Guest guest Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 I've found that the school system uses PECs much better than signing. Resistance to signing was hard to deal with at first, as we were so proud of his signing. If you happen to have a teacher or assistant who signs that's great, but if you don't its just not likely they'll learn enough to communicate. And then there's the issue of substitutes or other staff who spell off the asst for breaks. And trying to make someone learn to sign is really hard. Whereas PECs are easier for everyone (including other students) to understand. At age 5 we started focussing his therapy more on PECs and much less on signing (although we still have lots of signs we use at home). For school he has a PECs binder he carries at all times and a PECs activity binder with pages that have shapes, colours, body parts, animals etc and he works with his assistant learning these PECs. At home he uses his PECs at mealtime or to ask for an activity. We often have to prompt, but he sometime spontaneously asks for a favourite activity: " bubbles " or " ribbon " and of course " ice cream " or " TV " . He rarely uses the toilet PEC. Just not a big motivator. Speech-wise, he's now at the level where we ask him to vocalize while pointing to the PECs, but honestly speech is a long term process and Slooooow going. We're thinking that the iPad with proloqou or tap to talk is our next jump in communication. Hope this is helpful. Mom to Darwyn (age 6 DS ASD) Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry ABA and speech needs Hello all - And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year between the biomed treatments and ABA. For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til it's too late? Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she learning to communicate in that venue? We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what would be best for . Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! Thanks so much, Kathy Dudero ------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------- Checkout our homepage for information, bookmarks, and photos of our kids. Share favorite bookmarks, ideas, and other information by including them. Don't forget, messages are a permanent record of the archives for our list. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ -------------------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 gets about 2 hours/day of DT (ABA) and VB, all during school. He also gets speech there, twice per 6-day cycle. Same with OT and PT as well. I think he needs more, but not necessarily in school. What helps him with speech...I think the DT. He uses PECS and has a Go Talk at school. At home we have some PECS and he approximates. He never asks to go potty. At home and at school, he just goes to the bathroom and does his thing when he needs to, but this doesn't work at the mall or museum or anywhere he doesn't know where the bathroom is. So we have to make sure he gets opportunities to go when we're out. He will not ask!!! He used PECS at speech last week, to say " want stop " ...sigh. Sent from my iPhone > Hello all - > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til it's too late? > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she learning to communicate in that venue? > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what would be best for . > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > Thanks so much, > Kathy Dudero > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Thanks and (so far!) - what does " DT " stand for? And " VB " ? How old is ? I am hoping that whatever school we end up in has most of the services (4 years old) will need. Right now, we're doing so much supplementing and piecing together and driving around - it doesn't feel cohesive. Lack of team-work among therapists/teachers too. Your son seems pretty advanced if he has a PECS picture for " want stop " . He sounds like a cutie! What kind of classroom is in at school - a special-ed classroom or is he mainstreamed with a 1:1 aide? Do you feel like he's progressing and learning in the public school? - is Darwyn in a special-ed classroom at school? You had mentioned an assistant...is this his 1:1 staff person - if so, is Darwyn mainstreamed or does he have this 1:1 in the special-ed classroom too? Thanks to both of you for giving me specific names of communication devices too: iPad with Proloqou or Tap to Talk and Go Talk. Last question to both and - or anyone else who wants to chime in: Do you feel like your son is progressing and learning in the public school? I am hoping that we can find adequate schooling for in the public school since I still have a 2-year old at home and would need to go to work if we sent to a private school. I don't know of any private schools around the area we hope to move to (Batavia, Illinois - west of Chicago) anyway. We're also not sure if our insurance company would pay for adjunct ABA therapy...it'd be nice if 's services were covered by our tax dollars! I plan to call the Autism Society of Illinois to see what they think too. Many, many thanks for sharing your stories with me! ~ Kathy Dudero (4 years old, DS/ASD), Genevieve, (2 years old, NT) and hubby (4 short months away from finishing up his PhD in high-energy physics!!!! YAY!) _____ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Cookson Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2011 11:38 PM To: Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs gets about 2 hours/day of DT (ABA) and VB, all during school. He also gets speech there, twice per 6-day cycle. Same with OT and PT as well. I think he needs more, but not necessarily in school. What helps him with speech...I think the DT. He uses PECS and has a Go Talk at school. At home we have some PECS and he approximates. He never asks to go potty. At home and at school, he just goes to the bathroom and does his thing when he needs to, but this doesn't work at the mall or museum or anywhere he doesn't know where the bathroom is. So we have to make sure he gets opportunities to go when we're out. He will not ask!!! He used PECS at speech last week, to say " want stop " ...sigh. Sent from my iPhone On Jan 9, 2011, at 9:30 AM, " Kathy " <kdudero@... <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > wrote: > Hello all - > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til it's too late? > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she learning to communicate in that venue? > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what would be best for . > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > Thanks so much, > Kathy Dudero > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Kathy, All of these things you mention work