[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

[Super Dad]

Re: preschool

Avery, Michelle and Barbara: Thank you for the much-needed advice!

Tony

[Barbara Rodrigues]

Tony:

You are taking a big risk. To add to Avery's remark – I totally agree – my son went to preschool prior to us finding out about ABA when he was 3-years-old. It was a HUGE waste of his time. These people aren't trained to teach our kids what they need to know -it's more than a waste – it's time you can never get back. So regardless if they know his 'diagnosis or not' it won't make a difference at all. Three hours a day is too much time to let go by when you could be teaching your son. When he's older and more able with ABA – you can integrate him to a preschool with an ABA aide – but I can tell you without a doubt – he's not learning a thing in the preschool right now. That's not just my opinion – that's backed by science.

As for the whining less – does that mean he's whining a lot in therapy? If so – ask your consultant for ideas – tape the sessions – etc. Plus unfortunately – if he is allowed free access to reinforcers in preschool and has to work for them at home – then there's a huge inconsitency there – hence the whining more at home. Also he could whining at preschool and then they give him what he wants – hence I whine – I get. Course could be a lot of other things – just throwing ideas out (not a consultant).

Anyway, I hope you don't take our emails the wrong way – just want to see you little guy achieve the best he can – remember as Catherine Maurice says – It's science that guides us, but love that inspires us and we will not fail our children.

Good luck to you.

Barbara

[Deleted User]

Tony, you are taking a big risk, and I say that with utmost respect! I agree with Avery, you have the opportunity to do it right and that opportunity will never come again. Your son is 2 1/2, start a thorough, quality program, work up to 40 hours a week and be consistent with your team and your son will have the best.

There are many parents out there who would be thrilled to have an opportunity for such a great start.

Think of it this way, in 1 year, 2 years, maybe even in a few months, your child will be ready to enter preschool and behave appropriately.

Here is an even better thought for you, a few months of focussed intervention, and your child may not whine at home (behond of course the normal whining one expects from a 2 year old!)

The best time to start school/preschool for a child in a home program is when your consultant advises that your child has the prerequisite skills.

Yes you might be allowing your child too much self-directed time if they are being allowed to follow their own agenda at school. Yes you might be building in a response of problematic behavior at preschool. Yes your Montessori or any other non ABA trained person may be allowing your child to respond inappropriately. (And by the way, your child may be demonstrating lower rates of problematic behavior at preschool because no one is expecting more from him. Perhaps at home you are giving your son challenges, expecting communication, stretching boundaries… perhaps at school they are not?)

It is so much easier to do it right the first time and SO much harder to undo mistakes.

Michelle
Been there, done that and if I knew then what I know now….

oh and btw might want to do a keyword search on montessori here on the FEAT board as it has been discussed in past discussions that this approach because it does not foster group interaction/social skills is not the best for our kids. Our kids are usually pretty good at following their own agenda, our goal is to teach them to follow everyone else's.

[Avery Raskin]

Tony: Your son is 2 1/2 and I assume in a proper Lovaas program. You stand a good chance of seeing him out the other side if you optimize his program, which means 40 hours a week by the book. Sending him to preschool alone is a waste of what could be valuable program time if he had a properly trained therapist there with him. Do it.

Avery

[Super Dad]

Has anyone here had a child in preschool unaccompanied by an ABA therapist? My son, aged two and a half, is in a Montessori by himself. My family, after some limited opportunities to observe, tells me that he screams and whines a lot less than at home. I've talked to my behavioural analyst about this, and she warns me that the teacher (who is unaware of his diagnosis) may be too lenient with him. Perhaps he is less frustrated in school because she is not demanding much compliance. Now I am nervous about how this may affect his behavioural intervention. I am afraid that he will make a habit of following his own agenda, if he is allowed to do so for 3 hours a day. Can anyone tell me: how big of a risk am I taking?

