- Re: Looking for alternative to ABA as behavior treatment

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Hi ,

Actually we have not disclosed to any one in our society on my sons diagnosis. Only our close relatives know. The rest of them in the society think that he is a bit hyperactive and has got a speech delay.

My mil stays with us. I quit my job after I learnt of the diagnosis and am with my son most of the time now for the past 8 months. Both my mil and son love him a lot, but they are not convinced that making him cry too much is the way to go, especially they are not convinced with my talking. They are of the opinion that some small children are like this and as they grow older their understanding would improve and hence their behaviors also would improve.

The psychiatrist who had fully accessed my son, prescribed medications- risperidone(which is a standard practice for her and many others in her field) and suggested sensory integration therapy for which he is already undergoing. But I do not want to medicate him as I hate allopathic medicines and want to use it as the last option(especially the indiscriminate use that doctors promote) and because thats what I feel got him to where he was(too much antibiotics, paracetamol, cough syrups before he was 2- two courses per month on the avg). So instead of addressing the cause of his issue, it only tried suppressing it and eventually it became a vicious cycle of him falling sick, taking antibiotics and other english medicines, falling sick again and then more antibiotics and so on and on. My son is on some biomed method for the last 8 months and no doubt it has also helped a lot regarding building his

immunity and various other issues.

Regarding forwarding correspondence to your therapist, please do what you think is the best, which I can get any tips or help.

Thanks a lot,

Navina

From: <npcox649@...>Subject: Re: Looking for alternative to ABA as behavior treatmentautism Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 6:51 PM

Hi Navina,

I would suggest having a heart to heart with your hub and mil. Your son is young and the methods of ABA are most effective now. Unless they get fully on board, it will fail. Kids are smart and they know from whom they can get what they want. When talking to your family ask them if the behaviors they give into (and therefore reinforce) will be acceptable to them when your son is 15. It is annoying to have an irrate 3 year old...it is dangerous to have an irrate teenage boy. For him and for others around him. That is what they are setting the whole family to deal with by not complying with the ABA lifestyle. ABA is not at all easy and it is standard that behaviors will escalate to a high frequency before they become extinct. The more they escalate, that is the familiy's cue to keep up the interventions because it is working and your son is getting close to understanding that he cannot get

what he needs that way. In my humble opinion, ABA should be your core therapy and all other methods should be supplementary. This is just based our family's experience with our Josiah.

Blessings to You,

P.

From: navina johnson <navinajohnson@...>autism Sent: Wed, May 11, 2011 9:08:36 AMSubject: Looking for alternative to ABA as behavior treatment

Hi,

I'm looking for an alternative to ABA for behavior modification. I had been to an ST earlier and did not like her approach.Besides in my family setup even if I harden my heart to ignore my sons behaviors, my mil and hub are not going to be very corporative and my son ends up going to them instead of me. Has anyone tried alternative method to ABA?.

My son is 2.9 years with some autistic features.

His behavior problems are that he is-

1. Highly anxious(especially from insecurity)- When we shop at at store and we have to give the item to the sales person for billing, he gets extremly upset and starts crying for the item. If we do not give the item to him or ask for him to wait till the salesperson finishes billing it he then hits us or the sales person. Its like as if he does not believe the sales person will give the item back to him. Sometimes when I approach the counter for billing, I give a note in his hand asking him to give it to the sales person and he would give the item. So the time when he is holding that note he is not that anxious.

In the malls or in some stores where they check customers bags before letting them in, he gets very upset when they check my bag. Its like as if he is scared that they would take my bag away and not return it.

How many ever times we have gone through these process, he still behaves the same way, as if he is seeing it for the first time.

2. Shouts when he is upset and screams that his voice echos through the building. He has just become somewhat verbal from 4 months back(he puts upto 3 words together), but when he gets upset, he cannot find words at that time to voice his protest. Instead it comes out as a shoutin with babbling and screaming.