[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

[Deleted User]

Hyperactivity

Two things helped our child with hyperactivity.

ABA has helped establish a more 'normal' pattern of daily behaviour. This means not jumping off dressers, or tearing everything apart, or changing activities every 30 seconds. It is not a process of instant change but a gradual one. If you are just starting or thinking of starting ABA be willing to give it time and target/track the behaviours so you can measure progress over time. A qualified treatment provider can help with this.
Another thing to look at is diet. We made significant changes to our sons diet (which wasn't the best, lots of sugars and processed foods) and it was hard. At first some behaviours increased and sleep pattern disturbances increased then after sticking to our guns decreased dramatically after a month. We hadn't yet started an ABA program so this was easy to measure. May not be an issue for all children. Medication may work for some chemical imbalances but often do not address the root problem.

[Deleted User]

Question to all the parents out there. Our child is considered to be fairly high functioning, however the child is very hyper.

Do any of you have your children on any medication for hyperactivity? If so what and does it help? Thank you all in advance!

[Linda Cucek]

Friday, September 13, 2002

James Cucek, is again, in the hospital for side effects and the wrong medication. I spoke to male and female nurses John and Blgit which noted that, as of yesterday (Sept.12), James has been seen crawling along the floor each time he heads for the bathroom, situated directly across the hall from his room. To observe an 18 year old member of our family behaving in this way was extremely upsetting to us all. This represents "a milestone" in his over-all behaviour, for the worst. There was no doubt that James was clearly over-medicated.

Why doesn’t Premier Gordon Campbell, just keep his promise to James and give him the Lovaas treatment. The medical community is just using him as "a guinea pig" in their experiments.

Hope to see you at Port Moody Senior High School, September 27th, 2002–from 7 to 9 pm. Please email me if you need any further information regarding Fran & Kim Peek, "Rain man", coming to Port Moody, BC. lindacucek@shaw.ca

Regards,

Linda Cucek

James Cucek’s mom

[Deleted User]

Just a quick question, how are all the kids doing in school? Slowly but surely our child is adjusting, so wondering overall how they are doing.

[Deleted User]

The BCTF website is http://www.bctf.bc.ca

If you click on "contact us", it also shows Neil's
address as neil@bctf.ca

[Deleted User]

Correction email address is nworboys@bctf.ca

[Deleted User]

Re: Anonymous (Friday Sept 13 12:47)

Mr. Neil Worboys email address is worboys@bctf.ca
and his telephone number is 604-871-2290.
Go Get Him!

[Deleted User]

I was just wondering if anyone heard the Bill God (sic!) program on CKNW yesterday when he had BCTF President, Mr. Neil Worboys on, and specifically asked Mr. Worboys why teachers, given that they are committed to what is educationally best for every student, why they do not actively advocate for LOVAAS-trained S.E.A.s for autistic students?

I was positively overjoyed to hear this question asked, and ecstatic when I heard the answer. Mr. Worboys obviously did not anticipate such a question, and essentially, his answer was that he was not competently informed about such to do so. I cannot recall the exact dialogue, but … MR. WORBOYS VIRTUALLY EXTENDED AN INVITATION FOR PARENTS TO "EDUCATE" HIM RE: LOVAAS AND AUTISM TOWARD BCTF MEMBERS ACTIVELY ADVOCATING FOR SUCH ON BEHALF OF THEIR AUTISTIC STUDENTS.

YAHOO!! This really is a foot in the door, and, coinciding with the upcoming civic elections, could really prove promising!

Does anyone know the email address for Mr. Worboys at BCTF? I have a feeling he's going to get a crash-course on the subject of Autism and Lovaas. Let's not let this opportunity slide by, they are so few and far between … we all have our stories, now is the time to share them with Mr. Worboys and get BCTF onboard in a significant "political" way — they might very well be the group to help finally achieve what we are all looking for! So again, if anyone has the BCTF contact info. handy, it would be most helpful if they would post it asap. Thanks!!

[Deleted User]

Dear Anonymous;
I am intrigued by your suggestion that we make a distinction between S.E.A.s and T.A.s. I don't think that such a distinction will ever be formalized, but the whole notion of making a specific, formal distinction between such in conjunction with discussion of 'contracting out' to independent Lovaas trained assistants to address the autistic student's prescribed medical needs, truly might be the path to pursue. It is common practice for CUPE to contract different site jobs to outside contractors/electricians/plumbers, etc., and I think that if school boards were to formally acknowledge that medical concerns need to be met in order to ensure maximum educational benefit for students, that might just fly. After all, along those same lines,we already have hot lunch programs to address the physiological effects of hunger as an impediment to learning. I think that this whole notion should be thoroughly explored — it is both plausable and arguable; could be the first step to addressing the needs of autistic children in a truly meaningful way. Personally, I am of the opinion that trustees need to take a harder line not just on CUPE or BCTF, but also with the Ministry of Education on many different fronts, all for the best educational interests of all students. You don't have to draw a long bow to realize that what benefits special needs children will have a positive ripple effect on every other child in the classroom. Adversely, that which hinders special needs children has a negative ripple effect on every other child in the classroom and betrays the provincial mandate of inclusion. As a parent of an autistic child who has been very aggressive with my own board, and with the provincial govt over the last ten years, I will be running as a first-time candidate for school trustee in the district of NewWestminster. If you have any tips as to how to "work" this kind of thing through, I would be one willing to pursue such. Thank you 'Anonymous' for such a provacative posting.

[Earl Friesen]

This message is for Parents of Autistic children who have or will have their children attend school in the Surrey School district.

Please pass this on to anyone relevant that may not get messages via FEAT postings.

Autistic Children in Surrey would benefit from better-trained SEA’s in Surrey.

One way we can move toward this is by presenting our needs to the Surrey Support Centre (Special Needs).

I would be willing to participate and contribute to this and other ideas.

We will need support from each other to provide better resources for our children and other children who will be entering school.

Please contact me, email is best and I will continue to pursue this together with the group of respondents.

Hope is eternal.

Earl Friesen
Q's Dad

[Author]

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