[FEAT BC Admin]

This area is for discussions in general topics.

Topic

[Janet Toye]

The Vancouver and Burnaby ABA Support Network Group will be having a joint meeting on Wednesday, February 16th from 6:30-8:00pm. If you have a child/children with ASD and practice ABA or are interested in getting information about ABA, you're welcome to join us. Parents will have opportunities to share their experiences and knowledge while networking with other parents. If you are interested in attending, please email Gordon at jftoye@hotmail.com. We live by Rupert St and 19th Avenue in East Vancouver.

[Janet Toye]

The Vancouver Chapter of the ABA Support Network group will be meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 16th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Please RSVP jftoye@hotmail.com if you're able to attend. We live by Rupert St. and 19th Ave. in East Vancouver.

Thanks,
Janet and Gordon

[Dione Costanzo]

The next Cloverdale/Langley ABA Support Network Neighborhood Network Meeting will be held on:

Wednesday, February 9th from 7:00 – 8:30pm.

If you are running an ABA program and are interested in connecting with other parents in the Cloverdale/Langley for support and to share ideas, please contact Terrie at terrie.roberts@gmail.com.

[Jane Parker]

Thank you to all of you who responded to my last post. It was an overwhelming response with the same theme: ABA is the most effective method of programming for our children on the spectrum, regardless of their level of functioning. I really appreciate the time everyone took to write out their suggestions, opinions, and stories. As you can imagine, I was really shocked to be told that ABA was an unnecessary tool to use with my high-functioning child. No other methods were offered an alternatives – no surprise there! I look forward to reading some of the materials suggested and will bring them along to our next school meeting if necessary!

Jane Parker

[RobinC]

Hello,
I am taking my teenager to a trip and was adviced to get some vaccinations (that needs to be done with needles). I know she will refuse to have it done. Have any parents got any experience with this and if you will suggest any place or and advice how to help with this process?
Would you please email me at R c a b a 4 5 @ gmail.com (no space for my the address)

Thank you so much.

RC

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Well said Stella! In fact re: ABA – one of my lead therapists finished her teaching degree and teaches in the classroom now….she has told me that her 'education' really didn't help her to 'teach her students' but that what she learned via ABA and teaching my son is what she uses. She uses the principals for both her NT and special students.

Barbara

[Stella Li]

To: Jane Parker and everyone interested to find out more about ABA

Read the book "Sense and Nonsense in the Behavioral Treatment of Autism: It has to be Said" by Autism Partnership, DRL Books (http://www.drlbooks.com) 2008

There are so much valuable info in this book. You may find the answers to many of your questions, to clear misconception…

ABA could be a lifestyle. It can be used to teach people with autism or without autism of all ages. It can be used by teachers and coaches in classrooms or in sports activities without knowing they are using ABA!

[Mike & Rachel Goetz]

Regarding the effectiveness of ABA for higher functioning children.

Our own personal experience is that ABA has been an extremely effective treatment for high-functioning children. While one person's experience is not a strong basis for making a decision, I would encourage you (as Jenn suggested) to research both the efficacy of ABA and whatever other treatment is being proposed.

It is interesting to me that this is a common misunderstanding of ABA. In England, where we are living at the moment, this is certainly the case – ABA is rarely used to begin with, but it seems almost unheard of to use ABA with older or high-functioning kids.

I wonder if this partly due to the misconception that "ABA turns kids into robots"; where people believe that discrete trial teaching is akin to encouraging rote responses in any given situation.

This is why it is important to have a good consultant who is well-versed all aspects of ABA, from early-stage to late-stage programming. When applied correctly, ABA shows the above misconception to be just that. What we have found is that the principles of ABA can be successfully applied not only to high-functioning kids with autism, but also to others who are not even on the spectrum.

Mike

[Joanna Ng]

Hi Jane. Just a quick question to yours. Since you were told that ABA is not suitable for higher functioning kids on the spectrum, were you told [by the same person/organization] what is?

Thanks for sharing.

Joanna

[Jane Parker]

Looking for some advice… I have recently been told that ABA is not really suitable for higher functioning children – is this true? I was under the impression that it is the most effective method for children on the spectrum.

Thanks!
Jane Parker
janeparker1@live.ca

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