[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

[Nancy Walton]

Surrey School District

There will be a Lunch Bunch workshop, given by Leah Mumford, at the May 1st proD day for SEA's and ABA Support workers. The Lunch bunch workshop did not make it in the written program, but when CUPE workers sign up for sessions, they will see it there. It will be at the North Surrey School location.

Parents, please tell your child's ABA SW or SEA about this workshop if you would like your child to get into lunch bunch activities.

[Super Dad]

Re: Lunch Bunch training

For the April 21 session of the North Shore Lecture Series, we have invited Harmony House to provide a 2-hour version of their 1-day "Social Strategies in a School Setting" workshop. It will start at 7pm at the Delbrook Recreation Centre in North Van. Details to follow.

Tony

[Nancy Walton]

Lunch Bunch training:

Debbie Simpson has brought up a good need. Does anyone have a good Lunch-bunch program at thier school? I'd love to have a therapist/aide give a talk on how to do this. Surrey will be having a ProD day May 1st and it might be we can get all our ABA Support Workers to something like this. Let me know if anyone knows of someone with experience in this. E-mail me at
wiklo@shaw.ca

Nancy

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Ah, okay – here's my take on the NVSD thing (for what's it worth). For those of you who know – I am for inclusion if your child can handle it and thrives and learns and I am for a dedicated ABA school also if your kid can't- for my child I would LOVE a dedicated ABA school – one like Joanne Gerserner(sp) runs or Bridget Taylor's and I think Bobby Newman oversees one or two also. That would be my dream and if I win the Lotto I would open one.

Now do I think that's what the NVSD is going to do? No Way. It sounds ridiculous. I mean what's with our kids wanting to be around other autistic kids and needing that?"Another key component in an Autism Learning Environment is giving the children the opportunity to learn social skills with their peers thus allowing them to have true friends with similar interests. Having peers from the same group while also learning how to socialize with typical children gives children with autism the opportunity to have friends with similar challenges and the opportunity to be friends with other children. Kids with autism aren't like say putting kids with the same physical disablities or Down's Syndrome together – our kids don't say 'oh, look another autistic kid – let's be buddies'. Let's face it – school districts aren't equipped or don't have the knowledge to open up a well run dedicated school(although this is just a room). I think we all every right to be very concerned about what North Van is doing. It sounds like a warehouse room – let's put all the autistic kids together and then hey – we won't have to have the one-on-ones,etc. I think parents should ask to see HOW they plan to bring these kids back into the classroom – what their plans for teaching are – how many aides per child – what are they using for accountablility -how data will be taken – what happens if these kids that are now in inclusion are yanked into a segregated classroom? How's that affect their self esteem? What about behaviors? What happens when a kid with maybe some behaviors acts out and is thrown into a classroom with more severe behavioral kids and picks up these behaviors. (my son can't handle outbursts and actually will react and act out more in the presence of another child's tantrum – I had a friend who's child became self injurious around tantrumming kids). And why aren't we working on getting the teacher's/aides to help decrease these behaviors. I know a lot of teacher's are wonderful but quite a few would rather not have THAT kid in their class.

Thing is I think we do need/require more choice for our kids especially those of us with more severe kids who cannot function in the 'typical classroom' but unfortunately the school system is not the one to set it up as their main goal is about saving money (in my opinion). I think we should have options – inclusion being priority one and homeschooling ABA with the school supporting what your child would cost if enrolled and eventually well run ABA schools – that know how to deal with behaviors/integrating kids/teaching autistic kids specifically -again with Victoria just sending the money directly to those schools. We need to go forward not backward and I think what NVSD is proposing is backward. Plus they only mention one room – all those kids in one room with autism – oh, not good – our kids don't do well like that. It will be a mess. And I think Jean is right – if it saves money and parent's don't fight it – it will be implemented elsewhere quickly.

Again I don't think this is a war between inclusion/noninclusion – we all want what's best for our kids that's why we are here. Just because my son can't manage in a classroom and your's can doesn't mean I don't want you to have that opportunity just as I hope you would support my right to teach my child in the best way/enviroment for him. I just don't think the NVSD's idea is the way to do that.

Barbara
Jeremy's Mom

[Jemma Lee]

I have no problem with anyone's choice to keep their child out of a regular classroom and putting the child in an individualized environment. My child's aid frequently takes him to an empty room for individualized instruction when the class is engaged in activities not suitable for him.

If you read the proposal carefully, does it sound anything like an attempt to give your child an individualized environment? They are talking about putting all the autistic children (who have nothing in common aside from their diagnosis) into a separate room, in order to get rid of the costly one-on-one support.

Are you happy with the claim that your child's "true peer group" is entirely within the autistic population? Are you satisfied with the claim that the only way to stop your child's disruption to a regular classroom is to put him into a "closet"?

Do you think the "clustering" ends at graduation, if the entire student population sees the autistics being clustered? We will soon have another new generation that believes in segregation.

I am on the attack because our children's rights are under attack. You don't have to join me, but please try to understand me.

Jemma

[David Chan]

Well folks,

here's the deal from a long time FEAT'er. We've had an interesting run at this school thing. Our guy is in Grade 11. My take on the whole thing is this. The devil is in the details. Inclusion is what we as a collective have struggle for many years; actions like the Hewko case, have allowed our children reasonable accomodation in the classrooms. That said, many parents through consultation with their consultant, have decided that for their child to work on individualized programs in a separate place is best during the school day. That's a parental choice, and I respect that.

