[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

[Phemie Mayhew]

Thank you Jenny for the info. That takes a load of my mind and answered the big question for me. We have started the process with the school. Our son will be the first autistic child to attend this school. It'll definitely be a learning experience for us all.
Thanks again..Phemie:)

[Jenny Obando]

Hi Phemie

We went the private school route,we meet with the principal first and explain our situation, about my son's autism and ABA program and that why it was necessary for my son to have an SEA from his home team.
The school was very receptive, the principal presented our case to their board and they agree to accept us.The SEA ( therapist) did not have to have a SEA certificate, however she did have to sign a contract with the school and have a criminal record check. ( pretty standard) .

Then we had to summit some paper work to the school regarding my son's diagnosis in order for the school to apply for funding to the Ministry of Education on our behalf. The amount we got does not cover an SEA full time for the school year,as private school get less money than public schools, so you will have to pay the SEA out of your pocket if your child needs the SEA full time.
THe school pays the SEA directly,until the money runs out.

Then every year the SEA signs a contract and every year the school applies for the funding on your child's behalf.

I have to tell you it has worked great for us,our consultant was able to go and observe my son,we were able to work on the things my son needed and we faded our SEA as needed.

If your child is going to be in KIndergarden in September I strongly recommend that you contact the school and start working on things as it takes time for the paper work and the funding to be approved.

I hope this answers your question.Feel free to contact me or post any questions you still might have.

Good luck
Jenny Obando

[Phemie Mayhew]

Our son will be going to a private school for K in the fall. I'd like to say we don't know much about SEA and such, but, the reality is that we don't know anything about it. Can someone give me some info? If we want one of your team members to be in the classroom with our son, do they have to be a trained SEA?
I'm at phemie@telus.net.

[Asher and Tammy Steed]

Our 5 year old son will be entering Kindergarten this fall in
PoCo. We're currently considering a few of the local public
schools. Has anyone had experience (bad/good/indifferent)
with Coquitlam School district and integrating aspects of your
ABA program in the school? In particular Irvine or James Park
elementary… Thanks in advance,

Asher Steed steeds@telus.net

[Jenny Obando]

I just wanted to say that I agree with you Avery, however as a parent who has been there before ( I mean fade my SEA)I was not sure when to do that at first, of course our consultant has been there every step of the way,buy it is nice to hear from people who have been there.

There are ways to slowly "fade" your SEA's interventions and level of prompts without completely fading the SEA out of the classroom.

As my son continued to make remarkable process due to his ABA program,we started to fade the SEA's interventions and prompts. She continued to be in the classroom and at home as part of his team, as you said observing to make sure my son could function on his own.
As his therapy at home move more towards tutoring, we also started to fade the SEA out gradually.

I am happy to say that as of January 4th my son is totally on his own at school under now the watchful eye of his incredible teacher to whom we speak daily. Also our consultant visits the school randomly as will the SEA, just to make sure he continues to do well on his own.

And yes my son has fully recover!

Jenny Obando

[Avery Raskin]

(Tamara — I'm moving this post to school topics as I think it's
better over here)

I cannot see the logic behind even attempting to fade an aide in
any school setting while the child is in a proper Lovaas program
and the aide is a properly trained Lovaas therapist. It would be a
self-defeating move of no help to the child. Sure the object is to
have the child be less dependent upon the aide, but that's when
the aide has even more to do in observation and facilitation from
a discreet distance. In my opinion, the only time one can even
consider fading an aide completely is when the child has
recovered, on the advice of your bonafide consultant.

Cheers,

Avery

[Deleted User]

How is everyone doing as far as obtaining assignment of an ABA qualified SEA or SEE or classroom assistant for your children in the public system? School starts next week.

[Amanda Morgan]

*****AUTISM DAYCARE/PRESCHOOL RESEARCH*******

**ONLY 1 MORE child needed……please help =)**

If you have a 3-5 year old child in preschool or daycare I
invite you to participate in my current research. I am a
Ph.D. student in the clinical psychology program at the
University of New Brunswick. My research involves an
examination of integrated preschool classrooms and daycares
to determine which particular attributes of these classrooms
best facilitate social integration for children with
developmental disabilities. If you choose to participate I
will visit your child's daycare or preschool for an hour or
so to observe some of a typical days activities. I will stay
off to one side and attempt not to disrupt normal classroom
dynamics in any way. I am observing to record what types of
settings and situations are the most condusive to children
with autism's socail development and peer interactions. If
you allow me to visit your child's class I will send you a
copy of the final research report. I believe that research
is vital to improving autism programs and treatment
strategies and I would greatly appreciate anyone who would
like to participate. You can e-mail me at x185f@unb.ca OR
call me at 1-604-792-5232.
Thanks =) Amanda Morgan

[Deleted User]

To Mr. Po's Mom and all:

In response to your post, let me clarify my "moderate success" statement.

For me the ultimate success would have been to place a member of my child's ABA team therapists in the classroom as a "SEA" , I was unable to acheive this to this point.

The second level goal was to have an ABA experienced board supplied (ie from the teachers union) SEA. This I accomplished.

So the result was to my mind "moderate" success. The assigned SEA turned out to be very good. The problem now is that this SEA will work elsewhere in coming year and so the process has started again to locate qualified SEA for Sept.

There remains a dearth of available ABA trained AND experienced staff on the Vancouver board union list (less than 10). I have been advised that several interested staff are attending ABA "training" this summer, and though not confirmed I suspect this "training" is a Gateway or similar outfit type session, which I do not consider effective ABA training as they are not Lovaas based. This creates problems as the Board in it's ignorance of autism and it's effective treatment then presents these staff as ABA "qualified", which of course they are not. Further without experience with autistic children as a member of a home team, even Lovaas based training alone would not, in my mind; make these persons qualified.

I hope this clears up any question as to my "moderate" statement. Rest assurred I have no intention of settling for less than my child requires and fully agree with Mr. Po's Mom on that point. Your child's proper support within the public system is not a nice to have – it is your child's RIGHT under law and funded through your tax dollars.

[David Chan]

As another parent of a child with autism, I
send kudos to the senior executive and parent
of a child with autism for compiling such an
insightful set of guidelines to others trying to
obtain ABA facilitation in the classroom.
Thank you for taking the time out to do this.
Also thank you for your candor in describing
the process ("laughing, crying, screaming,
taking hours and daysÉ, and alienating the
rest of your family") . My husband and I have
been down this long and winding road and
your description is completely apropos.

However, you refer to "moderate success" in
obtaining adequate ABA facilitation. The term
"moderate" concerns me because my child
(and IÕm sure there are many like him) is so
behaviourally complex, and has such a unique
learning style, that "moderate" cooperation
simply will not suffice. Most children require a
high degree of consistency and sophistication
in order for their Lovaas program to produce
the results itÕs meant to.

Based on this, I would caution parents to
avoid settling for anything less than a high
degree of cooperation from their schools. ItÕs
painful to watch your child undergo the "yo-yo"
effect as he/she regresses at school, returns
home and temporarily improves due to
heightened consistency, only to regress again
the next day at school. ItÕs even more painful
to speculate how much improvement he/she
could have made had school not been "the
weakest link".

We are fortunate that our child is now within
the private system, where there are much
fewer resources (those "fancy titles" anon
referred to :) and yet a much higher degree of
cooperation. However our child lost almost an
entire year of school before we got to this
point.

Just a little food for thought.

Mr. PÕs Mom

p.s. Incidentally he did the monkey bars for the
first time today!!! He never ceases to amaze!

[Author]

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