together for a greater outcome, but the most helpful thing for my child(ren) was the implementation of a GFCF diet. My son had been gluten free for years (virtually his entire life), but when we removed casein, there was an IMMEDIATE noticeable difference. Neurological symptoms disappeared the very next day and his apraxia speech began to clear up (even the next day). It still is clearing up quite significantly every day. It was difficult for me to believe that diet could make such a huge and tremendous difference. We are gluten-free, casein-free, and free of high fructose corn syrup, nitrates/nitrites, preservatives and dyes. The diet is no longer a *diet*, but rather has become a way of life. > > Hello all - > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til it's too late? > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she learning to communicate in that venue? > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what would be best for . > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > Thanks so much, > Kathy Dudero > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Hi Kathy, Darwyn (age 6 DS ASD) is mainstreamed with a 1:1 aide. He needs constant vigilant attention or he will beeline for any container (preferably crayons or small lego bits) and throw it across the room. Part of the reason we easily get the aide is because this is a safety hazard for other students and thus a liability issue for the school. Remember when detailing your child's behaviours for school support that anything they could be sued for easily inspires more support. I always stress that Darwyn will walk out a door and keep going without looking back, and that he can choke on food easily as these are obvious safety/liability issues. He spends time in the classroom working mostly on his own PECs activities or parallel activities like learning to draw a line or spelling his name with plastic letters while his classmates write. He gets to go to gym with his class AND the kindergarten class with his teacher from last year as he loves gym. He also leaves his class to go for physio once a week and when they are doing busy loud work he goes out to the little " special needs " room and gets to dance with his ribbon. He and 2 other kids eat lunch separately in this room, which wasn't my favourite, but its a compromise as the aides take their break then. We had to fight with the principal and school board to get an ABA trained assistant, as they had assigned him a completely untrained assistant at the beginning of the year. So he is learning a lot this year, but part of the deal is we pay a behavioral consultant to come to the school and oversee " the consistent ABA programming between school and home " . In BC, the school is required to support the home program of an autistic child at school. They have tried to avoid this so we pushed hard, and it is working really well. But there are 1:1 assistants who are less trained and more like babysitters and there are teachers who can be difficult. We've been lucky, but also vigilant. You need both to navigate the public school system with its crazy rules. I think we're also okay with occassionally compromising to help the school. I kept Darwyn home one day so his lunch helper could go to a PECs training as the school had limited substitutes. One day was worth the positive feedback and his helper was so happy to get the training too. Also, I could push the lunch thing, but Darwyn is happy and learning tons, so I'm happy and I decided to let that slide. Also, Darwyn leaves school early to come home and nap - he can't do a full day yet. Hope this is helpful info, Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry Re: ABA and speech needs gets about 2 hours/day of DT (ABA) and VB, all during school. He also gets speech there, twice per 6-day cycle. Same with OT and PT as well. I think he needs more, but not necessarily in school. What helps him with speech...I think the DT. He uses PECS and has a Go Talk at school. At home we have some PECS and he approximates. He never asks to go potty. At home and at school, he just goes to the bathroom and does his thing when he needs to, but this doesn't work at the mall or museum or anywhere he doesn't know where the bathroom is. So we have to make sure he gets opportunities to go when we're out. He will not ask!!! He used PECS at speech last week, to say " want stop " ...sigh. Sent from my iPhone On Jan 9, 2011, at 9:30 AM, " Kathy " <kdudero@... <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > wrote: > Hello all - > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til it's too late? > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she learning to communicate in that venue? > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what would be best for . > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > Thanks so much, > Kathy Dudero > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Hi, Sorry about the acronyms! DT is " discrete trial " , which is how ABA is implemented for . It means that tasks are broken down into subtasks, which are then taught separately with lots of repetition. His progress is graphed carefully. VB is " Verbal Behavior " , a subset of ABA that focuses heavily on developing communication. is 5. He's in a self-contained autism classroom with a dedicated 1:1 aide. He is learning a huge amount! Potty training is going very very well, with very rare accidents. He knows his letters and loves doing puzzles. His PT, OT and ST happen twice in the six-day cycle, once by himself and once in a group, which helps him work on social skills. I can't imagine in an inclusion class. He's aggressive, and has trouble learning in a busy environment. A class with 20+ kids isn't appropriate for him. He also loves to follow along with what his classmates do, but he is way not able to keep up with the regular curriculum. Maybe pre-k, but the larger class sizes would be very hard for my boy, and most classrooms can't accommodate his sensory diet needs. Plus, he looks tiny next to others his age! I know that inclusion has its benefits, but I'm not sure that 's in a place where he can take advantage of it, at least, not yet. Sent from my iPhone > Thanks and (so far!) - what does " DT " stand for? And " VB " ? > How old is ? I am hoping that whatever school we end up in has most > of the services (4 years old) will need. Right now, we're doing so > much supplementing and piecing together and driving around - it doesn't feel > cohesive. Lack of team-work among therapists/teachers too. Your son seems > pretty advanced if he has a PECS picture for " want stop " . He sounds like a > cutie! What kind of classroom is in at school - a special-ed > classroom or is he mainstreamed with a 1:1 aide? Do you