[Deleted User]

Hi Michelle,

This was a GREAT post you made about using video modelling.
Alpine Learning Center also uses this technique and substantial data has been taken on the efficacy of use of video to teach independant play skills.

In fact these types of techniques can be used for building skills. For example a gestures program (non verbal communication).

I have seen many children use this format which you explained very well to aquire appropriate and independant skills. Taking the therapist out of the picture so to speak, prompting SILENTLY from behind the child, so the targets are met. APPROPRIATE and IDEPENDANT.

Isn't FEAT of min. Dr. Eric Larson's group? Lovaas replication site? He is awesome.

I think video modelling is an excellent idea and have seen it work, but as Michelle points out you should always consult your consultant before implementing a new program.

great post Michelle :-)
cheers.
norrah

[Deleted User]

I wanted to share a story about a child who has recovered from autism.

At the age of 3 this child was diagnosed with moderate autism. The child, while bright and quick to learn was extremely rigid and had many obsessive type behaviours. The child was extremely sensitive to noise and would scream when around other children. The child would hide or try to get away from the other children in preschool. The child did not interact with adults at all and had very little functioning language despite an ability to repeat long dialogues from TV.

The child was completely devoid of emotions other than anger, had no sense of danger, ran on tiptoes, climbed everything and had exhibited some stereotypical body movements. the child did not like to be touched unless they initiated the hug or cuddle.

the child had also memorized and could hum with perfect pitch several pieces of classical music but couldn't sing head and shoulders. The child would have panic tantrums that were extremely rigid following certain antecedents that made no logical sense.

Today the child is very chatty with peers, and adults. The child makes friends easily, and easily approaches every child at the playground. the child is at or above age level in all cognitive areas. the child attends school, needing no more attention from the teacher than any other child. And it could be argued that this child has a better attention span and exhibits on average better behaviour than many of their peers.

To the untrained eye there is absolutely nothing different about this child and even the trained have a hard time finding differences. Occasionally the child still shows some rigidity about certain topics and actions but their team continues to work on these.

Therapy is not yet over for this child, loss of diagnosis isn't the end of the tunnel but by definition of diagnosis, this child has recovered. And with continued work those few chararacteristics that still linger will continue to fade.

I share this to remind the nay sayers that it is possible. Children can recover from autism. Not all will. It is important that parents remember that improvement in quality of life is worth it alone, but recovery can and does happen.

[Deleted User]

I wanted to share a method of teaching play that is proving to be very successful for us. But I would like to first add a disclaimer

I AM NOT A CONSULTANT NOR DO I THINK I AM. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE FOLLOWING I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TALK TO YOUR CONSULTANT ABOUT THIS METHOD AND DO NOT PROCEED WITHOUT THEIR GUIDANCE.

In May I attended a conference in Toronto where FEAT of Minnesota and a group of consultants presented a method of teaching called video modelling used to teach independent play skills. The basic concept was the team took a toy that had multiple types of play to it (they used a playmobil farm) they then filmed 6-7 short scenes of play. A therapist played with the toy in appropriate manner for the child's age. Each scene was slighly different using different language, different items, different actions but all with the same toy.

The idea was at first the child would watch the scene (one per session) and then reenact it with toy, therapist prompting as necessary. The video would be faded down, for example child might watch video early in session and then play wiht toy later, eventually video is faded completely. Your consultant should give you directions on this process as they see fit.

THe play is filmed from the perspective that the camera only shoots the therapists hands playing with the toy, so that is the same perspective the child would see when they play.

We have started this with my son with great success. He loved the video concept and instantly started reenacting the scenes. We kept our initial clips very short, very simple with the intention of increasing the difficulty as he gains the play skills.

We have only worked on this for a week so I am not going to rave on and on about success levels but I was thrilled to see my son play in ways he never would have through imitation and even more thrilled when after watching a scene one time adn reenacting in therapy one time he proceeded to ac it out independently on his own initiative.

please beware that you must have input from your consultant on this. I can not stress this enough. My children have a tendency to memorize videos very quickly and breaking this is very difficult. Be very wary of watchign soemthing too many times or not having enough variation. And your child may exhibit other problem behaviours as a result of such a teaching method.

okay enough said.

Michelle
mother to Breanna and Griffen

[Deleted User]

IEII funding has nothing to do with how you do
your taxes, whether or not you have WCB or
whether you pay contractors or employees.

