[Deleted User]

Hi Barbara, please email me at alexbarclay@shaw.ca with your address so I can pass on some info off the board.

Alex Barclay
Powell River BC

[Deleted User]

In regards to Barbara's post about Giant Steps, I believe that the intial school district was only Surrey, then Coquitlam got on board as well. Canada.com might have the story archived for Global.

[Deleted User]

Certified Lifeguard and Swimming Instructor with ABA training Available to Teach Private Lessons in Maple Ridge or Langley

I am posting this message on behalf of a therapist who works with my son.

Ben has worked with us since April 2001 (with one semester off for school) is entering his fourth year of psychology at TWU and works as a lifeguard and instructor in Langley. Last summer he taught my autistic daughter preschool level swimming through private one on one lessons.

He is available to teach children in ABA programs private one on one swimming for those who are interested.

In the past we have sent our daughter into swimming lessons with an aide and found that she learned much more through private lessons. She had focussed one on one time and an instructor who knew the principles of ABA and was therefore able to teach in a way she understood. She was much less distracted. Now she could enter a regular swimming lesson with little or no assistance because she has a strong base of skills and is better able to focus. Ben was also very effective at helping her to work through her fear of putting her face in the water. Ben also taught my husband and I the skills to continue the lessons in family time which really helped.

If you are interested in contacting Ben about this you can leave a voice message on his pager 292-3412

[Deleted User]

Hi Lou and Barbara,

just wanted to throw my two cents in… we essentially did the same thing that Barbara mentioned with both our children when we encountered noise sensitivities (and a few other sensitivities such as touch etc).

Our approach, almost identical to Barbara's, was to satiate the child with the noise/item and apply appropriate behaviours. So we would stage it frequently and work through it, eventually working up to longer periods of time (duration). My son is still a bit fearful of the vacuum but he doesn't freak out he just likes to tell us that we "are all done vacuum… bye vacuum" in a cheery voice. If you are able to do this consistently a few times a day you will likely find the child will eventually get quite used to the event and be less and less scared by it.

In problem solving this situation you might also want to consider what consequence does your child get out of this? Is he truly fearful, could it be a rigidity ie: vacuum comes out, I always react, it could also be a stim or it could be due to the reaction he gets as a result of his actions… ie: the vacuum goes away when I scream. So as Barbara mentioned, it is key that the parents, caregivers not react to the screaming or upset behaviour but plug in appropriate behaviours instead. In other words the vacuum shouldn't go away because the child is screaming or tantrumming or whatever else.

And finally to add a positive spin to this, my son used to be oblivious to those kinds of noises that my daughter was fearful of and then suddenly he began to freak out over blenders, vacuums, loud clapping etc. WHen I called my consultant she mentioned that perhaps as he was making progress he was becoming more aware of the world around him and consequently noticing there were things to fear.

If that is true then this might be a sign of more progress and like everything esle with a child with autism its just another hurdle to overcome using the methods of ABA.

Michelle
Mother of Breanna and Griffen

[Deleted User]

I sincerely hope people think about what anonymous is saying about being part of government research. If you think the BCOTA was brutal, look out because the FED's comissioned this one and the one question you should be asking yourself is " why would the Canadian Government have Byrna Seigal peer review an ABA content document, when she has as some would say a career in testifying against children needing ABA treatment in court. I have a binder sitting here on my floor, called the Anti Byrna Kit…It came from an American Lawyer and father of a child with Autism. I would say the Americans take this woman very seriously. It is almost three inches thick of her testimony at trials etc…its pretty much all there and I am thinking why…why this woman??? I have sent messages to all peer reviewers to read their peer review notes of the CCHOTA but no one has responded. It is rumoured that they are starting to use this document against families wanting ABA in the educational system in BC.
The Governments reluctance to provide ABA treatment is clear, years later we remain in court battles.
Just take time to think very seriously what they could use the "data" for.

