ABA to begin with Luke! | Autism PDD
How and where can i go to find information on ABA therapy my son was
getting st and pt up unitl he turne 3 and is now in early childhood
program. is there a way to get trained in this myself to help him. i
know a college a few miles away can test him but will not dx him with
autism and then he can attend therapy sessions there i think they are
funded by a grant. and they will also train me to do this. i hate to
take him from school and this is a 2-3 hr drive in carbondale if anyone
has done similar please let me know .i want to do whatever i can for
dakota and like everyone money is a big problem and my insurance is
battling me every step of the way. they will not cover speech unless it
is a restorative nature example if he was in car wreck, he had speech
and lost it that should count for something and it is a shame that
people who need the services cant get help. sherry
*gasp* Now I don't feel so bad about the cost, Jillnjake!!!
That's a LOT! (By the way, your son looks almost exactly like MY
son!! Cute face, kissable cheeks, sweet smile, dark blonde hair
in the same hair style!)
Sarah, our ABA will run like this: we'll see the consultant for 2 hrs
every 2 weeks (and she's available more if we need her more) and we'll
have probably 3 tutors providing 2-4 hrs of ABA per day for 5 days a
week. The consultant said that the tutors should only be getting
-/hr (depending on their experience). If you have a tutor
who is very experienced, then maybe she's worth the /hr! We'll
be hiring college/grad students who are majoring in Spec. Ed or Psych,
hence the somewhat low fee.
Pat, I agree with you 100% (although we never planned on having a
college fund for our kids ... dh and I paid for college with
scholarships, work, and loans and want our kids to do the same so
they'll value their education). I'd rather pay the money now and
hope that it will set Luke up for a better future rather than waiting
and have him not fulfill his potential.
He's having an awesome week this week, so it helps me to feel that it'll be worth it!
Kellie,
I haven't had much time to come on here and I'm way behind on posts but I seen yours and I just want to say how happy I am for you that you are able to get a program underway soon!! I think you will see some great things happen with the ABA and I can't wait to hear from you about it once you get started!! Take care,
Karrie
Kellie,
Yah! I know you guys have been working hard to get this program going and it must feel good to finally get started! I don't think you will be sorry. We have been going ABA for 9 months and DS has made tremondous progress. I don't see us doing it indefinately- maybe 3-4 years total.
Our therapists have really come to love DS. On of them has a son that's the same age and they have playdates and we babysit for each other.
It's perfect timing b/c college classes are starting and students will be looking for jobs. We are down a therapist so we are recruiting right now. We post fliers everywhere-with DS picture- that definately attracts people!
Let us know how things are going.
That is awesome that you are going to be starting soon.
ABA is hard work but worth it. There are sites that tell you what to look for in a therapist. If the therapist is a senior (very experienced) then is about right. It is best to start with a senior while you get your child used to learning.
Both of my children had ABA and it was the best thing I could have done. My daughter now doesn't meet the criteria for Autism and my son is very bright but still has Autism features. I did TEACCH with my son and he regressed. ABA should be done on the floor etc as the child begins to attend more. Also using TEACCH supports etc is still part of ABA. ABA is more than doing trials at a table.
If you can borrow a copy of "Behavioural Intervention for the Young Child with Autism" it will give you the info you need to oversee the program and ensure that your therapists are doing the best they can.
If your therapist will allow maybe you can be trained up to do sessions as well. Then you will have the skills to teach incidentally. It is amazing what you can turn into a learning situation once you understand how to teach. And doing a few sessions a week can save you money.
One tip, sometimes our kids can tantrum when we start sessions as they don't want to comply. My son tantrummed for the first 5 full sessions (at each) until I found a reinforcer that worked. I would start stocking up on noisy gadgets and little toys now. In fact a lot of McDonald toys can be useful. BTW my son loved his sessions so much once he understood, that when the therapist would come he would grab her hand and say "Work now, go away mummy".
There are also some wonderful mailing lists regarding ABA that you can join. The "Me List" is great.
Good luck.
