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Old 03-28-2015, 12:17 PM
 
Location: Massachusetts
4,681 posts, read 3,449,086 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nana053 View Post
Yes, but autistic adults who are high functioning and verbal don't know the standards that are currently in use. The ABA my grandson had taught him how to imitate gestures and how to play which he did not learn like typical children did. They did not suppress all *stims,* but did teach him how to actually attend and listen to his therapists and teachers. It was the therapy where he learned to speak, where he learned to play, where he learned academic and self-help skills.

Note that we did not use it exclusively, but turned to Floortime and RDI for help with social relationships.

I suspect that high functioning verbal autistic adults had less need of these things, but when you start with a child who is 18 months old with NO gestures, NO verbal language, NO imitation, never plays with any toys, doesn't point, etc., ABA is helpful. It can also be helpful for self-injury (my grandson never did that, but I know kids who do). No parent can watch a child self-harm without trying something.
Actually there are plenty of non verbal autistic adults who blog. Here is just one.http://nonspeakingautisticspeaking.blogspot.com/

I also want to add high and low functioning are labels that do not work. Just because someone is non verbal does not mean they are less.
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Old 03-28-2015, 12:27 PM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,412,743 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by magicshark View Post
Actually there are plenty of non verbal autistic adults who blog. Here is just one.Non-Speaking Autistic Speaking

I also want to add high and low functioning are labels that do not work. Just because someone is non verbal does not mean they are less.
Having taught a large number of nonverbal individuals, I couldn't agree more that many are, in fact, extremely skilled communicators. Others are not. And nowhere would the poster you quoted ever suggest, as the grandparent of a child with autism, that anyone with autism, verbal or non, is "less." She would, however, correctly point out that individuals of differing ability levels, whether they have autism or not, require different supports to live safe, independent as possible, lives.

I'm sure you will agree with the reality that autism presents with an extremely wide range of intellectual impairment. I've worked with many children with autism where intellectual impairment was not significant or present at all, and many more where it was a significant factor in his or her ability to function independently. And many people with autism also have emotional/mental health issues and even other disabilities that frequently go completely undiagnosed or treated, because they are overshadowed and in some cases concealed by symptoms related to autism. There is an extremely broad range of symptoms people with autism may exhibit, some of them due to developmental issues and health issues that are comorbid with autism.
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Old 03-28-2015, 12:31 PM
 
17,183 posts, read 22,836,530 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by magicshark View Post
Actually there are plenty of non verbal autistic adults who blog. Here is just one.Non-Speaking Autistic Speaking

I also want to add high and low functioning are labels that do not work. Just because someone is non verbal does not mean they are less.
Of course they are not less. I know the labels are not accurate, but a child who *cannot* dress himself, feed himself or do anything to take care of his own needs is low-functioning in the world. Sometimes this has to do with physical problems, but not always.

You seem to have no clue about kids who self-injure unless you were one. If you were, what stopped it?
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Old 03-28-2015, 12:37 PM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,412,743 times
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I agree that low functioning/high functioning labels are not useful, primarily because they are subjective. There is no definitive descriptor that can classify x behavior as "high" or "low" functioning. One person's "low" may not be another person's "low," etc.

I have always preferred to focus instead on level of independence, since, as a special education teacher and advocate, that's the main focus and goal in the end, anyway...helping put a person on a path and making sure he or she can access the necessary tools and supports where he or she will be the most successful at living as independently as possible. And that's HIGHLY SPECIFIC to the individual.

If an individual cannot be left unattended without exhibiting highly unsafe behavior (be it aggressive, self-injurious, distracted, highly impulsive, whatever...something that puts him or her or others around him or her at risk), that's going to limit his or her independence greatly, and it really doesn't matter how "high" or "low" functioning you or I or anybody else deem him or her, accurately or not, to be.
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Old 03-28-2015, 12:40 PM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,412,743 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nana053 View Post
Of course they are not less. I know the labels are not accurate, but a child who *cannot* dress himself, feed himself or do anything to take care of his own needs is low-functioning in the world. Sometimes this has to do with physical problems, but not always.

You seem to have no clue about kids who self-injure unless you were one. If you were, what stopped it?
And it's not just self-injury, either...aggression toward others is a major concern as well, and one that often is the motivating factor that causes caregivers to seek out therapies like ABA in the first place.
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Old 04-09-2015, 08:19 PM
 
9 posts, read 11,009 times
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As a parent and an Autism Advocate I recommend you take your son out of that facility immediately. There is no reason he should have marks on him at all-ever-from any kind of therapy, or therapist. When I worked with children and adults with behaviors we were taught how to avoid children's advances, and only were legally able to "restrain" adults who were an immediate physical threat to themselves or others. You have a legal right to keep your son safe. I would request a full copy of all evaluation records from his clinic, a full explanation of any and all incidences (including their use of "extinction"), a full report of the type of therapy, his goals, and how they are being implemented, and insist that you accompany him to the clinic and sit in on his therapy sessions. If the clinic cannot provide those things for you I would ask for a full refund and mention the possibility of a lawsuit. Period. What you are describing is not therapy, it is child abuse.

