[Deleted User]

I'm sorry, I was just posting the poem as inspiration to show how important the job is of working in the best interest of our children. How what we do today can make a huge difference in their lives. How is that bad? I thought it would show that not everyone working in schools is as blatantly narrow-minded as the anon. SEA.

[Deleted User]

Remember also that the EIBI program was set up by
government and funneled to "friends" of government. My
personal advice is that you have some chats with some of
the reputable ABA consultant operations before betting
your child's best outcome on the EIBI folks.

[Deleted User]

Remember also that the EIBI program was set up by
government and funneled to "friends" of government. My
personal advice is that you have some chats with some of
the reputable ABA consultant operations before betting
your child's best outcome on the EIBI folks.

[Deleted User]

There's a poem that goes something like this…..

One Hundred Years From Now…
It will not matter
what kind of car I drove,
What kind of house I lived in,
how much money was in my bank account
nor what my clothes looked like.
But the world may be a better place because
I was important in the life of a child.

Wouldn't this be a wonderful motto for everyone who worked with children to live by? I am an ABA therapist and have witnessed AMAZING growth in these children. Shouldn't everyone's goal be to help make each child's life the best it could be and help them reach their full potential?

Just my thoughts……

P.S. ~ I'm a school district employee too, as well as an ABA therapist.

[Deleted User]

Anonymous mainly because I have more people to protect than myself.

I'm not a parent.

I am an ABA therapist. It's fun. I've never been treated like a dog by any consultants or parents in my life. I also have two (that's right, TWO) University undergraduate degrees, one of them in Psychology. I read and study autism and ABA in many ways, both online and off. I dislike the insinuation that I am somehow unqualified to teach autistic children. I would never try to pass myself off as being truly qualified to create programming, either. I've only been at it for 3 years. (I'm a different person from the original Anon. SEA.)

I have worked as an on-call SEA for a year and a half, and will be applying for an entry-type SEA position in the fall. I hope I get it. If I don't, I will simply continue as I have been, as an in-home therapist for a couple of really great kids.

I currently work with the district for one of 'my kids', ensuring that the school program complements the home program, and vice versa. The SEA in this situation has worked on ABA teams in the past, and not only welcomes suggestions, but truly cares about the child and only wants the best. The parents accepted this solution after keeping their child at home for six months, during which time I did homeschooling. The situation will, thankfully, be reinstated in September – same SEA and continued correlation of home and school programming. In fact, the positive way in which this collaboration has panned out is going to benefit other children in this district next year, as we have somehow managed to prove that compromise does work. What this meant for us was, basically, let the parents have an SEA who actually has ABA training, and let the lead therapist or consultant from the home program be involved with – but not 100% in charge of – school programming and IEP planning. This way, the school gets to decide what academics and social skills (etc.) are important for the child to have at school, and the person from the home team can make sure that supplementary programming is provided at home. The person from the home team can also prove an important resource for the SEA and school personnel, as one would hope that the therapist or consultant will know the child better and be able to give hints as to what particular behaviours may indicate… not to mention the invaluable practice of writing social stories that will really work for the child in question.

Those of us who are working within the system are doing out best to show the districts and the schools that there really is a way to work together, for the benefit of all. We are striving to educate the teachers and other school personnel about the value of ABA, and doing our best to ensure that the principles of the child's program are being used in all situations, even if there is not a lot of 1:1 teaching going on.

You can call me SEA#3.

[Deleted User]

Well I take offence to someone passing off as a therapist, and say they do therapy,,, when they don't even go to a school to learn it.
That is my point,,, you should find a new term.

[Deleted User]

The only downside is that if you are really interested in having them do discrete trials you may have to fight for it a bit( and there are only a few AI's with experience and training in discrete trials ). They want to have a well rounded program involving many facets such as group play etc.. and they don't really want to be doing solely discrete trials.

[Deleted User]

The only downside is that if you are really interested in having them do discrete trials you may have to fight for it a bit( and there are only a few AI's with experience and training in discrete trials ). They want to have a well rounded program involving many facets such as group play etc.. and they don't really want to be doing solely discrete trials.

[Deleted User]

Thanx for the info about EIBI, are there any downsides to this form of ABA therapy?

[Deleted User]

Okay, I have listened and observed this board now for quite some time.

I love the way people felt they could Trash the SEA who thought she was being helpful.

I now have a few comments.

I am an employee of a school district. I am aware and very informed of all the problems that are going on in my district and others with the ABA / FEAT parents.

I am also very aware of the union issues that are going on as well. I do understand fully the battle you have with the district's.

But now here is a point of view that some people take, that I have not seen shared with this board.

I like the fact that you try to pass off a therapist as someone who has full qualification's in therapy.

You make it sound like it is someone with huge education.

My understanding is that a therapist is cheap labour that you get for 8 dollars an hour, and train like a dog to do tricks with your child.

And only when they have done so many hours, Again these are hours done to learn to do assorted tricks, then you call them therapist.

No formal education is given to a therapist from any recognized school.

A therapist is someone you get to work for you for a couple of years, then when you have them trained to work with your child, and your child only and get them to work under your direction, and the direction of your consultant, and they have so many hours,,, then you call them

"Therapist" but yet they still have no formal training.

And when your child goes to school

You say
"I need my therapist to be the SEA.
because they will regress and blah blah blah blah blah."

You will say that even if you get a great SEA that has tons of experience and qualifications.

And lets be very frank,,, it's because then you don't have to pay for this therapy anymore,,, the school district can pay it with Special Ed funds.

You use tactics like

"My child's therapist is the only trained person, my child will deteriorate if the same service isn't given… And by the way,,, I am going to trash any SEA that works with my child to prove my point"

Even if my child is adapting to the new SEA, I will trash them because that is the philosophy of this big organization FEAT that feeds this junk to people that buy in to it.

Believe me,,, This is my stand,,, and the stand of many other persons I have spoken to.

And Unions have nothing to do with it. You like to think that is what is is but it has nothing to do with it at all.

School district's blame it on unions, it's easier for them that way…. but the underlying real root of the reason is.

1. " They don't want you to tell them how to Educate."

2. "School districts don't want to be put in a situation where they can be sued by you using information supplied to you by your Therapist"

3. "Your Therapists loyalty will be with you, and not the employer.

4. For all anyone knows, you could have a sex offender working with your child, and then you put other children at risk of being exposed to untrained " uneducated " Therapist.

Put your kids in private school and then you have the choice of employee's and the private school can take the risk.

You as a parent have that choice if you don't like what the public schools have to offer,, go private. NO UNIONS IN PRIVATE / NO BS / you can get what you want.

SEA's are worth every penny they make. Most nowadays have 2 years education, have a good understanding of most needs of a child, in the education system. For specific Medical needs qualified nurses are provided to get them up to speed.

You say this is a medical procedure, and I hear yea,,, but not very many people that do the front line work have medical training,,, they are TRAINED to do tricks like DOGS

They are the lowest paid in your multi level marketing and driven by Big Corperate America that is only after $$$$$$

thank you
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