About the money--we blew off the college fund. We figured the money was better spend seeing if he'd ever get to college! It's so hard....and you can't know til you try. Sounds like you've got a good plan to start with. Keep with it. It's worth even if it isn't very helpful because you'll know better what to focus on. Can't wait to hear how he responds.
pat
Hi my 3 yrs old son has ABA since May . Now he can ask for milk , juice, candy. He seems like he making a lot of progress. However now he is just echoing us all the time. We have the ABA consultant 2 hours a wk. The ABA tech comes in 1 hour for 4 day a wk (20.00/ hour ) I have a mixed feeling about my ABA consultant. She is my first one. should I change to another ABA consultant. You sound like you've having a good program for your son. Please keep us inform
Thanks
Sarah
We go to the ABA place for an assessment on Monday morning. 00/month for full time.
Well, I met with a consultant today and I liked her demeanor, her
interactions with Luke, her experience, and her philosophy. The
only thing I don't like is her pricetag! 
My husband said that we can't afford to have ABA indefinitely -- and
he's right -- but I'm so happy that we're going to get a program
underway. She's going to incorporate RDI, floortime, TEACCH, and
discrete trials in Luke's programs. We have the names of a few
tutors, but have to interview them. If all goes well, we could
get things going in just a couple of weeks! I'm excited ... and very very nervous about spending all the money. What if it doesn't "work"? All we can do is try, right?
I know this lady has posted a couple times (and mentioned recently that her husband is an EI specialist) ...I think she's on Chicago North-Side I've not used her, nor do I have any other recommendations, but here's a start at least!
Good luck!
~Lesley
Robyn Ackerman
Robynackerman82@yahoo.com
Http://CBTservices.tripod.com
Behavioral Intervention for Young Children With Autism: A Manual for Parents and Professionals (Paperback)
by Catherine Maurice (Editor),
It is available at our local library and children's hospital family resouce center- so you may not need to buy it. I have also found the following very helpful:
http://mariposaschool.org/programs/TrainingManual.pdf
I give it all my newtherapist to read.
srsmom thanks for the information on the book sherry
Aba therapy can indeed be very overwhelming and pricey!... My Company "Child Behavioral Therapy Consulting Services runs out of Illinois. If anyone would like to talk with me or my partner about getting started and our services please do not hesitate to call. We offer all services, and we try to make it as affordable to parents as possible. Check out our website at Http://CBTservices.tripod.com
Email me with any questions; CBT Consulting Services will help make this as easy on the parents as we can.
I wish you all luck in helping your child grow!
I am currently checking into ABA having read many posts on this site. It sounds like a very promising treatment. Liam is supposed to transition into the school system in Oct when he turns three. I have now called the intermediate unit 3x, with no call back, to ask about ABA. I am not sure they know who they are dealing with! Never cross a Mommy! I went on several legal and other sites and found that if the school he ends up going to requests ABA, they have to provide it. At least in my county. I just hope I am doing the right thing by requesting ABA. Has anyone had bad experiences with it?
I am also very curious about how to learn it so I can follow up at home. I even spent the 61$ for the book! But it sures seems overwhelming, and I am not sure I will have the heart to do it...
I THINK AJ is getting "some" ABA through school. However, I didn't know there were people who come to the house and teach us, too. All these abbreviations and everything is soooooo over whelming. I am just focusing on getting him speech right now. I don't even know if I am a "strong" enough person to continue on. I am doing the best that I KNOW how to. Today I printed out on what to do AFTER the IEP is in motion. As I read it, I highlighted many features in there. Does anyone else have this feeling of "overwhelming"???
i am overwhelemd with all of the things from dakota's iep they are not consistent with keeping me informed on progress and if goals are met. i am rescheduling anotoher iep and want to make sure everone is on the same page using pecs till something else can be used, also behavior program and ot etc. our old ot who used to see dakota suggested me checkin into getting an advocate who will go into classroom and speech, playground etc to make sure things are getting done like they should she says it is a free service will call later and see if one is availabe in our area. i know exactly how you feel and am sure everyone has been through it etc. take care sherry mom of dakota 3 mild cp, asp, christa 22, eliljah 16Copyright Autism-PDD.net