Hi
I am totally questioning the whole point of having ABA on my daughter’s statement and attempting to have her in school. The sequence of events has been as follows:
Feb 2013 – We start ABA. 25 hours /week . 6 hours in a private nursery. We pay the tutor. 3y5mth old that time
Oct 2013 – We finally get the statement and nursery agree to use our tutor as 1-1 support. They pay the tutor 60% of what they claim(NI etc included). All along they make the life of the tutor very hard
Oct 2013 – We also appeal the statement since it doesn’t have ABA in there
Oct-Jan - I visit numerous local infants and primaries and they all said no to ABA. This particular school told me we don’t have ABA staff but if its on the statement we will support it.
Jan 2014 – We send our child in the nursery only when there is a tutor. Because she was getting out of hand for the nursery staff
Mar 2014 – Tribunal. Nursery give –ve evidence. HT of the school (local primary) comes. Hears the whole thing. The hearing is adjourned and we negotiate that they will hire our tutors for summer term and see how things go. We get ABA on statement. Support for 30 hours/week with 2+ yrs ABA experience…
Apr 2014 - They hire our tutors for 15 hours/week till July 2014
May 2014 – The SENCO, Class Teacher and HT call us for a meeting and say they aren't happy with the tutors.. We listen to their questions. Show them data sheets. Clarify things… Our BCBA goes in and clarifies things.. they advertise for ABA tutors – and guess what, they get 3 applications – all 3 are our current tutors..
Aug 2014 – They hire the 2 tutors for one term.
Sept 2014 – MiniSA starts reception… Settles well.. massive gap between her peers and her… But she is meeting the targets and her IEP.
Oct 2014 – There are a few tutor absences and we agree with SENCO to not send her since she cant cope.
We have the annual review and everyone agrees that the current strategies are working. Fiona even commented that “Such a well aligned meeting”
There is the issue of her being unsupported, having toilet accidents and crying a lot when the tutors go for an hour lunch. Its cut to 30 minutes and things go well. For those 30 minutes she is in the class, but no 1-1. We don’t make a fuss over this. Tutors are happy with the 30 min break.
I also meet the CT and she says she is pleased.. The tutors tell me there have been a few times when they aren't happy with ABA, but over all they are happy with the strategies. We have had 2 workshops in this term and no complaints were raised
Nov 2014 – The tutors follow up a few times and are told their contracts have been extended till July 2015. They are given the feedback that they should work with other kids alongside miniSA... They clarify that that miniSA needs 1-1 support and that they do take her out with 2-3 peers. No more feedback is given
Dec 2014 – They want us to send her in even when tutor isn't in. We agree that we will do so. I meet the CT and SENCO to wish xmas and they are happy. The CT even said to me (no I don’t have this in writing) – “Its only xmas and she is already doing so much. 9 times out of 10 she understands what is expected of her”
Yesterday, I went to meet the HT to wish her xmas. And she asks me so Mrs SA, how do to you think our first term. I say I think its gone well, what do you think… and then she stars off…
They are happy with the progress but not the support.. They don’t like the fact that the tutors communicate with me outside of school. They don’t like the fact that they are ‘outsiders’. They are concerned about the longevity of this solution
Funding is an issue.. I say to her let’s talk to the LEA about funding (It’s not even my problem). She wont be able to access year 1.. I say to her we are happy for her to repeat reception and we had always wanted a part home/part school placement. We know she is uber-delayed and that is why she needs more not less support.
ABA doesn’t work for them. I said, okay lets look for an ABA school – treetops. She says, oh that is out of borough – they wont agree… None of her business
She proposes moving her to a room where they have 2 severe ASD boys and use TEACHH. I say that isn't what we want. We would rather home educate her. I do all this tactfully, all along saying "ABA in mainstream has helped her achieve whatever she has done so far"
She goes on to say many kids who shouldn't be in this school, but are here only because of parental preference. She says miniSA has had a term in nursery and another in reception and its not working.(almost as if it’s a special discount she gave us)
Reading between the lines, they want control… They want our child to be taught in their ways. They will have an annual review in June 2015
We are spending £1K/month during term time just topping up the tutors (they are very good) and £2K/month out of term on the home program
Reading all this, if you managed to read this far, do you think it’s even worth it? How much would a special school placement cost the LEA? £15K/annum perhaps? Would they pay the tutors that money and we could run a home program and have her in school part time?
I just feel that we have spent time, money and effort trying to keep the school happy. We are fine if they go and hire the tutors themselves. The fact is, they aren't paying them enough and we have a very severely affected child here. The LSAs baby her…