Hello! Our daughter (2y 10m old) was assessed last week by Dr Keen and diagnosed with ASD. So far, she seems (touch wood) to be at the higher-functioning and milder end of the spectrum: she's verbal (some language disorder and delay); she's pretty good at understanding and following instructions; she doesn't have fine or gross motor issues, major sensory problems or other difficulties that inhibit day-to-day activities; she makes some eye contact; she's interested in lots of activities and toys; and she has excellent memory and puzzle-solving skills. The main issues (other than language) are: lack of enthusiasm for social interaction; very short attention span; reluctance to converse and preference for echolalia; and a lot of 'scripting' cartoons or nursery rhymes - often, she is very much 'in her own world'.
We'd like to start an ABA VB programme as soon as reasonably possible and we have some questions that we hoped the knowledgeable posters here might be able to help with.
Firstly, in terms of hours/structure, we are thinking of 12-15 hrs a week (probably 2 morning sessions, 2 afternoon sessions). Our daughter would spend the other 3 mornings at preschool (where we'd provide an ABA-trained shadow) and the afternoons with her nanny (whom we plan to include in some of the tutor training) and little brother. Does this sound realistic? Too much? Too little? We are reluctant to take her out of her lovely small preschool, as she's settled in really well, but if she needs more 1:1 hours to make the best progress then maybe we should think about it.
Secondly, consultants. I've already emailed Duncan Fennemore and Sean Rhodes, who seem to be the most popular choices on this forum for children with HFA. Victoria Meader, Catherine Green and James Adcock have also been recommended to us. We'd be grateful for any views on any of these names and any other suggestions.
Finally, thanks to everyone on this forum who has shared their experiences and knowledge. If it weren't for reading the threads here, we might well be waiting patiently on our local authority's 9-month list to start the assessment process, losing valuable time...
Sorry for the message length and thank you very much!