feel like he's > progressing and learning in the public school? > > - is Darwyn in a special-ed classroom at school? You had mentioned an > assistant...is this his 1:1 staff person - if so, is Darwyn mainstreamed or > does he have this 1:1 in the special-ed classroom too? > > Thanks to both of you for giving me specific names of communication devices > too: iPad with Proloqou or Tap to Talk and Go Talk. > > Last question to both and - or anyone else who wants to chime in: > Do you feel like your son is progressing and learning in the public school? > > I am hoping that we can find adequate schooling for in the public > school since I still have a 2-year old at home and would need to go to work > if we sent to a private school. I don't know of any private > schools around the area we hope to move to (Batavia, Illinois - west of > Chicago) anyway. We're also not sure if our insurance company would pay for > adjunct ABA therapy...it'd be nice if 's services were covered by > our tax dollars! I plan to call the Autism Society of Illinois to see what > they think too. > > Many, many thanks for sharing your stories with me! > ~ Kathy Dudero > (4 years old, DS/ASD), Genevieve, (2 years old, NT) and hubby (4 > short months away from finishing up his PhD in high-energy physics!!!! > YAY!) > > _____ > > From: [mailto: ] On Behalf > Of Cookson > Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2011 11:38 PM > To: > Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs > > gets about 2 hours/day of DT (ABA) and VB, all during school. He also > gets speech there, twice per 6-day cycle. Same with OT and PT as well. I > think he needs more, but not necessarily in school. > > What helps him with speech...I think the DT. He uses PECS and has a Go Talk > at school. At home we have some PECS and he approximates. He never asks to > go potty. At home and at school, he just goes to the bathroom and does his > thing when he needs to, but this doesn't work at the mall or museum or > anywhere he doesn't know where the bathroom is. So we have to make sure he > gets opportunities to go when we're out. He will not ask!!! > > He used PECS at speech last week, to say " want stop " ...sigh. > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jan 9, 2011, at 9:30 AM, " Kathy " <kdudero@... > <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > wrote: > > > Hello all - > > > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United > States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the > school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down > syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year > between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the > greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or > traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and > uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified > plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs > (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell > what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming > to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take > him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he > just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til > it's too late? > > > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, > which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he > should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the > week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school > part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the > special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA > is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some > important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she > learning to communicate in that venue? > > > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States > will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what > would be best for . > > > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > > > Thanks so much, > > Kathy Dudero > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2011 Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Hi Kathy We're in Italy, so a totally different set-up from the US or UK as all kids with special needs go to mainstream school. I can only tell you about our experience, and can't make comparisons with other systems. Matteo, now 20, is non- verbal and very passive, so not disruptive. This makes things easier from some points of view, as he was never a problem for the class, but we always worried that he could get ignored in a busy classroom. On the basis of our experience, I am totally in favour of mainstreaming where possible. Since 1975 generations of Italians have been schooled together with children with a whole range of difficulties, and I'm convinced it makes for a healthier society. Of course the 'friendships' are limited - but he went out for the class pizzas and has seen his class 3 times since they finished school in July. He uses facilitated communication, which we were introduced to by his middle school when he was 12 and which was accepted all the way through high school. I don't know what the statistics are today, but remember a few years ago that virtually all children with DS in Italy learned to read and write, while this is not so automatic in special needs schools. I know that what Matteo achieved at school here in Italy he would never have achieved in England - no-one would have tried to teach him academic subjects, given his communication difficulties! We took the Education Board to court twice to make sure he got maximum support (1:1), so I don't want to paint too rosy a picture of our experience (- but I tend to forget the hard times.....). At each new stage I worried that the system would stop working for him, but we always met enough dedicated teachers, and Matteo had a great experience of school. Go for mainstream if you can ...... All the best ________________________________ Da: Kathy Dudero A: Inviato: Lun 10 gennaio 2011, 09:18:35 Oggetto: RE: ABA and speech needs Thanks and (so far!) - what does " DT " stand for? And " VB " ? How old is ? I am hoping that whatever school we end up in has most of the services (4 years old) will need. Right now, we're doing so much supplementing and piecing together and driving around - it doesn't feel cohesive. Lack of team-work among therapists/teachers too. Your son seems pretty advanced if he has a PECS picture for " want stop " . He sounds like a cutie! What kind of classroom is in at school - a special-ed classroom or is he mainstreamed with a 1:1 aide? Do you feel like he's progressing and learning in the public school? - is Darwyn in a special-ed classroom at school? You had mentioned an assistant...is