Anyone done Fast Forward?
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This is supposed to really help my son who has real auditory processing issues. But, if everything that really helped my son had really helped my son....you know the drill... Anyone have experience with this? Did it help? Were you able to keep your kids focused on it for the whole time? Raquel We did it the second year it was in existence. I had followed the research while it was still a graduate project at Princeton. It is definitely research-based. We tried it with our PDD-NOS, hearing impaired son (he has a DOUBLE dose of auditory processing issues from each disability). He was about 7 or 8. His language tested at age 3 at the time, both receptive and expressive. By the end of the Fast Forward program, he didn't have much of a boost in expressive, but he had a ONE YEAR boost in receptive -- that was a 25% boost!!! It stuck, too. The program was originally designed for use with kids who had trouble learning to read because there was research that showed that reading problems are linked to auditory processing problems. It was not actually designed to help with language, per se. But it certainly helped my son. He was able to tolerate two hours a day on the program. We did it in the late 1990's. I'm sure it's improved since then. It's expensive but worth it if the child fits the profile it was designed for.We are about to start soon. My SP had to get recertified in it as it has beenyears since she last ran the program. I know a couple of parents who swear by this. The basic program is the Language for ages (4-14) The excersises focus on improving receptive auditory and phonological skills. With us the program should take 12 weeks total 5days a week, 2x a day. (45-60minute sessions) We will see the SP once a week but will do the exercises out of our home computer. It is a very expensive program. $900.00 seems to be the quoted price. For us that does not include the SP's time. Lindemood Bell Learning method as well. I know some asd kids who do it and it helps them. I know my school district actually offers this program, you may check this out as well as FastForward. I am planning to do Lindemood Bell after Fast Forward. Process-based Education (About what Lindemood Bell targets) The integration of the processes to the right is critical for an individual to be a proficient learner. The acquisition of knowledge, upon which educational standards are determined, is predicated on the underlying processes of human learning. The ability to process language is a prerequisite to learning content. Specifically, the ability to decode, the ability to comprehend written language, the ability to comprehend oral language, the ability to spell, and the ability to think critically are necessary for success in content areas. Yes. Lindamood-Bell is research-based, so it qualifies under IDEA 2004. Problem is, Lindamood-Bell wants control over its program, so there are VERY few teachers who are qualfied to teach this. Many school districts are forced to use the LMB centers, which charge $100/hr., so the SD's avoid recommending LMB. At least on Long Island, lots of people have had to go to a Hearing to get LMB invoked and the Hearing fees can often exceed the out of pocket tuition the parents would have paid. The standard recommendation from LMB for its program is 20 hours a week for 6 weeks. That comes to $12,000! And if SD's utilize the center, they are required to provide transportation back and forth, so that could double that cost. Here on LI, there are few qualified teachers trained in LMB because LMB does not hire qualified teachers for its centers. They don't have to because they are a private service. They simply train intelligent, non-certified people. This results in no teachers having worked at LMB, so when the LMB instructors quit, they can't move into school positions. And highly qualified teachers simply are not trained in this method. School ARE required to use Highly Qualified Teachers, so the end result is that SD's are forced to use the LMB Centers, at their excrutiatingly high prices. They are not allowed to hire the non-qualified LMB teachers as consultants because they don't satisfy the Highly Qualified Teacher requirements. So IEP Teams avoid recommending the LMB program. I know all of this because my son's IEP Team approved LMB for him over a year ago. They bought the program (to the tune of $1,000) and then could not implement it. They have been stalling ever since about implementing it because they can't find a teacher who is qualified to do it. And to send my son by bus an hour and a half each way to the nearest LMB Center is ridiculous. He's HS age and needs to do his school program, too, which includes work experience. There are simply not enough hours in the day to fit in LMB at the Center (our written agreement is that he get 2 hours a day after school until the 120 hours recommended is reached). Still, I'm going to Due Process to try to force the District to DO SOMETHING. At age 16, LMB VV is the only program out there that is age appropriate and addresses the sorts of problems my son has, based on the research done on the program. What type of child would benefit from fast foward? Would it be something to use for a non verbal child? To my understnding, a child has to have a certain amount of receptive language to benefit from this program. They also need to be able to stay on task for 45min- 1hr twice a day. We are doing it for auditory processing as well as for attention. I will ask my SP what she thinks of your questioon though. My friend with a non verbal child did Tomatis for auditory processing. She thought it was very helpful. That is another program that requires a lot of commitment in time and money.When my son did the program (admittedly, many many years ago), the child had to have a language level of age 4. That may have changed. However, the child needs to be able to follow some instructions and must be able to sit at a computer and use a mouse for 2 hours at a time.Our psych got a grant to get this program. My 11yo dd will be the one doing it. She has pretty much all the learning disabilities. (reading, writing, spelling, math, receptive language,processing). She is not ASD. Our psych said it really wouldn't be much helpful for Jacob 7y HFA right now. He is doing great in school and reading better than my 11y dd. Maybe later it will help him. But for now, it's my 11y dd that needs it. We will be doing it this summer. 90 min/day for 8 weeks or so. Although my son does have receptive language which is increasing steadily. He has very little attention and even with a program that he is fixated on he may stay on the computer10-15 min at a time. And the computer increases his self stim behavior. His lack of attention is holding him back. He tried adderall but it went so bad after just one dose neither the Dr. or I want to try it again. Actually he has an appointment on thursday and the Dr. wants him to try Buspar. His obsessions withthe bus and other automobiles are getting out of control. The Dr. thinks his obsessions are due to anxiety. We started this morning. He said it could help his attention also and promised me it was a mild med. with few potential side effects. I'm giving it a try because we can't go anywhere without him trying to get into other peoples cars. His expression changes when he obsseses over the automobiles and he gets really upset. I think thats why the doc. thinks he needs something. He does not want to try an SSRI because of some warning that recently came out about them. He doesn't like them in children with autism. How do these things come out of the blue like this? He was doing so well. You never know what around the corner with autism. Risperdal? Or Abilify? Or Tenex? That can have some calming effect. His blood pressure runs on the low side so no tenex or clonidine. He did mention abilify. We'll have to see how this buspar works out. He did take clonidine for sleep before the melatonin. It really aggrivated him. We quickly gave that up. His other Dr. never obtained a base blood pressure before trying it. Big mistake. I hear this program is good. Lindamood bell is expensive. Daniel is doing Lexia learning at home. We may try a stim with Daniel. Strattera didn't work with him. It made him ill infact. I want to try Concerta or Dexadrene. I will give it after am meals though. |
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