Parents of children with ASD, Is ABA the answer?

[Slinkysista]

Hi everyone

Doing some research work for university on the pros and cons of ABA in the treatment of ASD.

Was wondering what the general mood was towards ABA amongst parents of children with ASD on this site. Amongst the parents I know personally and from what I have read there seems to be two very distinct camps those who can't praise it highly enough and those who think it is overrated and have ethical concerns about implementing an ABA program ( as in ABA is trying to change their child and is totally unaccepting of what some parents feel are their child's little personality quirks as the Son Rise program, for example, would).

Where do you stand?

There is no other intervention that has more of an evidence base, and (when carried out under the supervision of a board certified behaviour analyst ) nothing that is more loving, enjoyable and creative.

ABA is the science and application of learning and retaining learnt information more effectively. It has many manifestations, of which home based ABA programmes are only one.

As someone who works in this field I can assure you that all other 'treatments' are at worst damaging, at best ineffective.

Here are some handy references for you.

Also, check out NHS Evdence website and watch this

Eldevik, S., Hastings, R.P., Hughes, J. C., Jahr, E., Eikeseth, S., & Cross, S. (2009). Early behavioural Intervention for children with Intellectual Disability. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychology 38 (3) 439-450.

	Esch, B.  Speech Pathology and Applied Behaviour Analysis: Opportunities for collaboration. <a class="break-all" href="http://www.behaviour-consultant.com/slp%20and%20ABA.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.behaviour-consultant.com/slp%20and%20ABA.htm</a>  

Evidence Based Practice Brief<a class="break-all" href="http://www.speechandlanguage.com/ebp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.speechandlanguage.com/ebp/</a> 

Lord, C., & Corsello, C. (2005). Diagnostic instruments in autistic spectrum disorders. In F. Volmar, R. Paul, A. Klin, & D. Cohen (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders: Vol. 1. Diagnosis, development, neurobiology, and behavior (pp.730-771). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

	Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis   <a class="break-all" href="http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/</a>  (accessed on 10/01/10).

Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and ABA <a class="break-all" href="http://behavioralspeech.com//" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">behavioralspeech.com//</a>  (accessed on 10/01/10).

 	RCSLT resource manuals for planning and commissioning services

www.rcslt.org/speech and language therapy/intro/intro (accessed on 10/01/10).
Sackett, D.L., Rosenberg, M. C., Gray, J. A. M., Haynes, R. B., & Richardson, W. S. (1996). Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn?t. (Editorial) British Medical Journal, 312, 71-72.

Speech Pathology and Applied Behaviour Special Interest Group behavioralspeech.com

Sundberg, M. (2008). Verbal Behaviour Milestones Assessment and Placement Program: VB-MAPP www.avbpress.com/.

Vargas, J. (2009). Behavior Analysis for Effective Teaching. Boston: Routledge, Taylor & Francis.

Agree with Justa, wasn't sure if this was genuine or a troll, tbh, getting cynical in my old age!

Opinions about ABA do vary but I haven't really come across many debates amongst parents about ABA versus Son Rise, and I don't know of many parents raising ethical concerns about ABA as such other than why funding for it is so limited. I personally have more concerns about the secretive and unresearched Son Rise program which does not disclose data or encourage debate about its methods.

I never liked the sound of sonrise (wacky American unscientific claptrap IMO) but ABA wasn't the big thing it is now when my DS was first DX. I am happy enough with the progress my DS has made using mostly the Hanen approach and TEACCH when he was younger and choice and consequence based behaviour policies and social stories now he is 11.

Yes there are two distinct camps. Those that understand what ABA is and praise it, and those who haven't got a clue what it is and put it down through their own fear and ignorance.

It isn't always going to be for everyone, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work. A bit like having a healthy diet. No-one would argue that it was the better option, but people are free to chose an alternative. Unlike ABA though, no-one is going to argue that high fat foods are actually 'better' for you and that healthy food is unethical as it doesn't let you eat what you want (with the assumption being that what anybody would freely want is high fat food).

Moondog you are a total dote, Thanks somuch for the references! I am trying to critically analyse ABA it's hard as so many people have has success with it!
Thanks again, soooooooooooooooooo much appreciated!

It's a great pleasure.
Glad to be of service.

The Eldevik et al is a cracker.

What are you doing exactly.

Okay, the CONS are that the LAs in this country are so pigheaded that parents have to go something akin to 'underground' to get it. This means that there are lots of cowboys and unregulated practisioners ripping off parents. This is not a fault of ABA, bit does sometimes unfortunately lead to less than desirable outcomes.

You could focus your CONS on this perhaps. The CON of ABA being that despite it's effectiveness, it isn't available to all, and it isn't properly regulated in the UK.

Justa Am writing an essay for University, nothing major, wont be published or anything like that!
If you don't want to give you're opinion, that's fine, no problem.
Not a troll either btw, just interested in opinions.

Slinky, if you are near London, you should get yourself to this conference where you will have the creme de la creme of the Breitish and international ABA scene presenting, include Remington.

