They are running a program about one family with three autistic children and their ABA program. It is on April 22, at 10 PM EST. Thought I'd throw this out there. The intro sort of amused me. The reporter describes ABA as controversial (maybe) and cutting edge (???-It's been around what, 40 years? :confused: ) Anyway...I'm sure we'll watch it. :cool:

Thank you for posting that. I will write it down on my calendar.

Thank you for posting that! I am currently trying to get my son involved in ABA, as was recommended by the nuerologist, but there are no spaces currently available. I am trying to get as much info on it as possible. I'm sure that the show will help. Thank you!
Matts mom :wave:

Hello...


Saw the prime time edition on autism and the family that had three....
I thought it was heart wrenching watching these kids going through this ABA stuff.

My boys are 14 now when they were little they had limited language, tantrums etc....We never even considered a program like ABA....to adversive...we chose early intervention in the public school and the TEACCH method...Speach therapy, O/T, music therapy.....It has been a wonderful experience ....The TEACCH method is structured, positive and non adversive...

My boys now are in middle school inclusion...reading, writing,doing basic math, interacting, talking...etc...I feel like we got to this place by early intervention, using the TEACCH method and using positive reinforcers...We would catch them being /doing good and praise them for it.

Isn't ABA another name for the LOVUS method? which has been around Along time......

Anyways I hope I don't upset anyone for sharing my thoughts and opinions I don't mean to

Suzann

How do you define "adversive?"

I define adversive as mean, affliction. opposing....

I as a person would not want to be treated the way I have seen ABA is instructed...and I would not want my children to be treated in this way either

This is just how I feel....I am not trying to put down anyone that decides to take this approach Each individual has to decide what is best for their child and how they want to go about working with their child.

Suzann

Shue, thanks for posting the date and time of the program. I thought it was very interesting.

Of course every parent has to decide what is best for their child. Where my daughter is receivng ABA it is very positive and certainly loving and not mean at all. Dr. Lovaas used adversives briefly, but that has been discontinued for some time. As for being opposing, if you mean that it is not child-directed and that the therapists do not let destructive, unproductive behavior continue, I guess ABA does use that. Of course, we "oppose" her NT twin if that is the definition. I don't want either of my children engaging unopposed in unacceptable behavior, disabled or not.
I know that ABA is not the answer for everyone. It may not do all that we hope it will do for Abby either, but it is the most thoroughly researched and best documented approach that we could find and the specific deficiencies it addresses match Abby's areas of weakness very closely. I am not discounting your opinion, you are certainly not alone in holding it, I just wouldn't want anyone to have the impression that ABA is cruel or unloving, because when practiced at its best, that is simply not true and if anyone is reading material that describes ABA as using adversives such as water or, God forbid, slapping or something, please check the copyright because you are probably using pretty dated material.

I agree completely with Shue. I have used the same tutors for a year now and my son is IN LOVE WITH THEM. They are both special education majors and have never raised their voice to him. I think ABA LOOKS ADVERSIVE in the beginning because you are changing behaviors. I agree with the dad in the prime time special when they asked him if he thought it was to harsh. He said he thought it would be much more harsh if his children were teenagers and could not speak or have any self help skills. His children were very severe and both of the parents thought that they may have to be institutionalized. In my ABA program we reinforced the desirable behaviors and IGNORED THE UNDESIRABLE. I don't see how that could be adversive. Suzanne, I am super happy the program you chose worked for you. It is definitley scientifically proven that ABA only helps about half of the children recover. I think that is why it is so controversial.

just asking.....

When you say recover do you mean not autistic anymore?

Suzann

Oops sorry. I wrote that post while I was still half asleep. I consider "recovery" being able to be mainstreamed in a regular class room without any assistance, no sensory problems, no speech or cognitve delays and good interaction with same age peers. The reason you receive a diagnosis of autistic is because your brain is different than the neurotypical brain. So I believe you will always be different, just not in a way that regular people would notice. When I brought my son to be evaluated today they said that some children outgrow their symptoms of autism and that seems to be the case with your son. I think about 90% of his problems were due to his lack of speech and auditory processing difficulties. Now that those areas are perfect we have a very loving, happy, smart, and well behaved little 3 year old. He is also extremely social with same age peers. It was a lot of work, but yes I think some children can be indistinguishable from their peers.

I believe that children can be "recovered" from autism too. I recently read a statistic that somewhere between 10% and 15% of diagnosed children "recover." Like Temple Grandin always emphasizes in her lectures "Autism is VARIABLE!" (emphasis hers). Every person with autism is different. There is a spectrum of deficiencies and I believe recoveries as well.
Recovery is certainly our hope for Abby.:)