[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

[Sara White]

Nancy,

Your information is exactly correct. I don't believe that the data
that you're referring to has been published yet, but I'm sure it
will be in the near future. The research that Dr. Smith has been
doing at Rochester resulted in fewer hours on average per week.
They scheduled for 40, but wound up with fewer on average due
to illness, cancellations, etc. They did find a lower 'recovery' rate
and in a conversation that I had with him, he did state that it
may have been due to the lower number of hours. However, as
there is no data directly comparing 40 hours to 25, 30 or 35
hours there's really no way of knowing if the difference was due
to the number of hours or due to any other number of possible
factors (i.e., level of cognitive functioning, language ability prior
to intervention, parental involvement in program, etc.).

Sara

[Nancy Walton]

Regarding less than 30 hours of therapy

My son started therapy when he was JUST 2 years old. When he was 3.5 years old he was doing about 23 hours per week (not by our choice). My son had severe memory lapses. He forgot an entire program and we had to start all over again at the beginning. He would get some speech and then lose it again. Dr. Sallows recommended we increase his hours to well above 30 (we booked 44, but averaged 37 due to illnesses etc). From that point on, he never lost any information, his speech made steady improvements and his rate of aquisition greatly increased. He has never regressed since.

Regarding Dr. Smith's research: I don't have the exact numbers handy, but I remember that his treatment group averaged only 27 hours/week (as opposed to Lovaas' group getting 40 hours). Dr. Smith did not get as high a rate of recovery. He supposed that perhaps the rate of 47% that Lovaas got was unusually high, but other researchers disagree. Perhaps they are aguing that Smith's rate of recovery was lower because Smith's group averaged fewer hours per week. (or maybe that is my interpretation of what he said… Anyone is welcome to correct me if I am wrong on this).

Nancy Walton

[Sara White]

Tony,

As far as I know there have not been any studies directly comparing 25 hours to 40 hours per week of ABA therapy. I saw Dr. Smith present last year at a conference and he talked about all of the most recent data (so up to 2003) and while he had data on 25 to 35 hours per week of ABA versus some sort of control group (which varied by study), nothing directly comparing 25 hours per week to 40 hours per week of ABA. I wish there were more data to be found in this area, but I'm pretty sure that what you're looking for just hasn't been studied.

If you are interested in any of the articles comparing 25 to 35 hours per week to control groups let me know and I can forward you the citations or the articles.

Sara White
sarawhite@excite.com

[Sara White]

Tony,

As far as I know there have not been any studies directly comparing 25 hours to 40 hours per week of ABA therapy. I saw Dr. Smith present last year at a conference and he talked about all of the most recent data (so up to 2003) and while he had data on 25 to 35 hours per week of ABA versus some sort of control group (which varied by study), nothing directly comparing 25 hours per week to 40 hours per week of ABA. I wish there were more data to be found in this area, but I'm pretty sure that what you're looking for just hasn't been studied.

If you are interested in any of the articles comparing 25 to 35 hours per week to control groups let me know and I can forward you the citations or the articles.

Sara White
sarawhite@excite.com

[Super Dad]

Dear Louise: Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I too have seen good progress in my son, with only 18 hours of scheduled ABA each week (plus a lot of unscheduled ABA at every opportunity), but I keep wondering how much more progress we would see if we used 40 hours a week. Such intense therapy would require us to sell our house, which my wife loves dearly. I don't want to deprive her unless I think it will make a significant difference. (Don't get me wrong; I am more than willing to give my life for my son's recovery, if I know it would make a difference, but I need to know it's not unnecessary sacrifice for the rest of the family.) The time investment would also mean pulling our son out of preschool, which is helping him get used to peer interaction. One treatment provider claims there is huge diminishing returns beyond 25 hours, but they fail to provide the data, leaving me to search on my own. What I need is solid scientific evidence to help me decide.
Tony (Leo's dad)

[Louise Watson]

this is to tony, i have read the studies too. Unfortunatly we couldnt afford to do a full 40 hour week so we started with 28 hours and then went up to 32-34 hours per week until now as my son is in school. He has made amazing gains because of an amazing team that I have, and a wonderful aba consultant. i know if we could do more he would be that much better off but i can say without a shadow of a doubt that any good therapy is better than nothing.he couldnt talk before therapy, would have fits that lasted hours, we have only seen one of those in the last two years and it lasted 10 min. he is talking in 3 and 4 word sentences now and is in kindergarten, and its all thanks to a great team and great therapy, we follow a lovaas aba program. i know this isnt a study but its proof enough for me,hope it helps , Louise

[Super Dad]

We all know about the study by Lovaas comparing 10 hours of therapy to 40 hours. Has anyone read about studies on the effectiveness of 20 or 30 hours of treatment per week?

[Cathy Harvey]

Hello FEAT Parents:

I would appreciate hearing from any of you who can provide a reference on the following service providers:

Pivot Point Family Growth Centre (multii-disciplinary team)

Behavioral Solutions, Dr. Douglas Lee and Vi Wood.

I am looking for behavioral therapy for my high functioning 15 year old son who has been assessed and diagnosed with multiple disorders (aspergers, anxiety and bipolar).

Thank you in advance for your input.

Cathy Harvey

[Alexei Trebounskikh]

Hello, everyone!
If you are using a consultant from Lovaas institute and he/she is able to take on a new client please e-mail us at ogmakher@hotmail.com.
Thank you in advance.
Alexandra

[Alexei Trebounskikh]

Hello, everyone!
If you are using a consultant from Lovaas institute and he/she is able to take on a new client please e-mail us at ogmakher@hotmail.com.
Thank you in advance.
Alexandra

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