ABA....can someone explain what it is and how one can find out about it

[shey]

I have read a lot of threads that refer to ABA and it is clear that used alongside other therapies and in a way that suits your childit can be a very positive therapy. We are in the process of getting a statement for our ds and it has struck me that I really ought to find out something more, and pretty quickly, about ABA. Where should I start? Are there any good books or places that I can visit?

[shey]

Is ABA only appropriate at home or can it be setup within a school set up?

[shey]

Socci, DS is 3.7. He goes to a mainstream nursery in the mornings.

[shey]

He has a diagnosis of AS from one paed and speech and language delay from another..... happy to go either way. We think he is probably somewhere in the middle or a bit of both, which makes sense.

[RnB]

Message withdrawn

[Davros]

Hi folks, being very lazy but don't want to ignore this. Have a look at this thread and there's also a link to another thread within it!

ABA

If there's any specific questions or any other way I can help then please post but can't promise much until after the weekend. Anyway, although I am The Professor, there's plenty of other MNers with ABA experience and "fresher" too iyswim!

[shey]

Thank you for the links and the comments. I am beginning to understand the methodology behind ABA. My ds is in nursery now. He spends 2/3 mornings in a specialist commuunication group and 2/3 mornings in a mainstream nursery. From what I have read, I think that the ABA program is begun at home. I can't see anywhere where it says you can start with/alongside the nursery set up. Am I wrong? We are paying out wuite a bit of money on the communication group, is the ABA set up always self-funded?

[Davros]

In the UK, ABA is mostly started at home, partly because it can be a pre-school provision, i.e. early intervention. I know many families who do ABA plus p/t nursery but they tend to have to self-fund all of the ABA. Running a fulltime home-based ABA program can be LEA funded and, despite all the rumours, very often is. It is not easy to get funding, especially if you live somewhere with specialist provision, but it really can be done. Part of the plan at the outset of a home program is to work towards to m/s integration so this is often included as part of the strategy and many chidren attend m/s school with an ABA "shadow", i.e. someone from their home program who knows them well. However, the purpose of a "shadow" is to intervene as little as possible and the other children can often be unaware that Miss X is there to support Little Johnny. Many times that isn't the case, and Little Johnny is clearly being accompanied and guided by Miss X. Quite often a school will employ an LSA but allow her to attend team meetings and be pretty much a part of a child's ABA team or they sometimes allow an ABA team member to apply for the LSA job. Also very often they refuse to allow an ABA shadow and insist on their LSA and will not allow any cross over at all. That would be a bad choice of school!
Another alternative is to see if there is one of the growing number of ABA schools in your area, where do you live?
I also know of people who have an arrangment either in m/s or special school where children spend some time separately, sometimes with other children on an ABA program, working on ABA targets in a room in the school other than the main classroom. It is very common for children with ASD to NEED their ABA shadow or LSA very, very much during playtime, lunch, breaks etc and it is important to bear that in mind.
In the UK the home program or separate ABA time in school is very much seen as teaching time and the school attendance as generalisation and socialisation. An American friend of mine has just been back to LA as her DH has been offered a job there and she says that, although ABA is very much available through the school system, it is very much less flexible than what we have here, service providers won't even talk to you except via a school or school district and ABA time at home is seen as for socialisation, play etc and funding often doesn't spread to that time......
Haven't re-read this, hope it makes sense!

[shey]

Thank you for writing all that. From what I have read, I feel it would be an area which I would like to explore with ds. We are in the middle of asking for a statement and I am worrying that I really have to get everything in place within the next couple of months, so I canknow what to say we want if the assessment is successful. Ds does enjoy nursery and has just begun to interact with the otherchildren. I would like this to continue as next September he will be Reception somewhere and I don't want this to be too much of a shock for him. I need to find out who are the ABA providers near here..(sorry if that is the wrong terminology). I guess that is step one....... Thank you again

[beccaboo]

Shey, I am intrigued by the communication group your ds goes to, is that private or NHS?

I have some Peach magazines and a information pack you are welcome to have a look at. It gives you a step-by-step guide on how to set up a home programme.

[shey]

Thank you Beccaboo, I would love to have a look. The communication group is a nursery group, three times a week. It is in the middle of London, so a bit of a trek. Sadly, we are paying for it......nothing on the NHS yet!