Has ABA enabled your child to catch-up?

[Frogandbear]

I was just interested to know whether ABA has enabled your child to catch-up in any areas, to a point where they are now showing age-appropriate skills?

How much were they delayed in that area before ABA and how long did it take before they had 'caught-up' to their peers?

[WellTidy]

ABA has helped my son to maintain the gap between him and his peers, narrow the gap in other respects and also catch up. But he hasn't completely caught up across the board by any means. We started ABA when he was 3.4 and he is 4.7 now.

He has a very spiky profile, and when we started, he was very delayed across the board. For example, his language was plotted as 0-11 months. We introduced PECS as part of his ABA programme, also signing and then finally his language came. There is some functional and observational and expressive language in there, but also a lot of echolalia. His language is now at about 2.5-3.3 I think.

When we started, his problem solving skills were 11-18 months. He is now age appropriate, doing jigsaw puzzles and peg board puzzles quite happily.

When we started, his self care was 11-18 months (I think). He couldn't get dressed or undressed, and was in nappies as he had no awareness of weeing or pooing and wasn't remotely bothered by being dirty or wet. He is now toilet trained, can undress himself but cannot properly dress himself.

Are you considering ABA for your child, or are you doing it? Our experience of it has been fantastic.

[Mumoftwinsandanother]

Yes, DS has closed the gap in lots of areas (don't have time for a long post) although not all. Language is assessed at a year above his age across the board but he is still very random (he was practically non-verbal when we started a year ago so massive difference). Play skills and self-help skills also age appropriate now I think. He is still autistic though and it is still noticeable - I'm not unhappy with this just saying as some people think it can take autism away. However, his skills are not really below other children his age now (mark-making and social ability with other children maybe). HTH, I have found ABA very beneficial and worth every penny.

[coffeemachine]

Far from closing the gap but Aba has given my DD useful skills. She does have severe LD on top of her autism and it would be totally unreasonable to expect her to reach NT peer level/to close the gap.

[Sausagepickle123]

No but massive improvement. We've done about a year of ABA now and not
Far off where should be academically (reading and maths) but still behind in language, social skills and with fine motor issues. ABA has helped my son move forward and realise he has skills and can learn. He'll always be autistic, we just see the ABA as a way of supporting him to reach potential.

[Frogandbear]

Hi all.

Thanks for your replies - it was really interesting to read. I realise that my son will always have autism and always be a little different. However, I also can see a huge amount of potential in him and believe that he will be able to catch-up in areas not pertaining to speech and social skills.

[sickofsocalledexperts]

My theory is that ABA helps a kid go up one 'notch' from whatever starting point they are at. So my boy started at 'severe', could never become hf, but is now at the notch that might sit between severe and moderate. But my gosh that notch has made a difference to his quality of life