[FEAT BC Admin]

In this topic area, discussion is on all issues relating to setting up and running a home-based intervention program. Please feel free to bring up any problems or suggestions. Parents can help each other greatly by sharing information and giving suggestions.

In addition to parents helping parents, A.B.A. professionals on in the Discussion Group can also help provide insight and guidance.

Topic

[Nancy Walton]

Good points Dave.

Parents, if something happened to you tomorrow, and you were no longer there to look after your child, what would happen? Would your child still get the treatment you have been subsidizing? Would your child go into foster care and get treatment? Would someone take in your child and pay for the treatment?

We can not stress enough, the importance of getting involved. Help out with Medicare for Autism Now, Featbc, ASBC or ABA Support Network. These are all organizations that continually lobby, fight, educate, raise awareness, protest or litigate for access to autism treatment.

If you want to protect your child throughout his or her lifetime, you need to be involved. Pay it forward. Change is happening, but with complacency, we could lose all that we have gained. With your help, we can gain even more for our children.

[David Chan]

Hi Jen,

You just reinforced my point. Lovaas treatment should not be a matter of affordability. I should be accessible to ALL.

That's why Medicare for Autism Now, and Canadians Disabilities Act would be the safeguards for these kids. It is initiatives like these that would compel the ministry to do the right thing.

I complete agree with giving this father extra support. The term support is vague. Where treatment for the kids is not. Treatment is quantifiable. If both his children received treatment , not only would the wandering behavior be addressed and perhaps improve. The whole child care dynamic changes.

As a long time ABA parent, I realize that we cannot account for every behavior that our children have, but what we have learned for a very long time is to preempt behaviors. Wander is a problem, but unless there we use a systematic way to address the behavior then, really are we doing the child and the family any favors ?

Which leads us back to the idea of universal access to treatment.

There are no easy fixes, but we have specific about what we want from the government, if it is to be believed they take their direction from us, the voters.

I wish this Dad well, and I hope that concrete step taken to facilitate him having all his children home.

There are no easy answers

fight the good fight people

Dave

Mr. P's Dad

[J.Graham]

You are correct, she was placed into a facility… I wonder if she is scared and wants to go home?
With all due respect, not everyone can afford a Lovaas team.
The point here is not the treatment, although it would certainly help if affordable, but the ability for CPS to come into the home and take a child with no apparent reason except that the father seems overworked. Aren't all parents of children with autism overworked? There has been no wrong done to this child in the home, with many accounts from teachers, family, friends and even a nurse confirming she is cared for as best as possible by her loving Dad at home and is happy there.
What this Dad needed was the extra support from the ministry, not to have his child taken away, this is not in the best interest of the child. BC needs to take responsibility for not helping. This Dad has 3 kids and two having autism and is doing his best with what little support he has been given. We all are.
Wandering is very common among children with autism… in the US they have recognized this and are working very hard at having a wandering prevention and response system put into place for this very reason. http://www.awaare.org
Should we think twice about phoning 911 if/when one of our children wanders because we could risk our child being taken from us when found? I hope not… If this is how the Ministry in BC is going to help us, be very afraid… I am.

[Jacqueline and Dennis Bell]

I had the understanding that she was not put in a loving home but a Psychiatric facility.

"Because of her 24-hour care requirements, she won’t go into a foster home, but will be placed in a psychiatric facility for evaluation."

http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/124520804.html

J

[David Chan]

Hi all,

I will post in this section because it is primarily about treatment, but I guess in this particular instance there is some overlap into government.

I was aware of the case of the the child being taken in to custody in Abbotsford a few days ago.

i can't imagine how painful and frightening it is for that to happen. I have been aware of other case not related to Autism where children are taken in to custody, and what procedures are required for those children to return home; painful and expensive.

I think the initial reaction to the reading the article is that of sympathy for the parent, and some anger at the government. What we as a community has to think about is what happens when and if the child is returned home. We know the state of funding for 9 year olds in this province. What will be in place for this child when she is returned home. As for the family that the child is placed with in the meantime, what assurance do we have as a community that our little friend won't escape to neighbor's yard, well none really.

I can't begin to comprehend the complexities of the relationship of the custodial adults in the case and I don't for moment doubt that the children are loved and nurtured, but I think treatment is the key to all of this.

It's bad all around. In a perfect world, both his youngsters would be in treatment program base out of his home, and all will be better, not perfect, better.

As for answers, there are few, except to push for initiatives like Medicare for Autism now, and Canadian Disabilities Act, to ensure some safety for these vulnerable citizens.