You also have a legal right to have your child evaluated by the school system for any type of learning disability-including Autism and PDD- and ask for speech evaluations, OT evaluations and psychological testing. Request this evaluation in writing, to the principal, date it and save a copy. Do not rely on verbal correspondence. Typically unless your son cannot "access his educational environment" PT services will not be provided through the school system. Depending on your state the school system has 30-60 days to complete these evaluations. If you disagree with their findings you can request an evaluation by an outside provider (at no expense to you- the school system is responsible for this expense should you disagree with their findings.) If you have no options for outside providers your fight will be with the school system to get him services. Get the testing first and then schedule an IEP meeting for you and the school system to hash out what he needs, his eligibility, and what services they can provide. Legally they are required to provide your son a free and appropriate public education according to his needs.

ABA is not the only therapy but it is one of the main ones for autism, yes. However children at any age can respond to ABA therapy, and other therapies as well. Therapists however should be able to tell you exactly what goals they are working on, and discuss the methods they are using to achieve such goals. Therapists should include parent training for you as well so that you can implement the therapy yourself- at least a little bit, in your household. You should be welcome at all therapy sessions, and many ABA providers come to the child's home.

A great resource for you in the meantime should you find yourself without therapy is "What to Do When: Practical Guidance Strategies for Challenging Behaviors in the Preschool" by Eve Essa, 6th Edition. It is written for preschool teachers BUT it actually is very similar to ABA and can help you understand "extinction" and how to apply it in your home.

Additionally there are free "learning modules" concerning almost every aspect of autism (and appropriate therapies) at AutismInternetModules.org It is completely free. I have gone through the modules and they are EXCELLENT! You don't have to go in order and can do them at your own pace. There are full of excellent information, including information about ABA and other therapies.

Right now you are your son's biggest and most important advocate. He will benefit from your love and guidance. Learning as much as you can about therapies and fighting for them at school will benefit him. His current clinic will not.

Hope that helps? Let me know how it goes!
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Old 06-05-2015, 09:39 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,093 times
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Parents should be allowed to enter a school where their child is. If it were me, I wouldn't even bother trying to explore the details of what type of therapy they are using or if its bad or good ABA. It wouldn' t matter if they staff or director is telling you to wait in the car and do not enter the facility that would be enough for me to take my son out of this school.
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Old 06-05-2015, 09:42 PM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,412,743 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmarinelli View Post
Parents should be allowed to enter a school where their child is. If it were me, I wouldn't even bother trying to explore the details of what type of therapy they are using or if its bad or good ABA. It wouldn' t matter if they staff or director is telling you to wait in the car and do not enter the facility that would be enough for me to take my son out of this school.
Absolutely.

If the parent/guardians are for any reason not allowed involvement and are not operating under 100% informed consent, it's not only bad ABA, it's completely unethical.
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Old 06-21-2015, 02:30 PM
 
58 posts, read 114,184 times
Reputation: 229

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEoW5rfNXM4

THIS MAY BE TRIGGERING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAD ABA THERAPY. I talk about why ABA is abuse and I simulate the experience of a child who gets told "quiet hands" by suppressing my own stims during a time where I really need to be stimming to self-regulate. I tell exactly what I’m feeling as I suppress and you can visibly see the reaction escalate as I work harder and harder to not stim. The reactions in this video are 100% real. Now imagine a child going through it. IT IS TORTURE AND IT IS ABUSE TO PUT A CHILD THROUGH THAT.

Btw I do not have any eating disorders or cancer. I've always been underweight and it's a manifestation of my PDD-NOS. (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified). I seriously LOVE food, but my stomach seems to have a portal that teleports the fat content somewhere into deep space. :P
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Old 06-21-2015, 03:54 PM
 
Location: Massachusetts
4,681 posts, read 3,449,086 times
Reputation: 17119
Quote:
Originally Posted by littlechoirlady View Post

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEoW5rfNXM4

THIS MAY BE TRIGGERING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAD ABA THERAPY. I talk about why ABA is abuse and I simulate the experience of a child who gets told "quiet hands" by suppressing my own stims during a time where I really need to be stimming to self-regulate. I tell exactly what I’m feeling as I suppress and you can visibly see the reaction escalate as I work harder and harder to not stim. The reactions in this video are 100% real. Now imagine a child going through it. IT IS TORTURE AND IT IS ABUSE TO PUT A CHILD THROUGH THAT.

Btw I do not have any eating disorders or cancer. I've always been underweight and it's a manifestation of my PDD-NOS. (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified). I seriously LOVE food, but my stomach seems to have a portal that teleports the fat content somewhere into deep space. :P
Thank you so much for sharing. This is exactly why we do not put my son through it. As I always say only Autistics truly know.
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