Re: [SPAM]Re: [SPAM]Re: Re: Speech & Behavioral Therapist-Housto

[Guest guest]

The whole point is for those skills listed below to be *experienced* and not

necessarily " taught. " My son does have an ABA therapist that visits our

home 3 days a week. She does a great job at getting him to identify

pictures and learn new words, etc... However, he is a smart little guy and

has learned to just repeat and memorize whatever it is that she wants him to

say. Those words hold absolutely no meaning for him. Later, after she

leaves, I create learning opportunities for my son in which the words or

skills he merely memorized become something he experiences and is meaningful

(floortime). As one example - he didn't understand the concept of " put on "

when asked by his therapist and was unable to correctly identify the correct

pictures of things you " put on. " Once she left, I created games where we

had to put things on. Now - he completely gets it, but not because of

identifying cards/pictures, but because we created a fun learning

experience.

In our situation - we can not break anything down into smaller skills and

teach new concepts until Gabe is calm and regulated. The DIR model has

taught us how to help him regulate himself and be comfortable enough to take

in new information and learn. When we were skipping this developmental

milestone before beginning the DIR model - he was never making much progress

because he was constantly disregualted and a complete wreck! DIR emphasizes

the unique sensory processing of each child and that has helped us

tremendously in understanding how our son copes and learns.

We now have a son who can become engaged, share joint attention, communicate

purposefully, and sustain a continuous flow of circles of communication

(although it is still a work in progress).

Again, this model may not be for everyone and I truly feel there is real

value in many of the therapies we have to choose from. Son Rise has always

interested and may be something we look into in the future. I just wanted

to share our experience with DIR/Floortime...

Here is an article in Time a while back...

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1191852,00.html

> I have also found it kind of strange that Texas Children's chose the

> DIR/floortime approach rather than ABA. I don't know much about how

> DIR works but as a behavior analyst, I don't really see how some of

> those things in the list below could even be taught without breaking

> those complex concepts into smaller skills and incorporating

> behavioral or learning principles in some way.

>

>

> >

> > > It has always been very interesting to me that Bridges chose a

> modality

> > > that

> > > has no solid research to back it up-but that's what happens when

> the wife

> > > of

> > > the president of Texas Children's gets to run the show.

> Floortime, while

> > > it's currently being studied, was developed by a psychiatrist

> who never

> > > bothered to conduct a study to see if it was even effective.

> Apparently

> > > Texas Children's is so uninterested in science based

> interventions, so

> > > rather than choosing ABA, they chose something unproven and

> charge people

> > > a

> > > LOT of money for it.

> > >

> > > " Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great

> > > scientist.

> > >

> > > They are wrong: it is character. "

> > >

> > > Albert Einstein

> > >

> > > From:

Texas-Autism-Advocacy <Texas-Autism-Advocacy%40yahoogroups.com>

> > <mailto:Texas-Autism-Advocacy%40yahoogroups.com>

> > <Texas-Autism-Advocacy%40yahoogroups.com>

> > >

[mailto:Texas-Autism-Advocacy <Texas-Autism-Advocacy%40yahoogroup\

s.com>

> > <mailto:Texas-Autism-Advocacy%40yahoogroups.com>

> > <Texas-Autism-Advocacy%40yahoogroups.com>]

> > > On Behalf Of Dr.

> > > Graham-Garza

> > > Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 9:21 PM

> > > To:

Texas-Autism-Advocacy <Texas-Autism-Advocacy%40yahoogroups.com>

> > <mailto:Texas-Autism-Advocacy%40yahoogroups.com>

> > <Texas-Autism-Advocacy%40yahoogroups.com>

> > > Subject: [sPAM]Re: Re: Speech &

> Behavioral

> > > Therapist-Houston

> > >

> > > I gotta put in my two cents here - we lasted in Bridges for a

> month - at

> > > that time (Oct. 2004) it was VERY poorly run, very expensive and

> a

> > > complete

> > > waste of our time.

> > > Re: Re: Speech & Behavioral

> > > Therapist-Houston

> > >

> > > Did the Meyer Center not tell you about their Bridges Program

> for children

> > >

> > > up to 7 years old? Bridges is a comprehensive therapeutic

> program that

> > > provides floortime, speech and language, occupational and

> physical therapy

> > > for

> > > children with developmental challenges and their families.

> > >

> > > _http://www.texaschildrens.org/carecenters/Bridges/faqs.aspx_

> > > (http://www.texaschildrens.org/carecenters/Bridges/faqs.aspx)

> > >

> > > CReece

> > >

> > > **************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL

> Money &

> > > Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001)

> > >

> > >