Guest guest Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 Hi There! How old is your child? What types of behaviors does he exibit that need addressing? What other therapies have you tried or are you trying along with ABA? Don't panic yet. ABA gets a bad rep from parents because they see their children go through periods of hightened behaviors...this is to be expected. They go through a period of escalation because behaviors that got them certain results before no longer work. So they will intensify the behavior until they finally realize that it does not work anymore. Then, the behavior ceases! Kinda like how we may rough up a vending machine that always gave us a soda on the first try before...one day it doesn't give the soda and we start pressing buttons and maybe give it a kick or a shake before we realize that it will not give the soda no matter what! There is no telling how long this peak in behaviors will last. But if you back down now, the behaviors will remain at the hightened level where they are now. Also, ALL children don't like to be told what to do or what not to do...on many levels ABA does just this. If your child is not accustomed to consistent positive or negative punishments or reinforcements, then naturally he is going to fight back. ABA is all about structure...and if your therapists are competent, then that is what they should be bringing to your home. It is actually a good sign that they are competent if they gave neutral response to his behavior. They have to ignore his outbursts and even the service dog to teach him what is appropriate communication and what is not. I would suggest allowing his therapy to continue. Your therapists should be able to show you the data charts on which they are documenting the programming. They should be able to tell you specifically how to reinforce the objectives when they are not there. They should be able to explain to you the objectives of each of the programs. I know some have had bad experiences with ABA, but I believe when that happens you have to look at 2 culprits first: Was the therapist competent and was the family fully supportive. If the answer is yes to both of these then it is only a matter of time before you start seeing behavior modification. Of course there are other factors such as incidental or internal stimuli. ABA is probably the most challenging of all the recommended therapies for Autism. It involves total lifestyle change and adapting how the family dynamic works. Our Josiah has been in ABA for over a year and it is still hard to keep up at times. But improvement can happen if you have the right practicioners and the will to succeed. P. From: Zachy's Mom in Cali <citygirlinla@...>autism Sent: Tue, May 10, 2011 4:31:16 PMSubject: ABA therapy Questions My son just started ABA in home therapy yesterday and I am already to scream. His outbursts went from mild to explosive two hours last night. I know that this is in part to the two therapists who were in our home for 4 hours yesterday. They are coming 5 days a week and I am not sure that this is the best thing. Have any of you had a negative experience with ABA. I was a little ticked that they did not recognize that he was escalating so bad. They also ignored the alerts that out autism service dog was giving that our son was becoming severely overstimulated. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 Hi Zachy's Mom, I can't speak for everyone, but I felt the same way when my son first went through ABA therapy. My protective instincts were on high alert and I just couldn't understand why they had to be so insensitive to my baby. Trust me, it is the best thing you can do for your son. Kids with autism are not wired the way typical people are and if you cannot teach your child that he MUST conform to some rules, you will have a very difficult time parenting this child. Once the child learns that there is NO escape and it must be done, but there is reward, something in their brains clicks. Maybe it enables them to create new neural pathways necessary for them to function. But, imagine a child who never learned to be responsive to directive. Imagine a child running across a highway with heavy traffic, who put their hands on hot stoves, who inflicted injury on their siblings....because " STOP! " or " NO " did not register. Imagine this child growing up and disregarding the police officer who shouts out, " Stop or I'll shoot! " I would rather challenge my son at a young age while his brain is still pliable and neural patterns are just being set up, than have to deal with raising a child who had no regard for anything anyone ever said. My son is only 10. He's 5 foot tall and 100Lbs. I don't know how much longer I can physically stop him from endangering himself or others. What about when he is 6' 8 " (like is uncles) and 200+lbs. What will society do with him then? I think about that when my son is crying and desperate when we are enforcing rules and making him deal with consequences. But, the reward is....he is getting it! And after all the complaints and tears, he says he's sorry and that he loves me. Debra On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 4:31 PM, Zachy's Mom in Cali <citygirlinla@...> wrote: My son just started ABA in home therapy yesterday and I am already to scream. His outbursts went from mild to explosive two hours last night. I know that this is in part to the two therapists who were in our home for 4 hours yesterday. They are coming 5 days a week and I am not sure that this is the best thing. Have any of you had a negative experience with ABA. I was a little ticked that they did not recognize that he was escalating so bad. They also ignored the alerts that out autism service dog was giving that our son was becoming severely overstimulated. