ABAers please! Ed Psych assessment - how to get the best across

[bialystockandbloom]

We have an independent Ed Psych assessing ds next week for our tribunal. He is a well-respected indep EP, but also knowledgable about ABA, which we are trying to get in our statement.

What we want of course is for the EP to go away and write a report saying that ABA is most appropriate for ds, how well he's doing with it compared to without etc.He's doing an obs in school for a couple of hours, then at home.

The day he's going would be one where ds has an ABA tutor in school supporting him. On these days (3 x a week) ds is fine. The days he has no support are horrific.

So... do we show him ds without the ABA support in school, or with it? I want him to see the difference in ds when he has a tutor there and when he doesn't (although realistically it's going to be hard just on a half-day assessment anyway, ds's needs are quite subtle).

I'm thinking we send ds to school that morning with no ABA shadow, then when he sees him at home with his tutor for a home session, we pull out all the stops to show how well ds does during a session. But of course the home session is him on his own, no peers around (peer interaction is where he struggles most), so he'll look great at home in any case.

WWYD?

Sorry this is so long.

I would look at his educational aims.
How are they described and measured in standard educational context by generic teaching staff?

How are they described and measured in context of behavioural support by ABA tutor.
Remember, the acronym SMART is your friend here.

I would also get the tutor or you to place great emphasis on the importance of prompt fading, and cite or show specific examples of when prompts are faded.

Quite often the msot effective 1:1 support is the one who effectively keeps all the other staff at bay-the peopel who want to jump in to zip up the coat/pull out the chair/allay a tantrum by 'giving in' thius reinforcing demand avoidance behaviour/holding the pencil/putting the jigsaw pieces in and so on.

Bit of both. Send him with the ABA tutor but say you want him to see the difference with / without ABA and therefore will ask the tutor to stand back for 15-20 mins or however he needs and then step in. Tutor may have to wait outside DS behaves better if his tutors are even in sight! Does he have no support on other days or TA support? If he has no support then you are showing both scenarios fairly. If he would usually have a TA I don't suppose they will be available to do a comparison? Will the school be honest about the difference / back you? You can always then do some 1:1 in a quiet area at school to showcase the rest of the programme.

Thanks for replies.

agnes atm he has tutors for 3 days a week. The school have slightly gone back on their word about allowing us a full week of aba support while they "see how he gets on". He has only just started, less than 3 weeks ago. The days without ABA he appears to be getting some 1:1 support over lunchtime but that's it. Despite his statement which says 25 hours per week (ie 5 hours per day). But the statement is v vague anyway (hence our appeal. Long story, but due to crap statement, wanting to get aba in statement, fear that we've actually made the wrong choice of school, we're biding our time till half-term, not making a fuss about the lack of support for now).

Anyway, the days he has no ABA, the class teacher has said he's "fine". He's probably had a lovely time playing with sand all day. No matter that on these days he has spent the evening at home stimming, buried under cushions, non-responsive, niggling, whining, crying, not wanting to go back to school etc.

Point is that I can't really count on the school at this point to back me up on ABA. They probably think our tutors stand around doing nothing, or needlessly 'interfering'.

Arrrghhh. Sorry. You shouldn't have asked!

Anyway, thanks v much to both of you, useful replies. moondog very good point about fading prompts, and the reinforcing inappropriate behaviour. Thank you.

Then I would say the EP has to see him with and without as that is what is in dispute and what he has to advise on. So I would send him in without and then get tutor to come along later eg is there a natural break eg playtime. If school won't agree it makes them look un-co-operative and blocking the collection of evidence which you can raise at tribunal. Chances are the school will draft in their TA for the session but don't worry too much a good EP will be able to see the difference. But make sure the school goes first.

TBH, I would tell the EP what you are hoping to get from the assessment whilst reassuring him that you are also wanting an honest professional opinion and ask him what set up or combination of set-ups he wants to see.

Our EP saw DS without ABA in school and ABA at home and that was more than enough to see the difference tbh

Thank you.

Think have decided - school without ABA for an hour. Then next hour with ABA support. Back home for discussion, then some home ABA session.

Now. Any suggestions what would be a kick-ass way of showing during a home session why ABA is best for ds...?

save some of your best reinforcers for that session (obvious really).

Give the EP the targets that will be worked on, as sometimes in the more NET sessions you can miss them.

Thank you both, very good points, taken on board

Oh, and you might want to show some (short) video of targets being spontaneously generalised.