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Original poster

Happy thread - ABA

67 replies

MangoMonster · 21/10/2011 19:32

Just wanted to update you on DS progress for those considering ABA.

It's been 3 weeks (around 50 hours) and DS is loving the tutors and the extra attention!

He is listening much more, understands many more words, has learnt 2 signs, can complete a couple of puzzles and is beginning to understand non verbal imitation. He's also stimming less.

He's initiating purposeful games with us and is waving when say good bye to people!

He's also playing with toys much more and is looking around his environment to see what he can explore!

I'm so happy, so wish I'd started sooner. I'm not saying it's a miracle cure for Asd or anything like that but it's certainly helping DS's delayed development faster than I thought possible.

Happy Friday everyone :)

OP posts:

moondog · 21/10/2011 19:49

Wonderful news Mango.

StarlightMcKenzie · 21/10/2011 19:58

Yay!

bialystockandbloom · 21/10/2011 20:05

Fab

Just wait and watch over the next few months, he will continue to astound you. It shows what can be done by peope who know what to do. And you'll probably fall a tiny bit in love with your tutors too not that I did oh no

coff33pot · 21/10/2011 20:05

That is brilliant! Definitely a happy thread

JoMaman · 21/10/2011 20:09

great news! yes, I agree with bialy, prepare to blub if any of your tutors leave!

Original poster

MangoMonster · 21/10/2011 20:10

bialy I think I already have! . It's amazing when he suddenly responds correctly, the pure joy he feels and we feel is so exhilarating. Bearing in mind I have been trying alone for so long and not getting anywhere. Really shows me that my 'standard' approach was so futile. Ega reinforcement and disciplined repetition with errorless teaching is where it's at!!! He's like a different boy :-)

OP posts:

Original poster

MangoMonster · 21/10/2011 20:10

Mega reinforcement not ega!

OP posts:

bialystockandbloom · 21/10/2011 20:15

jo our best tutor left in the summer. I knew from the beginning that she would be going then, but I blubbed for days leading up to her leaving, blubed on the day she left, and still get tearful when I think of her

silverfrog · 21/10/2011 20:18

oh, that is so lovely to hear, Mango - well done mini mango

I rememebr the sheer euphoria of the first month after we started ABA - life just seemed to pause for a while. I had time to appreciate the little things. dd1 had time, space, and the new-fund ability to gain our attention without screaming at us. it was blissful, and so exciting - a little window suddenly opened up and I saw a glimpse of her future, and it wasn't the non-compliant, frustated and frustrating place I had previously assumed it would be.

enjoy this time - it is lovely to have some success after all the battles and confusion.

Original poster

MangoMonster · 21/10/2011 20:27

Thanks silver I know it will get harder but it's such a good feeling to know we've made a good decision and DS is happy and progressing. His case manager also mentioned that she thinks he will be able to go to a mainstream school with a shadow! And that he's hf... It's such a relief to see his potential which was obviously being wasted. The developmental neurologist we saw thought if he carried on with the same rate of progress we would be looking at special schools.

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silverfrog · 21/10/2011 20:30

it's just a hge weight off your shoulders, isn't it? when you find the key ot unlocking, to some degree, your child's potential (whether that key is ABA or not!)

it will not all be plain sailing - but then bringing up any child is not all plain sailing. now you at least have a plan, and what is more, a plan that is working.

Original poster

MangoMonster · 21/10/2011 20:35

Huge relief and you're right, it's as much about us as it is about DS. We have a plan and a good one for now, it seems! I feel useful and hopeful again.

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bialystockandbloom · 21/10/2011 20:36

Yes I agree with silver one of the best things about this is that you now know what to do. Being a parent of a child with autism is so hard as the normal rules of parenting just don't apply. When we started aba I finally felt like I knew what to do. You will all be so much happier

StarlightMcKenzie · 21/10/2011 20:50

I've just started ABA again after a long break, and my goodness what a difference.

I hadn't realised that ds' complying levels had slipped, that my shouting had increased, that ds' toileting had gone downhill and his stimming sky high.

Honestly, I had a niggling feeling but just didn't realise how stressed I was taking him to the playground, out and about etc.

After just 6 weeks, I cannot fathom what was so hard about going to the playground, ds' and dd can play together and ds can often bombard dh with a story from the day as soon as he appears (okay, not at any high level and it still needs a lot of work, but the motivation is there, and more importantly it demonstrates ds' joy in his life).

I was amazed with ABA the first time round, and I thought we'd had our kick start progress, but it seems we can have it again.

I am so much less stressed, despite having a forthcoming tribunal, baby, house move etc etc.

moondog · 21/10/2011 20:53

Mega reinforcement and disciplined repetition with errorless teaching is where it's at!!!

Absolutely!
Watching the engines roar and seeing them take off. Nothing like it.
You feel like punching the air and yelling 'Yess!!'

I frequently do in fact.

smallwhitecat · 21/10/2011 20:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

StarlightMcKenzie · 21/10/2011 20:57

It's the ABA fight that is hard on that family. I do wish they'd make that distinction clear!

smallwhitecat · 21/10/2011 21:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

MangoMonster · 21/10/2011 21:03

It does feel so good! I take part in every session and I'm learning so much and I know it's more the change in the way we interact with him that's helping him be happy. He's just responding to us in his usual way but we are better!!! I'm so happy ABA has turned out to be not about how DS should respond but how we as carers/parents/teacher should! It's a breeze to him and it's harder for us right now! I hadn't realised I was compensating and protecting him so much from things he could so with masses of encouragement.

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moondog · 21/10/2011 21:03

When important looking or sounding people pass an opinion on something, always ask how much they actually know about it.
The answer will generally be- not a lot.
You may have to weasel it out of them but that is generally the case.

You can do so quite pleasantly

Important Person 'ABA is cruel/wicked/too intensive/not practical'

You 'Gosh that's useful to know. I take it you have a qualification in this field? Are you BCBA?'

IP 'Er..no. Bu I am exceedingly important.

You 'I'm sure you are. To return to the original point, what authority or infomration do you have that leads you to make this point?'

IP 'Well I saw a documentary on Channel 4 in 1983 and they pin kids' arms to their sides and make them do jigsaws'

You 'Really? And that makes you an authority on ABA does it?'

IP 'Er, er..

You 'I saw a documentary on a teacher who shot 4 of her pupils in Wisconsin in 1972. Would that make me an authority on pedagogical staff?'

I think you get my drift.

Message being

DON'T TALK DRIVEL ABOUT THINGS YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.

moondog · 21/10/2011 21:06

Yes Mango, key to ABA is the environment, this being everyone and everything around your child, all of which make him/her do more or less of any given activity.

Only by changing the environment do you change the child.

As my hero Michael Maloney ( a master of the art of errorless learning) says

'If the child hasn't learnt, the teacher hasn't taught'

Original poster

MangoMonster · 21/10/2011 21:07

DS's pead hadn't ever heard of it, but he did say it couldn't hurt, which is weird if he doesn't know what it is?!

OP posts:

moondog · 21/10/2011 21:09

Paediatricians haven't a clue what goes on in an educational setting, really they don't.
Useful for medical stuff and referrals and so on but not for stuff like that.

Original poster

MangoMonster · 21/10/2011 21:12

Agree, I know he's amazing at saving children's lives but he doesn't have the time to understand and help with the other stuff. We are changing to a community pead as the other one was a heart specialist.

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moondog · 21/10/2011 21:27

Yes, their skills lie in other areas-not opining on educational provision.

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