Starting ABA this week - Autism Spectrum Message Board

shue · 03-22-2004, 06:15 AM

We have Abby enrolled to start an on-premise ABA program beginnig Tuesday. She will go Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-4 until there is an opening full-time. We are excited because we have great hopes in what ABA can do for her. She seems like a good candidate for the approach. I've read that sometimes children beginning this type of intervention grow more aggressive. That concerns me for the obvious reasons, plus she has been more self-injurious recently anyway. Can anyone share their experiences beginning ABA? We started SI therapy a few weeks ago and perhaps her increased self-directed anxiety has something to do with that. We've seen an explosion in her communication since beginning though.
Thanks.

KathleenW · 03-22-2004, 09:50 AM

I am excited for your family!!! ABA has changed my son's life. After 8 months of ABA my son went from a cognitive level of 18 months to 4.1 months. The second time he was tested he was 3.1 months so that to me is just amazing that he could test at a 4.1 level when he had barely turned three. We did not have any negative behavior all because my son really enjoyed his programs. ABA breaks everything down into simple steps and it teaches your brain to learn. It was exactly what he needed to learn to talk and process information. (We also did speech therapy three times a week). I think if you have any trouble in the beginning it will probably go away quickly because the more language she develops the less frustrated she will be which will improve her behavior. Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shue · 03-22-2004, 03:19 PM

Wow that is remarkable progress! I hope that we see the same kind of results.
Thank you for sharing your experience.

wisegirl22 · 03-26-2004, 08:57 AM

Some children do become more aggressive and extremely stimmy when beginning any type of behavior therapy (not just ABA). Any change in your child's day is going to cause this.

If the behavior continues being a real problem for a long time, you might want to consider a different approach. My son was bored to death with ABA, but when we switched to the floor-time method (Greenspan), his response and progress was amazing to watch.

I think that the type of therapy your child receives should depend on what works for your child, not what anyone says is "right." Obviously, if your child freaks out and is extremely distressed every time they see their therapist, it's time to reassess which approach is the right one.

Just my two cents! I hope the therapy works out great, though -- just give your child some time to adjust. It does take some time for them to get used to these demands being placed on them.

sandyt · 03-26-2004, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wisegirl22

Some children do become more aggressive and extremely stimmy when beginning any type of behavior therapy (not just ABA). Any change in your child's day is going to cause this.

If the behavior continues being a real problem for a long time, you might want to consider a different approach. My son was bored to death with ABA, but when we switched to the floor-time method (Greenspan), his response and progress was amazing to watch.

I think that the type of therapy your child receives should depend on what works for your child, not what anyone says is "right." Obviously, if your child freaks out and is extremely distressed every time they see their therapist, it's time to reassess which approach is the right one.

Just my two cents! I hope the therapy works out great, though -- just give your child some time to adjust. It does take some time for them to get used to these demands being placed on them.

My son is receiving speech therapy for high-functioning autism. I am new to all of this. Can you give me a brief idea of the difference between ABA and the floor-time method? Would the speech therapist be the one who does either method? If not, how do I go about finding someone who does those therapies? Any resources/help you can give me would be appreciated.