this his 1:1 staff person - if so, is Darwyn mainstreamed or does he have this 1:1 in the special-ed classroom too? Thanks to both of you for giving me specific names of communication devices too: iPad with Proloqou or Tap to Talk and Go Talk. Last question to both and - or anyone else who wants to chime in: Do you feel like your son is progressing and learning in the public school? I am hoping that we can find adequate schooling for in the public school since I still have a 2-year old at home and would need to go to work if we sent to a private school. I don't know of any private schools around the area we hope to move to (Batavia, Illinois - west of Chicago) anyway. We're also not sure if our insurance company would pay for adjunct ABA therapy...it'd be nice if 's services were covered by our tax dollars! I plan to call the Autism Society of Illinois to see what they think too. Many, many thanks for sharing your stories with me! ~ Kathy Dudero (4 years old, DS/ASD), Genevieve, (2 years old, NT) and hubby (4 short months away from finishing up his PhD in high-energy physics!!!! YAY!) _____ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Cookson Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2011 11:38 PM To: Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs gets about 2 hours/day of DT (ABA) and VB, all during school. He also gets speech there, twice per 6-day cycle. Same with OT and PT as well. I think he needs more, but not necessarily in school. What helps him with speech...I think the DT. He uses PECS and has a Go Talk at school. At home we have some PECS and he approximates. He never asks to go potty. At home and at school, he just goes to the bathroom and does his thing when he needs to, but this doesn't work at the mall or museum or anywhere he doesn't know where the bathroom is. So we have to make sure he gets opportunities to go when we're out. He will not ask!!! He used PECS at speech last week, to say " want stop " ...sigh. Sent from my iPhone On Jan 9, 2011, at 9:30 AM, " Kathy " <kdudero@... <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > wrote: > Hello all - > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til it's too late? > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she learning to communicate in that venue? > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what would be best for . > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > Thanks so much, > Kathy Dudero > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Dear lie, This is really exciting to hear about your daughter! You must be absolutely thrilled! We've been Gluten and Casein-free, trying the GAPS diet and biofilm protocol for and some chelation too. Have you tried chelation? It doesn't sound like Whitney needs it though and is, as you said, pulling out of the Autism. We're still mystified by some of 's Autistic behavior: grinding teeth, stimming (flapping and licking his hands), " growling " ...currently, I've been concerned about PANDAs again. He's due to have ear tubes put in later this month since ones he had in 2007 have fallen out - and we want to do annual blood and urine testing after that to see what's new since a year ago when we started all the biomedical/diet interventions. Yikes! I just did a search on Kent MacLeod's book and saw that it covers this topic: Why children with Down Syndrome are at greater risk undergoing anesthesia which makes me think about his up-coming ear-tube surgery (another thread of discussion perhaps). We're working with a DAN! practitioner for since early 2010 but would consider switching modalities (to a naturopath perhaps) when we move back to the States. I'd like to hear more about the Neurodevelopment therapy you've done for Whitney. What is it? I've never heard of it - is it covered by your insurance? And how many hours/week of ABA does Whitney get? Has it been helping her with her speech? ~ Kathy (in France, moving to Illinois in 2011 - hopefully - with , 4 years old DS/ASD and Genevieve, 2 years old NT and hubby, soon-to-be PhD.) _____ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of lie Newell-Wagner Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 6:48 PM To: DS-Autism Group Subject: ABA and speech needs Hi Kathy: My daughter will be age 6 in March. We started ABA therapy a few months ago and had been doing Neurodevelopment since 16 months but only intensively and consistently starting late Nov, 2009 when we hired a Behaviour Interventionist to do Neurodevelopment with Whitney. Also the customized vitamin therapy that Whitney has now been on for 4 months (full protocol) has been I believe the biggest factor in her most recent developments which is now including expressive language like never before. We almost gave into the SLP a few months ago who was suggesting we begin a form a PECS to get Whitney to request things but still I did not want to until the Vitamin Therapy had more time to work. So glad because it's now obvious that it's what she needed to open things up for her to really move forward in all the therapies that are being done. We (our family, Behaviour Interventionist, school teachers, aid, SLP) are all being blown away by all the meaningful words Whitney has been using in the last 6 - 8 weeks. She's learned alot of words over the years from our neurodevelopment work but she was not using them to ask for things and she was not into descriptive words like (it's chilly, it's stuck) like she is now. She was not able to ask for things like she has been the last 6 - 8 weeks so it's definitely coming. So her receptive words were good but not her expressive. Our girl has been chugging along faster and faster since she started even the 1/2 dose of customized vitamin therapy on July 22nd. We started the full protocol on September 8th. In the last 6 weeks she has been on fast forward and going faster. Our Behaviour Interventionist commented to me a few days ago she thinks Whitney is pulling out of the autism (which was a mild form of PDD-NOS to start). Here is a sample of the things she said this week as per the BI's report to our Behaviour Consultant: " Every day I come to the Wagner's home if I see Whitney I always ask her " how are you " ? and on Tuesday morning she clearly repeated me and asked me " how are you " ? She did the same thing on Tuesday at Kindergarten she said " hi " to Val and asked her " how are you " ? During our play time with our dolls and stuffed toys Whitney is learning to use short sentences to talk to these toys. This is where I hear the most short sentences being used by Whitney on her own and also by repeating and copying me. She has been saying sentences such as: " comb your hair, read a book, in the box, go to sleep, (honey---I want more, - she said this on her own when I