Here's my issue, I personally have spent time and money to make sure that SCHOOLS don't decide what the best interest of these kids are, and have the ultimate decision made by parents in consultation, instead of being coerced into putting their kid into a cluster because of expedience.

It's never overt coercion "The resource room is where your kid belong, this is what you expect when your kids is the r-word", That will never happen (although, never say never, till it's caught on tape) because of optics. What I'm worried about, it's the subversive, "Ah look how well he's doing in the resource room he's so happy there" coercion, next thing you know, we're segregated all over again.

Here is my way of trying to see if something is reasonable for our children, take the words special needs/autistic and substitute with "Chinese, Black, or Jew" and see if the same suggestion sounds reasonable. give it some thought.

I'm very sure that all the parents that participate on this chat board will be more than vigilant about having the school decide where their child is placed. Be very aware that for every set of parents that are vigilant, there will be many many others that are just tired, misinformed, trusting, that will just go with the flow, through no fault of their own, to have their child segregated.

These are students that we have to worry about.

I wish everyone the best in their school journey. It's always always about what's best for the kids.

Mr. P's Dad

[Brad & Roxanne Black]

This is what I know, my child who is also very effected with Autism is doing very well in a classroom enviroment. He has a desk set up with all of the other Grade 1 children, when things are over his head he goes within that same classroom to another desk and works on his ABA programs. He doesn't need to go to the resourse room or the hallway. He has a very skilled ABA Support Worker, our Consultant is in weekly to update programs and check on progress.

We have worked so very hard for inclusion, we have come so very far. I repect those of you who feel it's necessary to have your child in a different enviroment other than the one my son is in. He however is loved by all the children in his class, he is learning from typical peers. If he were to be placed in a class with all Autistic children, I am pretty sure he would pick up alot of behaviours that would be unacceptable to my husband and I.

The research is clear that if you put these children all together their behaviours increase and their language will decrease. This is not the path I would choose for my child, so with that said, make the decision that's best for YOURS, but not for MINE!! Anyone who is acting in a role that works closely with any school district had best keep this in mind.

I am totally against segreagation, he will go to our neighbourhood school just like every other child in my neighbourhood. I will not commute, shipping him off to who knows where.

Please have repect for my opinion and what is best for my child.

[Debra Antifaev]

We also have a very low functioning child who is not served by full inclusion. In the lower grades Ben's "differences" were never too disruptive but now, he is almost 12.
In the lower grades some of the children actually enjoyed being little ABA tutors and they enjoyed how easy Ben was to "boss around".
The reality is that now Ben cannot participate in class discussions and is more interested in clapping, looking around and making noise. We have had him in a program for 9 years and we have taught him to sit still and be quiet. The question is, I guess, is this the best use of his time?
I remember, when I first heard about the Lovaas protocol, being told that all the programs were designed to be child specific. I was told that the Government only offered "cookie cutter/one-size-fits-all" programs. I would like to think that the lovaas model of individual choice and what is best for each child will be available in school too.
I am thrilled for those of you who have had the best outcomes from your home-based programs and will always support your right to have full inclusion for your children.

[Nicole Kaler]

For me the bottom line on the idea of separate classrooms/centers/ "clustering"/segregation is that we all must keep perspective on the fact that we each have the right to choose the best course of education for our own children. Whether we agree or not with the choices made by other parents, we should respect their right to place their children in their most productive educational settings . No one should presume to tell other parents what that will be for their child.

In my district we have several "specialty" separate classrooms and my severely autistic child has never been offered a place in any one of them. She currently thrives in an inclusive classroom. The fact that some of her ASD peers are home schooled or in a specialty classroom is of no consequence to her. We respect their right to live and learn in a manner best suited to them. Whatever our ASD children require to be inspired, educated and fulfilled is really all that matters and our children are all too different for us to assume that one approach will work for everybody.

The day that my child's classroom does not suit her, my family will make a well consulted and educated decision on what will best meet her needs and get it for her. It will be a decision based only on her- not the sentiment opinions or agendas of others.

[Debbie Simpson]

hi there,,ok, so i need some help from some experienced people,,i was hoping to not have to do this,but now the time has come,my son is having some issues at school, in grade 3 in a surrey school,and the kids r at an age where they are noticing the differences,,between themselves,,ie my son is a little different,he is high functioning,but still has some social stuff we r working on at home (team)and school,the other students r calling him names,and the school has said that they will not put up with this behaviour,so we will see how that goes,and they r saying to the other children that do play with him on the playground, oh u r playing with him!!!and he is not playing with his peers,as they dont get maybe his humor or something silly or quirky that he may say or do,,he is playing with the younger kids while outside,,so i will be going into his classroom on wednesday,to have a talk with his classmates,about autism,,first the integration teacher will talk about all diabilities,and then i will say what i want or can to try and explain autism and my son,my son knows he has autism but doesnt understand the whole realm of it,,and he has chosen not to be in the classroom,and that is fine by me,,but i am looking for any words of wisdom or encouragement,as to what i might say or do or explain,i remembering being at one of the many autism meetings that i have been to and seeing a video,where the rest of the children in the class have turned into little aba instructors,ie making reccess and lunch programs where the other kids have signed up to play these games or helped facilitate appropriate play,,
i would appreciate any help as to what to say to grade 3's and if u have done this before what has worked and what has not,,,thanx in advance for the help,,,,debbie
i can be reached at deandeb@shaw.ca
i am hoping to successfully have a great end of the school year for my wonderful and adoring son,

[Author]

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