him in Coquitlam. I'm looking for a place which accepts these children as who they are and their staff are familiar with this disorder. if you have any information or know any place please email me at nazanin@mynazanin.com

Thanks…

[Wen Ting Go]

I am new to Vancouver renting a suite close to Edmonds Community School in Burnaby. Before I enroll my daughter in this school, I wanted to hear any feedbacks from you reg. their new principal.
They said the principal is Mr. Dubinsky, Peter came from Stoney Creek Elementary School. Any feedback from you is a big help for my daughter. Please send me answer to:geminiya@telus.net

Your help would be appreciated.
My deepest thanks in advance.

Wen Ting

[Author]

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