Starlight That's a great idea, Will definitely include that angle
Moondog Am doing a MSc in ASD, brilliant course, so interesting.
Thanks ladies

I hope your essay goes well and I certainly don't mind you looking for ideas here but one thing that jumps out from the original question is an assumption ( i don't mean yours necessarily) that 'changing' an autistic child is not acceptable. But I expect my second son who is not autistic to be changed by his education so why would anyone think that change/learning new things is a bit dodgy if the child is autistic ? Son Rise discourages debate or disclosure about the program once parents have been on it so you may not find many people who will discuss it online. I have one friend who has been on it and she has told me a bit about it and from what I have heard, it really should be avoided both for financial and child welfare reasons - though obviously that is just my personal opinion, and I can understand why the lack of help here in the UK would make parents clutch at straws like Son Rise.

I do hope this discussion continues - it's criminal that children in the UK aren't provided ABA but yet are handed out ineffective programs that are at the whim of teachers or educational psychologists.

try asking your local SLT or teacher about their opinion on ABA and you will immediately be dismissed as a potential child abuser or that you as a family won't be able to cope, or that its too expensive, blahdy blahdy blaa.

Yet its ok in the UK if you accept a teacch program or 'no' program. Just be a 'nice' little autistic family and you wont have any problems right?

If you want your child to learn like any other child, and your child has autism you may need to learn about ABA purely if its just to be able to measure what and how they are learning. Its not difficult but it takes parental commitment and i think a lot of LEA's and professionals out there dont believe we are capable and continue endlessly to tell us how 'incapable' we are.

for the unfortunate, they tend to believe that, but potentially at their children's peril.

parents should at least have the choice but the don't.

i hope that doesnt sound too cynical?

Nit at all Interested Mum because you have effectively summed up the state of SEN provision for most kids with ASD (and other communication and learning disabilities in the UK).

You'll be glad to know that not all teachers and S/LTs think badly of ABA. I don't. On the contrary, its effectiveness has blown me away and continues to do so on a daily basis.

It is true to say thoguh that it takes huge amounts of energy and commitment and discipline and should not be entered into lightly. I don't think the sorts of parents who post on MN are reflective of parents with SN as a whole (for many different reasons).

I don't much understand when LA's suggest that their 'eclectic approach' is obviously the most suited to children with autism as it is 'holistic' and doesn't rely on any one method, which means that all bases are covered.

The thing about ABA is that it IS an eclectic approach. But it is data-driven. You can do anything you like provided it is based on sound evidence and data that it works for THAT CHILD and you can PROVE cause and effect.

I've seen half-hearted programmes. In fact, I've done half-hearted programmes at times.

It's the kind of thing that needs to be done properly. I guess that is why it is so scary for cost-cutting, inefficient, poorly trained LA staff. They just can't compete so they launch an attack instead.

Well it involves seismic changes to an entire system that feeds and multiplies on the perpetuation of 'learning disabilities' so it is a tall order.

Achievable thoguh.

You get my email, Star?

Yes, thank you, I'm just trying to figure out how to fit 100 things into the Easter Holidays, i.e. my dad's funeral and arrangements, my tutor trained, my tutorial for my course plus course work, and now a conference, plus a much needed holiday (we 'were' planning to spend the whole couple of weeks touring Europe with our new bell tent).

Much appreciated information though.

Thanks everyone, so can i just get this straight in my mind, when a child is diagnosed with ASD they are offered an approach that borrows from several different approaches?
There is so much around these days but it does seem that ABA is the one with the empirical research behind it although there does seem to be growing anti ABA sentiments expressed by some parents\practitioners.

What reasons can they have to be against it if the research backs it up?
Does it really come down to how ASD is viewed? As in ABA takes the view that the child can be changed whereas other programs embrace the view of the world held by the child with autism?
or do some practitioners have a vested interest in playing ABA down?

'What reasons can they have to be against it if the research backs it up?'

Let us know when you find out will you?

Slinky

The truth is (generally, not everyone's experience) dx is delayed for as long as possible because with a dx, parents expect provision.

Provision/intervention is refused until an arbritrary time i.e. help will be offered when he starts nursery, school, when he's 7, if the teachers deem it necessary, if his behaviour is out of control, when he is 3 years academically behind.

When provision is offered it is usually to enable the school to continue to have the child in their care/class, and rarely to enable the child to learn. It doesn't matter if they can't follow the lesson, so long as they are still sitting on the carpet, where they are supposed to be and not interfering with any other children or disrupting their education. Solutions such as fiddle-toys are acceptable to fulfil this outcome.

These types of 'solutions' are thought up on the hoof by autism experts who's job it is to ensure that the child is kept occupied and not disruptive.

This is called the eclectic/holistic approach.

It's not a trick question but do you really meet parents who are strongly anti ABA ? i know where to find the professionals who don't like the fact that it shows up their game as pretty useless by comparison. I don't meant that all parents like or do ABA but I've not come across an anti ABA mood as such. Also again, why is 'change' wrong for an autistic child ? I really don't understand that ? Do NT children stay at the same level of development all their lives ?