As for right now, parents have to know realize that the best way to deal with these situations is not to have them happen in the first place. I know that sounds glib, and callous, but living La vida Lovaas hasn't been a picnic either. Being aware that having a kid with a disability places your family under a microscope. At least for the moment things are well at our little corner of the world called our house, but ever vigilant that it could happen to us as a family as well.

Dave
Mr. P's Dad

[David Chan]

Hi All,

you never know what the outcome is, maybe for years. I still recall having the therapist teach P how to throw a football, baseball, frisbiee. Of course HE had absolutely no interest in game play, we persisted,

Fast forward 13 years. We're at a picnic organized by his dragonboat team. There is the eating. but come time to amuse ourselves. Not a big one on small talk, he passed a football with several of his teammates. P had always been ecolalic, so we encouraged him to sing along to POPULAR songs, always age appropriate songs. In any event on of the team members brought along a guitar, as young people will to bbq's, well P recognize the song, and just sung along.

Moral of the story, when you do those seemingly pointless things like teaching to throw a ball properly, and singing along to age appropriate songs, you don't know how it all comes together. Always look at the big picture. It's not about functional levels, verbal, non verbal, it about appropriate.

listen if the kid can throw a ball and play catch, there is social acceptance. Aside from all the skills we are teaching them, isn'•••• why we do ABA in the first place.

keep up the good work, and fight the good fight.

Dave

Mr. P's Dad

[David Chan]

Dear Quynh,

It must be really difficult to have two children that are on the Autism Spectrum. I'm not sure if your younger child is on an ABA program, if so, perhaps your younger child's consultant may be a resource for you.

I am not a consultant, just a parent, so please take what I'm about write as personal opinion, so weigh it as such.

I don't really believe the teenage phase that does not require some kind of attention. There has to be some intervention whether it's ABA, counselling, something needs to get done as I am really not comfortable with things resolving themselves. I think that it's not a bad idea to get back to first principles, so you have to specific about what behavior changes you want to take place. I think the more specific you are about what you would like his behavior to be, the easier its going to be sort out the issues.

Don't panic, one step at a time.

All the best

Dave,

Mr. P's Dad

[Renee Pupetz]

LOoking for ideas on how others run two separate programs/sessions under one roof with no separate therapy room.I have a 2 year old and A 3 year old with ASD.Right now i have to leave with one every time their is a session but am finding it increasingly difficult to do this.(finding places to take them /running the household etc..)I'm curious to see what others do in a similar situation.Any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated! YOu can email me at reneepupetz@hotmail.com

[Stella Li]

Reminder:
Don't miss the presentation from two top notch behaviour consultants in BC, to help plan your special child's summer. RSVP to colemanmoser@hotmail.com ASAP!

North Shore ASBC Lecture Series

The North Shore ASBC Support Group proudly presents:

a presentation on
Summer Survival
How To Prepare Your School-Aged Child for Summer

by
Bohdanna Popowycz Kvam and Michele Shilvock
Harmony House

at
7:00pm, Tues June 14

in the
Maple Room
in the North Building of the
Delbrook Recreation Centre

GUEST SPEAKERS:

Bohdanna Popowycz Kvam and Michele Shilvock are behaviour consultants who have many years of experience with children of all ages.

TOPIC:

Summer Survival – How To Prepare Your School-Aged Child for Summer

The focus of this topic to explore the do's and don'ts of summer. Now that school is out and routines are changing what can families do to best support their child.

Areas to be reviewed include:
– how to find the right summer program/camp and what to look for in one
– how to build structure during the summer
– how to bring peer play / social skill development into the summer
– how to support the gains made during the school year
– how to prepare your child for back to school in September

We will also be sure to provide time to answer questions parents may have.

DIRECTIONS:

The Delbrook Recreation Centre is at 600 West Queens Road, North Vancouver:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=600+West+Queens+Road,+North+Vancouver,+British+Columbia

For those going north/west on Highway #1: take exit 17 for Westview Dr, turn right at Westview Dr, and then turn right at Queens Rd. For those going east on Highway #1: take exit 17 for Westview Dr, turn left at Westview Dr, and then turn right at Queens Rd.

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

Please RSVP to Carol at <colemanmoser@hotmail.com>.

Carol, Anya and Domenica
(Co-facilitators for ASBC North Shore Group)

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi everyone

I am starting to compile a resource list of practitioners in BC (or available to residents of BC) who do private ASD diagnosis. Please email me if you have any information or experience regarding this ie/who does them, how much does it cost, are there wait lists, how long does diagnosis take, what are the requirements for completing diagnosis, what were the recommendations if any…

THANK YOU for any feedback it is much appreciated!!

Cheers,
Dione

dionec@shaw.ca

[Author]

Replies