Privet speech therapy or ABA?!

[samira837]

Hi ds1 dx with autism 3 months a go very limited speech 3-4 words but understand more just wanted 2 get some advice don't know if u should start him on privet speech therapy(have email some teachers and got replay) or go strait for ABA??

Maby start off with some speech and if that is not helping go for ABA as I still have 2 apply for funding and find the ABA teachers ect let me know what 2 do

Thx

As an aside, the very lovely and incredibly inspiring Andy Bondy is doing 3 workshops on the language of emotions and how to teach it in 3 locations over March in M'cester, Newcastle and Cardiff. Highly recommended. More info. from the PECS website, but here is some cut and paste information.

Language of Emotions with Dr Andy Bondy
A workshop presented by Dr Andy Bondy, world renowned Autism expert and co-developer of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

Many people, especially those with Autism, have difficulty acquiring language related to expressing their emotions and identifying emotions in other people. In this workshop, we will review traditional approaches to teaching children with autism to communicate about their emotions as well as respond to such language from other people.

B.F. Skinner provided an important guide to the analysis of language in his book, Verbal Behavior. In this book, he stresses the critical value of focusing on the function of various aspects of communication. His analysis includes a very interesting section on what he termed ?private events?. That is, how do we learn to talk about things that happen inside of us?

Participants will be asked to consider how they currently teach various lessons related to emotions and then plan to incorporate Skinner?s analysis into the design of effective lessons. These lessons may involve very young children or teenagers and adults who continue to have difficulty with this topic. We also will look at a very important part of language that helps communicative partners better understand the perspective of someone who is attempting to communicate. We will review why this area is so difficult for those with Autism and suggest teaching strategies that may lead to successful acquisition of these complex language skills.

What You Will Learn:
To describe how children typically learn to comment about ?private events?
The type of information adults respond to when teaching children to tell us about their emotions, and what may be missing for children with autism
Why traditional approaches to teaching ?the language of emotions? may not be effective and how they can be improved
How to both take advantage of existing emotional displays and how to create situations that are likely to induce such feelings
Why it is not really easy to teach ?really?
This workshop is appropriate for family members as well as professionals. PECS experience is not a requirement.

A whole new world has opened up. I?m leaving this course excited and eager to go back and implement the new ideas and ways of thinking?Well worth the money and the long journey for me to attend.
Delegate from Language of Emotions, London

Ds is not in the school named on his statement and never has been as HT has been vile and threatening, and this was before ABA even mentioned. I have 'some' documentary evidence of this. She has stated that she would not be providing any of the statement provision even though it doesn't currently mention ABA, and that we'll never be able to prove it because she is refusing to let us communicate with CT, but if I have any com

Plaints I should take it up with the LA if I coukd prove it but that she would deny it.

The school refused to plan ds' transition or talk with us about settling in an when I insisted on a meeting with her she booked the county solicitor to accompany her.

I also have evidence of her telling the school governors that I record conversations secretly and was banned from MN for spreading SN propaganda and telling people how to fill in benefit forms fraudulently.

But all the good schools for reception children are full and you can't go over pan numbers in ks1 even with statement.

Just have 2 say wow to all off u I know that I'm new 2 all this as ds1 was dx only 3 months a go...but I hop that I will be able 2 learn and know as much as u all about autism pecs ABA ect hats off 2 all off u!!!!

Ok this is what I'm going 2 do. Start the 6 courses off pecs on the NHS and see if this is going 2 help if it dose then start the privet pecs plus do the course as well. If this dose not help ds1 with communication then look in 2 ABA

PJ, it is bloody hard work with an MSc, believe you me, so hats off to you fori giving it a go!
If you want a lighter read 'Beyond Freedom and Dignity' sets out Skinner's hopes and vision about what ABA can do for people in a most inspiring way. i found it a very emotional read.

s yes there's a lot to learn on this board. I feel like I've done an MSc in something. I've certainly studied at a level exceeding all previous formal studies.

Pip The HT didn't just make it all up. In March when I was living a long way from here but in same county I was reported an on to benefit fraud people and MN was mentioned. In finding out that this HT has talked about it shows that the LA were somehow involved.

Wrt finding an independent school with ABA. You are right about it being easier to convince a tribunal but it has been nigh impossible to convince an independent school Head and I'm well practised in the arguments.

s yes there's a lot to learn on this board. I feel like I've done an MSc in something. I've certainly studied at a level exceeding all previous formal studies.

Pip The HT didn't just make it all up. In March when I was living a long way from here but in same county I was reported an on to benefit fraud people and MN was mentioned. In finding out that this HT has talked about it shows that the LA were somehow involved.

Wrt finding an independent school with ABA. You are right about it being easier to convince a tribunal but it has been nigh impossible to convince an independent school Head and I'm well practised in the arguments.

Star I guessed it was Not!
I know your LA schools are being obstructive, their hostility is just so wrong, chances are your DS would not even stand out he has done so well.
Send me the stuff I would be interested.
I did litigation against the NHS for nearly a decade but nothing ever came close to the vicious and personal attacks i have come across in SEN.
It is unbelievable, which I guess is why they get away with it because everyone assumes you must be making it up.
DS stands out a mile at school and is just at the initial stages of interacting, but so far we have plenty of children happy to look after him, come for playdates, and one who described him as his best friend (even tho DS probably never spontaneously spoken to him), plus one who has taken to kissing him all the time (having to knock that on the head). School say they are delighted with how the children have responded to him and no complaints about his behaviour all term. ABA in the classroom is not a problem, its a godsend.
Without it we would be outcasts in the playground by now.

Starlight - probably you don't want another school on your extended list but have you considered diagnosing your DS with language disorder so that you may get in a language unit? It's the best place for children with social and communication difficulties but most don't take children dx with asd. I don't know your son but according to what I read here his autism doesn't affect his cognitive abilities nor he has behaviour difficulties.

Samira - I don't know what more to add than has already been said by the others but the motivation to use speech to communicate was initiated by pecs although I never really used it past the initial exchange bit which is phase 2 I think, we never got as far as sentence strips as DS started talking in sentences without visual aids. But we used pecs for learning new words and also and most important to emphasise on he motivation to communicate with speech.

I think that often expectations in language units are higher than in ASD units. This is my experiences of the settings I work in. Some of the students with ASD who are HF are actually performing very highly academically BUT I would say that in terms of being pushed to perform at their maximum potential, I see more of that and a more individual approach in language units than in ASD ones.

Thank you Blue and Working. I did consider attempting a re-diagnosis of Language Disorder but then I learnt that the Head of Autism had been promoted to become the Head of Speech and Language provision for the County also. Add to that that the language units in our county are pretty starved resource-wise I decided not to persue it. There would also be the risk of my credibility as DS does indeed have autism.

Having said that, I have an amazing report from both the Indi EP and SALT that make it clear that his primary need now is language and with that I have managed to get onto the waiting list for this place which looks amazing and has 13 SLTs but sadly it is unlikely that a space will come up within out timeframe. (But you should all know about it - )

Hi Pipin, our search area is very wide. Wrt the ABA sales pitch I agree with you but it still needs to be actually written in the statement as ABA or at least something different from what the LA can offer. But you're right at making sure the schools understand that they drive the provision and tutors provide the differentiation and support, rather than run a programme with the school simply as a backdrop.