Reducing SLT because SLT can't address autism

[SuffersFoolsGladly]

SLT said ds doesn't have any language issues. They are all communication and caused by his autism.

When I criticised her report for having a great deal of detail about all the things ds was struggling with, and the next steps he needs, but no strategies for HOW to do this she said quite openly:

'That is because I don't KNOW how to'.

I could have kissed her for that despite it being an awful thing to hear. At least she isn't pretending.

The trouble is, where do I go from here. DS had been doing ABA until we lost a tribunal and our ABA consultant knows 'HOW' but the school have had orders from above telling them that they are not allowed to engage with anything that might look to them like ABA as the tribunal ordered against it.

I think she is implying it can't be done because you can't change the fact that he has autism.

TBH all the professionals at the meeting recommended a reduction in provision because he was fixed appart from his autism. OT said the same. School said the same. Autism people didn't say much at all except that in their opinion his behaviour wasn't any different to other children his age.

I know that his compliance has gone down hill. I know his behaviour has and his anxiety levels have.

I mentioned this and it was like the LA had finally got their prize. They perked up and delighted to tell me that behaviour at home was MY problem and that the behaviours I described were never seen in the nursery.

Personally I don't think that a change in behaviour at home is necessarily exclusively 'your' problem. Some children hold in all their stress all day at nursery/school, then it all comes out at home.

If the professionals are saying he's made enough progress not to meet criteria for intervention anymore, then the nursery should be working on their recommendations. Are there no guidelines for working with nursery children on the autistic spectrum? Though with their stubborn child-led approach, Silverfrog's suggestion of outside groups may be the thing you have the most control over at the moment.

The political element to all this sounds immensely frustrating, sympathies. Dont suppose there is any nurture group type provision for nursery age, just wondering if that cld address social skills issues.

Ok so what about asking for private salt who does know how to deal with communication? If nhs salt can't outreach can't or won't and nursery can't then someone else has to. Any chance of finding a moondog?

Thank you Agnes. I will have a go at that, but I doubt that the LA want to believe anything other than she doesn't know because it can't be done.

An alternative too could be to privately get one on board who can work with the NHS one (As their code says they need to communicate with each other).

But, as usual, that is going to cost US money.

So what support is he getting at all?

So there are identified social communication difficulties - of course a SALT should be bloody well qualified to implement strategies and advise nursery staff how to do so!

I don't really understand what they are suggesting happens next then?

Agree with the suggestion of taking him to as many additional social groups as you can, but that's got nothing to do with this nursery situation.

Does he have a statement? If not, are you applying for one?

I think the s/lt is both brave and honest in saying she doesn't know what to do.I've long argued that the sooner generic sl/ts either a.) train in ABA or b.) (and more realistically) move aside to let people who know what they are doing get in there (ie behavious analystds) the better off we all will be. S/lts can then focus on issues where they are effective.

At present sl/ts working with ASD is about as useful as training a garden hose on that nuclear reactor in Japan.

A complete waste of everyone's time.

The whole thing is surreal. Ban ABA? It's not something you stop and start-it's the underlying principles of data collection, multiple opportunites to practice and master a skill and reinforcement when you get it.

Noone sane could disagree with those principles.

Ask how it is that PECS is 'allowed' then as that is pure ABA.

But if you find a private SALT who is prepared to say she / he CAN help then how can they say its not possible. And surely they must know a tribunal is not going to buy this. I know you don't want to go back there, but they can't just give up.

What about ICAN if his ASC is under control - surely they will say you can work on social skills. And they can hardly say ICAN is ABA / banned.

God this is craziness. How can an LA forbid ABA, when countries such as the US and Canada made it their intervention of choice for autistic children 10 years ago. As Moondog says though, hats of to the first SALT in history to admit she can't help an autistic child with the standard SLT techniques!

We truly are living in the dark ages, educationally-speaking, in this country! I managed to smuggle ABA into school via the LSA with my boy - any hope there?