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2011 Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 I agree with what the others have posted. Your son is probably just having what we call an extinction burst. We see this with normal children too. My best example is a child that habitually whines for candy at the store and for whatever reason always gets it. When the parent decides to quit reinforcing (candy) the negative behavior (whining), the child will escaluate and perhaps start screamming. At that point, the parent needs to decide who is going to win. If they stand their ground, eventually the behavior will become extinguished. By all means support this program and give it a chance. Ask to be trained and do your part as well. But not all ABA programs are reputable so you need to keep your eyes open. Is positive reinforcement being used to shape good behavior? Are the therapists warm when reinforcing but neutral when managing behaviors? There's a lot of good information on-line to become more educated. Good ABA makes a huge difference in both your son's future and in yours! Hang in there. Jill > > My son just started ABA in home therapy yesterday and I am already to scream. His outbursts went from mild to explosive two hours last night. I know that this is in part to the two therapists who were in our home for 4 hours yesterday. They are coming 5 days a week and I am not sure that this is the best thing. Have any of you had a negative experience with ABA. I was a little ticked that they did not recognize that he was escalating so bad. They also ignored the alerts that out autism service dog was giving that our son was becoming severely overstimulated. Thanks > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 11, 2011 Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 I also agree with the others, assuming a competent provider. When my son was younger I couldn't give in to his behaviors, say at the grocery store, because there was no one else to do the shopping or to watch him at the time. So even though we have been doing ABA less than a year, he had little difficulty adjusting to new expectations. Which sounds like the growing pains your child is experiencing. It is much easier to deal with these behaviors the younger they are. Having said that, bear in mind that behaviors are often communication, and at some point, in certain circumstances, ignoring them won't be the right thing to do. Self regulation, in my opinion, is going to be a major skill that providers should work on. Being able to recognize that they feel overwhelmed and what the right thing to do next is. And for us, that came from a great teacher, not ABA. Also, the provider's style, DTT v. PRT v. VB, etc. may not align with a child's natural learning style. Open communication is vital, they should listen to your concerns, acknowledge your viewpoint and explain the reasons behind their approach. Family participation and collaboration is vital. They should respect your expertise and boundaries, as you respect theirs. But short of abuse or neglect, try out their program for a couple of weeks before changing it, again assuming they are competent. Sent from my iPhoneOn May 10, 2011, at 2:31 PM, "Zachy's Mom in Cali" <citygirlinla@...> wrote: My son just started ABA in home therapy yesterday and I am already to scream. His outbursts went from mild to explosive two hours last night. I know that this is in part to the two therapists who were in our home for 4 hours yesterday. They are coming 5 days a week and I am not sure that this is the best thing. Have any of you had a negative experience with ABA. I was a little ticked that they did not recognize that he was escalating so bad. They also ignored the alerts that out autism service dog was giving that our son was becoming severely overstimulated. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 Hi, My best advice is to " hang in there! " Yes, sometimes when starting an ABA program a child's behavior will indeed escalate. However, as the relationship grows with this therapists, and you begin using the techniques consistently, you will see improvements. Our kids tend to like to " be in charge " and when they are unable to be, they respond badly...AT FIRST. But really, as they master skills and learn to comply with adult directions better, the tantrums will occur less frequently, and you will be amazed at the progress your boy can make. I know how hard it is to be a parent in the early days of ABA. Its grueling to listen to their distress! Take a deep breath. It might seem that 20 hours of ABA a week is too much, but it really is a good amount. Thankfully you are in California where ABA services are paid for through the Regional Center system. I am in Oregon and families don't have that opportunity. I used to manage an ABA clinic in California, and have some materials we wrote for parents explaining the techniques our therapists used. If you are interested in that, please email me off line. Hang in there!! Tamara B. Portland, Oregon > > My son just started ABA in home therapy yesterday and I am already to scream. His outbursts went from mild to explosive two hours last night. I know that this is in part to the two therapists who were in our home for 4 hours yesterday. They are coming 5 days a week and I am not sure that this is the best thing. Have any of you had a negative experience with ABA. I was a little ticked that they did not recognize that he was escalating so bad. They also ignored the alerts that out autism service dog was giving that our son was becoming severely overstimulated. Thanks > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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