Canada Revenue is a whole different
department from B.C.'s Ministry of Children
and Family Development (where IEII comes
from).
So you won't lose IEII funding if you didn't get
your tax/employment situation right. You will
just have to pay back taxes or EI
underpayments etc, if you end
up getting audited by Canada Revenue. I
repeat, IF you end up getting audited.

[Deleted User]

I am wondering if anyone has heard of this Online Canadian/US Autism Research project at this address http://www.autismresearch.ca/index.html This is the first I have heard of it.

Thanks a mom.

P.S. I am only asking to see if anyone is particpating in it.

[Deleted User]

Now we're getting somewhere… Many thanks to all the helpful and positive responses to the tax questions. I look forward to Anon (Oct. 7, 3:38) and other's valuable info come tax time.

[Deleted User]

Just to add to the discussion…

When I was first working as an ABA therapist, it was part time and I had another job or two that provided me with T4's each year. When I declared my income from the therapy work, I put it as 'Other Income'; it wasn't much at all, and nobody got ofter me. I did that for 1999, 2000, and 2001. This year, I'm working full-time as an ABA therapist, so I'm going to have to do the whole self-employed deal. I'm getting information on how to do that from my Mom, who is a piano teacher and has to claim that income every year, too. When tax season rolls around, I'll let all the therapists on this board know just exactly what I do.

[Deleted User]

Hats off to all those helpful and informative bits of information regarding therapists and taxes, etc. Everything is clearer now including the fact the government has neglected to properly address the issue and provide the appropriate infrastucture for parents and therapists alike. Lets hope this will not always be the case.

[Deleted User]

I have just finished speaking with the fourth parent this month calling for advice on battling with their local school district over their child's rights!!! I can not believe the stories I hear.

Do you have a horror story too? If yes, please share it with me privately by emailing me at Mkarren1@aol.com I will not share your story wiht anyone without your permission, but I would like to hear from you so we can join forces for our children.

I think it is time we unite and fight this battle together. I know we have shared some of our stories on this board already but I would like to take it a step further. We have begun speaking to a lawyer about this because our daughter was completely SCREWED over by our school board and are now starting to battle for our son's rights as he needs to start kindergarten next year.

Michelle

[Deleted User]

Re: taxes

Just another post, hopefully to clear up some issues for therapists and parents and I promise not to insult :-) *sigh*

parents do not need to and should not declare themselves as employers. You open yourself up to a lot of problems this way.

The IEII agreement is worded in such a way that it sounds like you have to become an employer and pay taxes etc. You do not. I repeat you do not. we looked into this extesively. You do not.

Therapists are considered self-employed / contracters providing they work less than 15 hours a week with your child. If you have two children, your therapist can work more than 15 hours a week with your family but should only work 15 hours a week or less with each child.

Your therapist is a contractor by nature because of the minimum amount of hours they do and because frequently they work other places as well. In addition your therapist technically schedules their own shifts. You tell them when you are available, they choose their shifts based on their availability.

For those of you paying WCB, that is your choice but I will say you are treading in dangerous water and I don't feel comfortable saying more than beware of opening yourself up to having WCB come into your house (or the risk of having this) and deciding for you what working conditions should occur. Another option to protect your therapists in caseof injury etc is increasing your house insurance. therapists can also, for a small amount of money, take out life insurance.

wow that sounds so life and death ;-)

as for paying your taxes: its great if parents can provide their therapists with a total amount paid at the end of the year. But therapists, technically this is your responsiblity. When it comes to paying your taxes you simply enter in the amount or money you made and do the usual math on the form. If you owe the government, the calculations should tell you or the govt will let you know. If you want to avoid this possiblity you can arrange with revenue canada to make tax "payments" yourself but I not sure of excatly how that works.

Usually for students (non career therapists) you don't make enough to pay taxes but if this is your job, revenue canada has information for the self-employed on declaring income and paying taxes.

The good news about being self employed is you get to write off your mileage, your toys you buy, any food items you buy for therapy purposes, if you use a portion of your house as some sort of office (sr therapists who do paper work from home for example) you can write off a portion of you household bills, cellphones I think etc etc.

You can actually whittle down your income so that you will likely not have to pay taxes or very little

HOpe this helps

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