asked her if she wanted honey) hat on, turn around, (its stuck - she said this when she could not get her stickers off of a page), I'll get it, close eyes, lights off, see you in morning. When Whitney was looking in a book on Friday, she saw a picture of a messy room and said on her own, " what a mess! " I asked her on Friday " do you want milk, no or yes? " Whitney answered " yes " . I asked her, " do you want honey? " and Whitney answered " yes " . and also said " honey ---I want more " . I asked her " did you get your hair cut yesterday? " and then I said " cut, cut " and Whitney repeated the words, cut, cut. Then on her own she said " snip, snip. " As of 4 months ago Whitney was not speaking in these kinds of action words and in phrases/sentences like this. She is interacting with the other school children more. When one little girl drew a picture for Whitney this week in school, Whitney looked at the girl and said " that's nice " . The Customized Vitamin Therapy was put together by Kent MacLeod at NutriChem in Ottawa with the results from metabolic testing (blood and urine). I'm fully convinced now that had we started this Vitamin Therapy just after age 2 (they recommend MSB+ until age 2) Whitney would be way ahead of where she in now. But that's all hindsight now, I believe she is going to make up for lost time over the next few years. We are hoping to have the private school Whitney will attend in September hire the Behaviour Interventionist (who already is working with Whitney) to be her school aid and continue with both Neurodevelopment and ABA while at school. It may include pullouts as required for the therapies to be effective. lie Newell-Wagner, Director the BC Down Syndrome Centre Society www.bcdsc.org email: rosalie@... <mailto:rosalie%40bcdsc.org> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Dear - Yup! I'm with you. We've done the GFCF diet since July of 2009. Not the same, dramatic results you report but it has become a way of life for us, too. It's not as tough to implement as people think...~ Kathy _____ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of agirlnamedsuess21 Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 7:32 PM To: Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs Kathy, All of these things you mention work together for a greater outcome, but the most helpful thing for my child(ren) was the implementation of a GFCF diet. My son had been gluten free for years (virtually his entire life), but when we removed casein, there was an IMMEDIATE noticeable difference. Neurological symptoms disappeared the very next day and his apraxia speech began to clear up (even the next day). It still is clearing up quite significantly every day. It was difficult for me to believe that diet could make such a huge and tremendous difference. We are gluten-free, casein-free, and free of high fructose corn syrup, nitrates/nitrites, preservatives and dyes. The diet is no longer a *diet*, but rather has become a way of life. > > Hello all - > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til it's too late? > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she learning to communicate in that venue? > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what would be best for . > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > Thanks so much, > Kathy Dudero > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Dear - thanks for details. Yes, our can throw things across the room too at times! I suppose and hope the Autism label will garner him a 1:1 aide if he's mainstreamed. And if it's an ABA trained aide, all the better. It sounds like you've found some great supports and ways to give-and-take and get all you can for Darwyn too. ~ Kathy _____ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of cathynash@... Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 7:54 PM To: Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs Hi Kathy, Darwyn (age 6 DS ASD) is mainstreamed with a 1:1 aide. He needs constant vigilant attention or he will beeline for any container (preferably crayons or small lego bits) and throw it across the room. Part of the reason we easily get the aide is because this is a safety hazard for other students and thus a liability issue for the school. Remember when detailing your child's behaviours for school support that anything they could be sued for easily inspires more support. I always stress that Darwyn will walk out a door and keep going without looking back, and that he can choke on food easily as these are obvious safety/liability issues. He spends time in the classroom working mostly on his own PECs activities or parallel activities like learning to draw a line or spelling his name with plastic letters while his classmates write. He gets to go to gym with his class AND the kindergarten class with his teacher from last year as he loves gym. He also leaves his class to go for physio once a week and when they are doing busy loud work he goes out to the little " special needs " room and gets to dance with his ribbon. He and 2 other kids eat lunch separately in this room, which wasn't my favourite, but its a compromise as the aides take their break then. We had to fight with the principal and school board to get an ABA trained assistant, as they had assigned him a completely untrained assistant at the beginning of the year. So he is learning a lot this year, but part of the deal is we pay a behavioral consultant to come to the school and oversee " the consistent ABA programming between school and home " . In BC, the school is required to support the home program of an autistic child at school. They have tried to avoid this so we pushed hard, and it is working really well. But there are 1:1 assistants who are less trained and more like babysitters and there are teachers who can be difficult. We've been lucky, but also vigilant. You need both to navigate the public school system with its crazy rules. I think we're also okay with occassionally compromising to help the school. I kept Darwyn home one day so his lunch helper could go to a PECs training as the school had limited substitutes. One day was worth the positive feedback and his helper was so happy to get the training too. Also, I could push the lunch thing, but Darwyn is happy and learning tons, so I'm happy and I decided to let that slide. Also, Darwyn leaves school early to come home and nap - he can't do a full day yet. Hope this is helpful info, Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry Re: ABA and speech needs gets about 2 hours/day of DT (ABA) and VB, all during school. He also gets speech there, twice per 6-day cycle. Same with OT and PT as well. I think he needs more, but not necessarily in school. What helps him with speech...I think the DT. He