[Susan Garber]

I have a 16 year old high functioning or Aspergers daughter. She is attending the Langley Fine Arts School and is very talented in music. So far I have muddled through trying to help her. I have spent countless hours and years trying to get funding or help in school. To get teachers to understand her. Even though there is a diagnosis of autism I can't seem to get the teachers to put her IEP into practice or they don't seem to get it. I give them hand outs and suggestions that always seem to go unheard. By the time an IEP is in place and I actually get to meet with her many high school teachers to begin to discuss problems it is November and the term is almost over, time to meet a whole new set of teachers. She has suffered bulling and ridicule that eventually caused her to become depressed. She is now being treated by a phyciatrist. In grade nine I finally took her out of the public school system to try to protect her and put her in a smaller school. She was in a private school for two years. Although she was safer the bullying continued becuse she has some behaviours that are different and can't possibly keep up with all the social rules of teenagers. Because of her music abilities I am so happy I have finally got her into the fine arts school where she is finally getting genuine peer respect for her abilities in music. Of course in the first few weeks a couple of girls have targeted her as someone they can bully and upset. Fortunateley their are a lot of kids that really like her so unlike th private school she has established some friends.

The only other support we have gotten is a child care worker. I am always trying to battle with my social worker because the only time she contacts me is to take away this one support we have.

What I am wondering about is after all these years of searching and trying to find out how to give my daughter the best chance no one has told me about ABA? My social worker has never mentioned it.Nor has my doctor, school, sunnyhill hospital,gateway,autism society. How could something like this be kept from us?

After having said that I would like to know about ABA treatment.Is it too late for my daughter at age 16? If not how would I begin to start a treatment program for her?

Sincerely Susan

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