Tony

[David Chan]

Attention all FEAT parents in Richmond

Please contact me immediately at

604-275-4309

Dave

[Marie and Dwight Anglehart]

About research on the rate of recovery, the Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network (www.cairn-site.com/documents/abstracts/prog09.html) has been awarded $2million to study recovery and what it involves.

[Deleted User]

Just wanted to add a few comments on the idea of recovery…

I doubt there are any accurate stats on recovery in Canada because there is little if any quality research in this field occurring… Those doing research in this area have agenda's of their own.

Lovaas' research found that 47% of the children who participated recovered. As new parents we often look at that stat and think "great, my kids going to be one of those 47%" Its important however to point out that we are workign with less than optimal situations here.

1. lack of funding means less supervision from Consultant than a child might receive in a clinical setting

2. in Lovaas et al, tutors/instructors had higher level of training, here we are desperate to hire with families constantly looking and recruiting.

3. The role of the sr. instructor is to ensure that your child's programming is implemented correctly by all team members. You can have a fantastic consultant who provides phenomenal programming but if no one implements it correctly, your program will suffer. I can't stress enough the importance of a trained, experienced Sr. Instructor, too often people are in this role, because of desperate need in this area, before they are ready.

With these conditions, the 47% recovery rate is hard to achieve. Yes we are faced with a difficult road…Someone recently suggested to me that by talking about the success of the Lovaas study in light of the situation here, we set parents up to fail, that those conditions are unachievable.

To that I have to say ABSOLUTELY NOT!

We must always strive to the highest benchmark, what is the point in aiming for mediocre?! Take the conditions of the Lovaas study and do your best to recreate them.

The recovery rate under our conditions may not be 47% but as Nancy pointed out recovery is not all that there is. Huge gains and progress can be made, lives can be changed and dreams can be fulfilled without ever attaining recovery.

Maximize your program by getting as much training as possible and then ensure your team gets constant ongoing training as well.

Parental involvement is so important! But it is not the only factor and being involved and doing everything right doesn't' equal guaranteed recovery. I've seen children who have or will recover in involved homes and uninvolved homes and I've seen children whose parents work themselves to death and do everything right and their child will never recover.

Listen to your consultant and follow their directions – ask questions and explain your hesitations or concerns and work with them. An optimal program travels across all waking hours of the day. Parents and team and consultant should be one unit that works together.

If you've managed to snag a good Sr. Instructor who manages your team well, trains new instructors and implements programming correctly, hold on to them for dear life, they are a precious commodity.

Aim for Quality. There are good consultants and there are some whose knowledge base may not include adequate training. Quality over quantity.

and finally, I just wanted to add, and I've said this before, some of the children who have shone the brightest, who have moved my heart and inspired me with their resiliance, strength and personality are children who will never recover. For some of these kids, their gains are all the more impressive because they have fought so hard to achieve them.

Anyways just a few words of advice… my humble opinions!

Michelle
Proud Mother of 2 autistic children, 4.5 years of ABA, one recovered, both miraculous and awe-inspiring!

[David and Barbara McLeod]

Nancy,

Beautifully said.

Barbara

[Nancy Walton]

Hi Debbie,

I have met two children who have recovered and know parents of children who have recovered. Proper ABA does give you the best chance of that. In my son's first 3 years of therapy, I needed to believe he would recover in order to survive the hard work that we did. (and I strongly recommend the West Van workshop to inspire and motivate you)

My son did not recover, and the realization of this was something my husband and I had to adjust to. But what came of this realization was two things:

1) We have come to accept our son for who he is and we love him dearly and appreciate everything he learns.

2) While the therapy did not recover him, it did teach him everything he knows. He has overcome anxieties, has learned to tolorate what to him is intolorable (like having a drop of water on his pants), has learned to ride a bike, swim (level 5 at age 6), knows his letters and numbers and is learning to read. He has learned to express love when he is filled with it.

I think ABA is important for those who recover, obviously, but what many people need to realize is that ABA is equally important for those who don't recover. And it continues to be important as long as we want our non-recovered children to grow and learn and reach their full potential.

Nancy

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