[Deleted User]

In your parent information package is a
consent form for research to be done on the
children in B.C. receiving IEII. I have great
concerns about research paid for by the
government. They have been very biased
against ABA therapy in the past and would
love to prove that we don't need as many
hours, or that it's ineffective, etc.

Remember the BCHOTA report that was
commissioned by the government, written by
an"external research review" committee, tied
to UBC. This document was heavily biased
against ABA and was discredited in court. A
month after it was discredited in court , it was
passed out as "resource" material for doctors
and social workers.

I personally, do not trust this research project
and will not sign this concent form. Do not
feel you have to sign it. You will still get your
funding if you are not part of the research.

[Deleted User]

I feel like the bearer of bad news…but having a year or so's jump on BC here in Ontario, there are certain things as families I would URGENTLY be protesting, in and out of court…you only need look EAST to Ontario to see a disaster unfolding.
1. Sabrina is absolutely right about "multi-disciplinary teams" to diagnose autism. For years OHIP and early pre-school initatives have accepted diagnosis of ASD from family practicioners, developmental peds, and other related health care professionals. Suddenly at the inception of IBI those diagnosis are NO longer and suddenly unacceptable.
Why?
Well how else can you ration diagnosis? With a detrimental spill over affect to treatment protocol.
What has occured here is that some children had a recent diagnosis that would have been acceptable prior to IBI being re-assesed by the government contract worker " clinical director", and for legal reasons lets say this is a hypothetical case.
The hypothetical case of child X who has diagnosis of Autism by a DAN! Dr. and Developmental Ped done within three months of IBI acceptance evaluation, mysteriously is given a new diagnosis of PDD-NOS and is say hypothetically classified as near normal functioning by a regional provider only to be again re assesed say hypothetically 9 months later by a well known hospital for sick children, only to find to the parents suspicions that child X is actually delayed in all areas by almost three years and actually hypothetically meets criteria on the DSM-iV for Autism , in contrast to the Government contract worker 8 months prior of PDD-NOS.
Do you think it likely that a child with a diagnosis of PDD-NOS would receive the same amount of treatment as the child diagnosed with full criteria for AUTISM?
A word of advice for those being asessed for the BC program….if you for one milisecond question the diagnosis handed out by the Government Contract Workers pls for your child's sake, even if initially it costs you out of your own pocket, get the child asessed by an independant and qualified source.
Make sure if an inaccurate diagnosis has been made that it is permanently removed from your child's records.
If necessary one may consider reporting alledged negligent diagnosing to the proper governing authority so that either the clinician is trained properly to in the future effectively diagnose or at the very least save other children from hypothetical possible diagnosis rationing.

[Deleted User]

Just in response to the post about Sunny Hill having to give the diagnosis. I myself was disappointed with this issue, so I checked it out some more. The stipulation states that a multidisciplinary diagnosis must be made. It did not say Sunny Hill specifically. I have spoken to my case worker about this, and was informed that these multidisciplinary diagnosis do not have to come specifically from sunny hill. In Campbell River we can get most of this diagnosis through our own community resources. The only thing we cannot get in our community is the psychological assessment, but the government is now in the process of providing these assessments through some sort of outreach program so that a designated person for each region can go out to assess in this area. Also, I was also informed that these resources must be put in place before the funding becomes available to everyone. The resources to get this multi-disciplinary diagnosis is now being set-up, and will be available for all BC children. Sunny Hill is not your only option

[Deleted User]

I have been reading all about the new funding and I think it's pretty sad that a diagnosis from Sunny Hill has to be given. Long waiting lists, and if they feel your child is 'too mild' the funding may not be given. I think it's great what all of you have done for all of us (newer parents). I still live for the day when MSP funds treatment and ABA schools are created in our area.

[Deleted User]

Barbara,
I completely agree with you. This funding plan is just a temporary token pacifier.

Franca
Tessa's Mom

[Author]

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