Happy thread - ABA

[MangoMonster]

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 :)

Yay! Told you the first few weeks would blow you away I love ABA

As someone who's about to embark on ABA after reading "Let me hear your voice" it's incredibly motivating to hear from real mums in the UK having great results with ABA.

I've just been trying out some of the ideas at home over the last couple of weeks, praising eye contact and voluntary speech, keeping him busy with structured activities and I've noticed a big improvement in his eye contact and speech already. I don't really have a clue how to stop his ear piercing excited squeals and jumping up and down on the spot (doesn't help that my DD who is 5.5 and has no issues has started to copy him!) and can't wait to get him onto a programme and get advice on how to deal with these kinds of things and the tantrums. I dread taking him to school to drop off and pick up DD in case he has a "turn". Everyone politely looks the other way while he lies on the floor screaming because I've told him he can't go into the playground or whatever.

So far none of the so called professionals have given me any idea about how to deal with DS's ahem challenging behaviour. It's such a relief to know that there's something out there that might help.

Keep posting up the positive stories!

Oh we had advice how to deal with challenging behaviour from the Autism Outreach. It goes like this:

'There's nothing you can do. He will grow out of it!'

Eh?

Yeah that's pretty much what I've been told. That and show him a picture card of what you want him to do. When I said that wasn't working I got offered parenting classes. Grrr. Pinning all my hopes on ABA.

Yes, is that all they can do?

Give you First and Then pictures?

After all the assessments, arduous and gruelling as it is, is that it?

Just let me get this baby cooked, born, and grown up a bit and then I'll come and help everyone FOR FREE!

God it makes me mad. When you get to the higher level social language complexities you need expertise of a SALT nature to guide any programme but until then it's a friggin piece of cake to make untold differences!

I am so glad to hear ABA is going well for you.

We have been doing it about 10 weeks and it has totally changed all our lives for the better. We saw a massive difference in DS1 (4.3) in just three weeks too. I am back from the brink, DS1 is happier and our family life is much more enjoyable!

It worries me as to what DS1's future would have been like had we not started doing ABA. I don't think it would have been good given that no other professional working with him had correctly identified the main function of his behaviour. However, the ABA team had him sussed within hours of meeting him and it is quite unbelievable how much progress we made in a matter of weeks.

I am not saying ABA is the right approach for every child with an ASD but it is totally right for DS1 and for our family. If I hadn't been so naive in thinking we would be advised on the best source of support for DS1 we would have started ABA a long time ago!!

Whilst I agree that not every parent can do what I have done. I do disagree that it is beyond most parents. Certainly, the majority on here could do it.

One of the things about my particular circumstances is that I have drastically reduced my expectations. I am not asking for ABA in holiday time, nor to be done during school hours instead of school (whilst the school hold open a place). Do I think ds should have this? Yes, but you are right, I am confident at being able to deal with the holiday time etc. myself.

But I would still argue that my model, WITHOUT the holiday time etc. is still vastly superior to what the LA is proposing as an alternative.

Oops, wrong thread!

Great news for you too dietcokegirl, would love to hear how things progress for you too.

Justa - it appears that the primary function is control. Also, to a lesser extent - frustration release, anxiety (fear of unknown/lack of understanding). Now we have been told by every professional that DS1 did everything on his own terms, worked to his own agenda and so on. However, we were advised that it was a need for understanding and systemizing. So we were given a Pecs book, first and then board, advised to use visual sequences, structures, timetables etc. To cut a long story short progress was very limited. Behaviours increased. I felt utterly desperate.

My view has always been that DS1 does understand most instructions, does know what is happening next, doesn't have major sensory issues and is very bright! I think the all the visuals just annoyed him as he knew what was expected but just didn't want to do it. So after a while I gave up, started doing things my own way and then turned to ABA.

Yep, DS1 is very bright, has good receptive language, does know what is happening next.....you get the drift! So working on his compliance was our starting point. DS1 has made amazing progress, yes it is still hard work but nowhere near as difficult and soul destroying as it was a few months ago!

dietcokegirl compliance and motivation are our main issues too.

Interesting. We didn't think DS1 was very motivated. He is now! I just don't think the standard balloon and bubble approach was working for him!

But why is there not enough attention given to compliance? Is it that difficult to identify? Or do therapists just not have the time to challenge such behaviour so come up with other (often incorrect) explanations for it? Its really worrying. We are lucky to be able to access ABA but without it where would we have been in ten years? Still trying to pick DS1 up off the floor with a picture to show him what we want him to do next? Shudder.

I get that dietcoke even more more now we've started ABA and he has more demands placed on him, plus he's becoming more assertive and hitting terrible twos. The main reason he won't do things not that they are too hard or he doesn't understand, but he doesn't want to. Reinforcement is helping with this, but it's hard work. If I had known about using strong reinforcement (as in bribing with biscuits etc) he would be more developed for sure, but some people frown upon it... He just doesn't find the same reinforcement in things as NT kids might. It's a challenge but we are working on it.

Thankyou pipin, I think that too! He's coping really well, but I'm still learning to adapt to his new forthrightness especially as I've always made an effort to avoid tantrums etc, which obviously doesn't help in the long run.