uses PECS and has a Go Talk at school. At home we have some PECS and he approximates. He never asks to go potty. At home and at school, he just goes to the bathroom and does his thing when he needs to, but this doesn't work at the mall or museum or anywhere he doesn't know where the bathroom is. So we have to make sure he gets opportunities to go when we're out. He will not ask!!! He used PECS at speech last week, to say " want stop " ...sigh. Sent from my iPhone On Jan 9, 2011, at 9:30 AM, " Kathy " <kdudero@... <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > wrote: > Hello all - > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til it's too late? > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she learning to communicate in that venue? > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what would be best for . > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > Thanks so much, > Kathy Dudero > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Dear - thanks so much for the additional details! Your sounds the most like our - I can't imagine learning much in a mainstreamed classroom (yet). I keep wishing for the biomedical treatments and diet changes to get rid of the Autism - but so far, we still have a lot of growling, teeth grinding, stimming, licking. If someone focuses with him, he will do great eye contact and has his own dear way of communicating/touching...so I still think a lot of his problems are biophysical - we just haven't unlocked his issues yet. And he can do signs and say maybe 5 words, but prefers signing to speaking or even pictures at this point. Actually, if left to his own devices, he just wants to growl and throw things to communicate! *sigh* ~ Kathy _____ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Cookson Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 9:08 PM To: Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs Hi, Sorry about the acronyms! DT is " discrete trial " , which is how ABA is implemented for . It means that tasks are broken down into subtasks, which are then taught separately with lots of repetition. His progress is graphed carefully. VB is " Verbal Behavior " , a subset of ABA that focuses heavily on developing communication. is 5. He's in a self-contained autism classroom with a dedicated 1:1 aide. He is learning a huge amount! Potty training is going very very well, with very rare accidents. He knows his letters and loves doing puzzles. His PT, OT and ST happen twice in the six-day cycle, once by himself and once in a group, which helps him work on social skills. I can't imagine in an inclusion class. He's aggressive, and has trouble learning in a busy environment. A class with 20+ kids isn't appropriate for him. He also loves to follow along with what his classmates do, but he is way not able to keep up with the regular curriculum. Maybe pre-k, but the larger class sizes would be very hard for my boy, and most classrooms can't accommodate his sensory diet needs. Plus, he looks tiny next to others his age! I know that inclusion has its benefits, but I'm not sure that 's in a place where he can take advantage of it, at least, not yet. Sent from my iPhone On Jan 10, 2011, at 3:18 AM, " Kathy Dudero " <kdudero@... <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > wrote: > Thanks and (so far!) - what does " DT " stand for? And " VB " ? > How old is ? I am hoping that whatever school we end up in has most > of the services (4 years old) will need. Right now, we're doing so > much supplementing and piecing together and driving around - it doesn't feel > cohesive. Lack of team-work among therapists/teachers too. Your son seems > pretty advanced if he has a PECS picture for " want stop " . He sounds like a > cutie! What kind of classroom is in at school - a special-ed > classroom or is he mainstreamed with a 1:1 aide? Do you feel like he's > progressing and learning in the public school? > > - is Darwyn in a special-ed classroom at school? You had mentioned an > assistant...is this his 1:1 staff person - if so, is Darwyn mainstreamed or > does he have this 1:1 in the special-ed classroom too? > > Thanks to both of you for giving me specific names of communication devices > too: iPad with Proloqou or Tap to Talk and Go Talk. > > Last question to both and - or anyone else who wants to chime in: > Do you feel like your son is progressing and learning in the public school? > > I am hoping that we can find adequate schooling for in the public > school since I still have a 2-year old at home and would need to go to work > if we sent to a private school. I don't know of any private > schools around the area we hope to move to (Batavia, Illinois - west of > Chicago) anyway. We're also not sure if our insurance company would pay for > adjunct ABA therapy...it'd be nice if 's services were covered by > our tax dollars! I plan to call the Autism Society of Illinois to see what > they think too. > > Many, many thanks for sharing your stories with me! > ~ Kathy Dudero > (4 years old, DS/ASD), Genevieve, (2 years old, NT) and hubby (4 > short months away from finishing up his PhD in high-energy physics!!!! > YAY!) > > _____ > > From: <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto: <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf > Of Cookson > Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2011 11:38 PM > To: <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com> > Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs > > gets about 2 hours/day of DT (ABA) and VB, all during school. He also > gets speech there, twice per 6-day cycle. Same with OT and PT as well. I > think he needs more, but not necessarily in school. > > What helps him with speech...I think the DT. He uses PECS and has a Go Talk > at school. At home we have some PECS and he approximates. He never asks to > go potty. At home and at school, he just goes to the bathroom and does his > thing when he needs to, but this doesn't work at the mall or museum or > anywhere he doesn't know where the bathroom is. So we have to make sure he > gets opportunities to go when we're out. He will not ask!!! > > He used PECS at speech last week, to say " want stop " ...sigh. > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jan 9, 2011, at 9:30 AM, " Kathy " <kdudero@... <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > wrote: > > > Hello all - > > > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United > States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the > school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down > syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year > between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the > greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or > traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and > uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified > plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs > (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell > what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming > to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take > him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he > just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til > it's too late? > > > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, > which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he > should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the > week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school > part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the > special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA > is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some > important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she > learning to communicate in that venue? > > > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States > will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what > would be best for . > > > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > > > Thanks so much, > > Kathy Dudero > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Dear - thanks for your story. Are you Italian? We're living in France which supports mainstreaming more than Switzerland does BUT they will only provide an aide for 2 days out of the week and encourage parents to send their child to an institution for the other days. This is traumatic for other parents I've met here, many of whom do not live close enough and would need to send their son or daughter overnight. Besides, there's a waiting list for the institution, so many don't get to go 4 days per week (the standard # of days of school for all children - Wednesdays are " off " days). I'm very glad to think we'll be returning to the United States soon for 's sake (and mine!) But it sounds like you've worked out a good education for your son, Matteo. I agree, mainstreaming is best for society although 1:1 or smaller classrooms might benefit some students more. I love Italians - and they love children, so it figures they worked with you to make Matteo's education " work " ! What a great story. ~ Kathy _____ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Tracey Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 9:24 PM To: Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs Hi Kathy We're in Italy, so a totally different set-up from the US or UK as all kids with special needs go to mainstream school. I can only tell you about our experience, and can't make comparisons with other systems. Matteo, now 20, is non- verbal and very passive, so not disruptive. This makes things easier from some points of view, as he was never a problem for the class, but we always worried that he could get ignored in a busy classroom. On the basis of our experience, I am totally in favour of mainstreaming where possible. Since 1975 generations of Italians have been schooled together with children with a whole range of difficulties, and I'm convinced it makes for a healthier society. Of course the 'friendships' are limited - but he went out for the class pizzas and has seen his class 3 times since they finished school in July. He uses facilitated communication, which we were introduced to by his middle school when he was 12 and which was accepted all the way through high school. I don't know what the statistics are today, but remember a few years ago that virtually all children with DS in Italy learned to read and write, while this is not so automatic in special needs schools. I know that what Matteo achieved at school here in Italy he would never have achieved in England - no-one would have tried to teach him academic subjects, given his communication difficulties! We took the Education Board to court twice to make sure he got maximum support (1:1), so I don't want to paint too rosy a picture of our experience (- but I tend to forget the hard times.....). At each new stage I worried that the system would stop working for him, but we always met enough dedicated teachers, and Matteo had a great experience of school. Go for mainstream if you can ...... All the best ________________________________ Da: Kathy Dudero <kdudero@... <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > A: <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com> Inviato: Lun 10 gennaio 2011, 09:18:35 Oggetto: RE: ABA and speech needs Thanks and (so far!) - what does " DT " stand for? And " VB " ? How old is ? I am hoping that whatever school we end up in has most of the services (4 years old) will need. Right now, we're doing so much supplementing and piecing together and driving around - it doesn't feel cohesive. Lack of team-work among therapists/teachers too. Your son seems pretty advanced if he has a PECS picture for " want stop " . He sounds like a cutie! What kind of classroom is in at school - a special-ed classroom or is he mainstreamed with a 1:1 aide? Do you feel like he's progressing and learning in the public school? - is Darwyn in a special-ed classroom at school? You had mentioned an assistant...is this his 1:1 staff person - if so, is Darwyn mainstreamed or does he have this 1:1 in the special-ed classroom too? Thanks to both of you for giving me specific names of communication devices too: iPad with Proloqou or Tap to Talk and Go Talk. Last question to both and - or anyone else who wants to chime in: Do you feel like your son is progressing and learning in the public school? I am hoping that we can find adequate schooling for in the public school since I still have a 2-year old at home and would need to go to work if we sent to a private school. I don't know of any private schools around the area we hope to move to (Batavia, Illinois - west of Chicago) anyway. We're also not sure if our insurance company would pay for adjunct ABA therapy...it'd be nice if 's services were covered by our tax dollars! I plan to call the Autism Society of Illinois to see what they think too. Many, many thanks for sharing your stories with me! ~ Kathy Dudero (4 years old, DS/ASD), Genevieve, (2 years old, NT) and hubby (4 short months away from finishing up his PhD in high-energy physics!!!! YAY!) _____ From: <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto: <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of Cookson Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2011 11:38 PM To: <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com> Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs gets about 2 hours/day of DT (ABA) and VB, all during school. He also gets speech there, twice