Massive curveball - ABA consultant thinks we can stop programme (long, sorry)

[bialystockandbloom]

I'm a bit in shock. Had workshop today with our consultant - he hasn't seen ds for a few months. Went to observe at school (Reception). Reported that ds was almost indistinguishable from his peers in most ways, and that we can fade out our school shadows by Christmas, and probably finish the (VB) programme too, maybe with the odd session here and there. I was anticipating at least another year of school shadowing, maybe even till the end of Y1.

He thinks that ds would not now get a dx of ASD (he never really thought ds should have been dx with that in the first place - thought it was a developmental delay/atypical rather than autism), and probably wouldn't now get a statement. Thinks that we should now be treating ds pretty much 'normally' to most extents.

Sounds positive doesn't it.

But a) I don't fully agree, as ds still has some real problems with social communication, anxiety, obsessions, and some perseverative behaviour, and b) we have just submitted our appeal to tribunal to ask for a full ABA programme!

Over the past few months I have been hugely bogged down in our statement/appeal, starting school, and recruiting new tutors, so probably can't see it too clearly. I accept that ds has made amazing progress, and yes in many ways does seem nt but just a bit 'quirky'. But I also see how, for example, how different his conversations are from his nt peers (eg asking dd today "dd are you scared of the bin?")

Just don't know what to do. Am I just scared of going it alone, after coming to see our tutors as quasi-saviours (how would we do without them?)? Looking for negatives in ds, and treating him like a developmental case study rather than a child?

Or is it that the consultant needs to spend more time with ds to see the difficulties that he still has?

Or is it simply that we don't need to spend more money on tutors, as he is learning most skills naturally now, and what he doesn't learn on his own, we, his parents, can teach him?

Should I get a second opinion? Our consultant is leading in his field (VB) but I think possibly more skilled with younger children (ds is 4.6), and maybe ones who are less hf.

Can anyone recommend a VB consultant who could advise us?

Also wtf do we do about our tribunal? I feel like it's a sham if we ask for a full progrmame when our consultant thinks that we don't need it.

Sorry this is soooo long. Aaaargggghhhh.

[dolfrog]

bialystockandbloom

"He thinks that ds would not now get a dx of ASD (he never really thought ds should have been dx with that in the first place - thought it was a developmental delay/atypical rather than autism), and probably wouldn't now get a statement. Thinks that we should now be treating ds pretty much 'normally' to most extents."

"But a) I don't fully agree, as ds still has some real problems with social communication, anxiety, obsessions, and some perseverative behaviour"

Playing devils advocate here.
Children can have developmental issues until the age of 7 - 8 years old, so has your DS just followed his own natural development path.
And all of the concerns you may still have could be further developmental issues, or some of the issues which can combine to cause ASD.
So if your DS has grown out of some of his ASD traits, then are there any underlying cognitive issues, such as individual sensory processing or attention issues, which are still causing some of the problems you have mentioned. And may still require further investigation between 6 - 8 years of age for more specific SEN support.