Re: Eye Contact Triggers Threat Signals in Autistic Children's Brains

[Guest guest]

I have a good friend who is possibly the world's best mother. When she

was being interviewed by the social services agency prior to adopting

her daughter, she repeatedly made reference to her experience in

training dogs as preparation for motherhood. The agency nearly refused

her application until a more enlightened member investigated her

experience and training (oops, there's that word) in behavior

management. My point is that people who react to a word like training

should look more deeply into what training really is. I do train my

dogs, using sound ABA principles, much as I train my students. I am

able to use ABA because I have been trained in applied behavior

analysis myself. I just cannot see training as a bad thing or

a bad word.

R

[Guest guest]

I agree completely.

Sara

Re: Eye Contact Triggers Threat Signals in Autistic Children's Brains

I have a good friend who is possibly the world's best mother. When she was being interviewed by the social services agency prior to adopting her daughter, she repeatedly made reference to her experience in training dogs as preparation for motherhood. The agency nearly refused her application until a more enlightened member investigated her experience and training (oops, there's that word) in behavior management. My point is that people who react to a word like training should look more deeply into what training really is. I do train my dogs, using sound ABA principles, much as I train my students. I am able to use ABA because I have been trained in applied behavior analysis myself. I just cannot see training as a bad thing or a bad word.R

[Guest guest]

I agree completely.

Sara

Re: Eye Contact Triggers Threat Signals in Autistic Children's Brains

I have a good friend who is possibly the world's best mother. When she was being interviewed by the social services agency prior to adopting her daughter, she repeatedly made reference to her experience in training dogs as preparation for motherhood. The agency nearly refused her application until a more enlightened member investigated her experience and training (oops, there's that word) in behavior management. My point is that people who react to a word like training should look more deeply into what training really is. I do train my dogs, using sound ABA principles, much as I train my students. I am able to use ABA because I have been trained in applied behavior analysis myself. I just cannot see training as a bad thing or a bad word.R

[Guest guest]

I've been living with Border Collies for 13 years now. For those of you not

familiar with the

breed, they're considered probably the smartest dog in the world, bred to run

hundreds of

miles per day and to do one task--herd, finish the job and never give up. The

result is a

very smart, quirky, obsessive dog who can spend 20 hours frozen in one place

staring at a

cat, can be bothered by the slightest noise, obsess over shadows, have rituals

before

eating, you name it. A smart, often understood, quirky obsessive animal. Dogs

are dog

and they are not people. However, what I have learned from my border collies,

living and

training them all these years has helped me beyond anything I can describe when

working

with my son who is on the spectrum. I've lived with quirks and obsessions and

learned

how to work around fears, etc. If they start rating dogs on the autism scale,

border collies

will be at the top of the list.

I don't mean to offend anyone, and yes there is a BIG difference between dogs

and

children, but at the same time, consistency is the key and you need to be very

clear with

dogs what your requests are and so on. Having a background in training animals

or

understanding how to mold behavior is incredibly helpful with kids autistic or

not! I see

nothing wrong with suggesting that training animals has helped a person prepare

to be a

parent as while it is very different, I take from my experiences with my dogs

every day and

it has been nothing but helpful. My son is doing great and in a way a lot of it

has to do

with my understanding of dogs, particularly Border Collies! And just as a side

note, we

don't do ABA either.

> Well,one can only wonder why a social worker would be concerned with

a

potential parent who compares their preparation and experience in training dogs

to

raising children . I don't subscribe to the principals of ABA so perhaps that's

why I don't

take to well to the concept of " training " children but that's a whole other

subject.The point

I was trying to make regarding this study is that sometimes there are more

things that can

be learned about autism that don't involve science,blind studies and placebos.I

personally

have learned more from talking to autistics themselves and hearing from their

experiences

than I have from any publishings I've ever read.

>

> Stacey

>

> From: <luvsbt@...>

> Date: 2007/01/01 Mon PM 03:17:11 CST

> autism

> Subject: Re: Eye Contact Triggers Threat Signals in Autistic

Children's

Brains

>

> I have a good friend who is possibly the world's best mother. When shewas

being

interviewed by the social services agency prior to adoptingher daughter, she

repeatedly

made reference to her experience intraining dogs as preparation for motherhood.

The

agency nearly refusedher application until a more enlightened member

investigated

herexperience and training (oops, there's that word) in behaviormanagement. My

point is

that people who react to a word like trainingshould look more deeply into what

training

really is. I do train mydogs, using sound ABA principles, much as I train my

students. I

amable to use ABA because I have been trained in applied behavioranalysis

myself. I just

cannot see training as a bad thing ora bad word.

> R

>

>

>

>

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

I've been living with Border Collies for 13 years now. For those of you not

familiar with the

breed, they're considered probably the smartest dog in the world, bred to run

hundreds of

miles per day and to do one task--herd, finish the job and never give up. The

result is a

very smart, quirky, obsessive dog who can spend 20 hours frozen in one place

staring at a

cat, can be bothered by the slightest noise, obsess over shadows, have rituals

before

eating, you name it. A smart, often understood, quirky obsessive animal. Dogs

are dog

and they are not people. However, what I have learned from my border collies,

living and

training them all these years has helped me beyond anything I can describe when

working

with my son who is on the spectrum. I've lived with quirks and obsessions and

learned

how to work around fears, etc. If they start rating dogs on the autism scale,

border collies

will be at the top of the list.

I don't mean to offend anyone, and yes there is a BIG difference between dogs

and

children, but at the same time, consistency is the key and you need to be very

clear with

dogs what your requests are and so on. Having a background in training animals

or

understanding how to mold behavior is incredibly helpful with kids autistic or

not! I see

nothing wrong with suggesting that training animals has helped a person prepare

to be a

parent as while it is very different, I take from my experiences with my dogs

every day and

it has been nothing but helpful. My son is doing great and in a way a lot of it

has to do

with my understanding of dogs, particularly Border Collies! And just as a side

note, we

don't do ABA either.

> Well,one can only wonder why a social worker would be concerned with

a

potential parent who compares their preparation and experience in training dogs

to

raising children . I don't subscribe to the principals of ABA so perhaps that's

why I don't

take to well to the concept of " training " children but that's a whole other

subject.The point

I was trying to make regarding this study is that sometimes there are more

things that can

be learned about autism that don't involve science,blind studies and placebos.I

personally

have learned more from talking to autistics themselves and hearing from their

experiences

than I have from any publishings I've ever read.

>

> Stacey

>

> From: <luvsbt@...>

> Date: 2007/01/01 Mon PM 03:17:11 CST

> autism

> Subject: Re: Eye Contact Triggers Threat Signals in Autistic

Children's

Brains

>

> I have a good friend who is possibly the world's best mother. When shewas

being

interviewed by the social services agency prior to adoptingher daughter, she

repeatedly

made reference to her experience intraining dogs as preparation for motherhood.

The

agency nearly refusedher application until a more enlightened member

investigated

herexperience and training (oops, there's that word) in behaviormanagement. My

point is

that people who react to a word like trainingshould look more deeply into what

training

really is. I do train mydogs, using sound ABA principles, much as I train my

students. I

amable to use ABA because I have been trained in applied behavioranalysis

myself. I just

cannot see training as a bad thing ora bad word.

> R

>

>

>

>

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>