per 6-day cycle. Same with OT and PT as well. I think he needs more, but not necessarily in school. What helps him with speech...I think the DT. He uses PECS and has a Go Talk at school. At home we have some PECS and he approximates. He never asks to go potty. At home and at school, he just goes to the bathroom and does his thing when he needs to, but this doesn't work at the mall or museum or anywhere he doesn't know where the bathroom is. So we have to make sure he gets opportunities to go when we're out. He will not ask!!! He used PECS at speech last week, to say " want stop " ...sigh. Sent from my iPhone On Jan 9, 2011, at 9:30 AM, " Kathy " <kdudero@... <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> <mailto:kdudero%40usfamily.net> > wrote: > Hello all - > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til it's too late? > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she learning to communicate in that venue? > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what would be best for . > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > Thanks so much, > Kathy Dudero > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Europe, and especially the UK, addresses special needs very differently (and better) than the USA does, unfortunately for those of us in the US. Whenever I need something I cannot find here in the US, I look to the UK or other parts of Europe. The UK (not sure about Italy), especially, has a lot of free information on disabilities they aggressively address (for example, dyslexia). > > > Hello all - > > > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United > States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the > school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down > syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year > between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the > greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or > traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and > uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified > plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs > (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell > what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming > to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take > him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he > just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til > it's too late? > > > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, > which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he > should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the > week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school > part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the > special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA > is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some > important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she > learning to communicate in that venue? > > > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States > will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what > would be best for . > > > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > > > Thanks so much, > > Kathy Dudero > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Dear - I hope you read my response to explaining a bit more what services are like in France. People told us the same thing before we moved out here " Oh, services in Europe are waaaay better than in the USA! " Well, cut out France and lots of Switzerland. I'm part of a list-serve out here (for the past 3 years) and I've heard story after story about parents struggling to get decent services. France is the lowest in Europe for services to people with Autism. Routinely, children with dyslexia, mental struggles like depression, autism, down syndrome, even just physical issues like CP, are screened out of mainstreaming, seen as " too difficult " and strongly encouraged to go to a private or institutional school if there is room/money. The area where we live is like the USA was 50 years ago. I've heard great things about the UK but just didn't want people to get the idea that all of Europe is the same as the UK (which you acknowledge). ~ Kathy in France _____ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of agirlnamedsuess21 Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 7:50 PM To: Subject: Re: ABA and speech needs Europe, and especially the UK, addresses special needs very differently (and better) than the USA does, unfortunately for those of us in the US. Whenever I need something I cannot find here in the US, I look to the UK or other parts of Europe. The UK (not sure about Italy), especially, has a lot of free information on disabilities they aggressively address (for example, dyslexia). > > > Hello all - > > > > And Happy New Year. We're facing a potential move back to the United > States (Batavia, Illinois region) and I'm already trying to think about the > school year this September for . He is four years old now with Down > syndrome and Autism. We've seen great improvements for him this past year > between the biomed treatments and ABA. > > > > For other moms with a child with DS/ASD, I'm wondering where you saw the > greatest speech gains for your child - through ABA intervention or > traditional speech therapy or... something else? can do signs and > uses pictures (PECS) with the speech therapist but we don't have a unified > plan for helping him communicate with the PECS - just trying with the signs > (which he seems to prefer but gets them all mixed up so it's hard to tell > what he's " saying " sometimes). Also, he hasn't grasped the concept of coming > to me to tell me something yet so when he has to go potty, if I don't take > him in time, he'll still wet the floor! Maybe it's more a matter that he > just doesn't care about the potty or maybe he can't tell he has to go til > it's too late? > > > > Anyway, we could also put in a pull-out special ed classroom, > which is what I am leaning toward vs. mainstreaming. BUT, I wonder if he > should still get ABA and if so, how? There are only so many hours in the > week. Do other moms split their child's week up and send him/her to school > part-time and do ABA on other days? Do some schools use ABA in the > special-ed classroom? To be honest, sometimes I'm not entirely sure that ABA > is the best way for to learn but at least he's learning some > important things now. If your child is in a special-ed classroom, is he/she > learning to communicate in that venue? > > > > We're excited about the opportunities that being back in the United States > will bring - but, I'm not even sure what all the options will be or what > would be best for . > > > > Any thoughts or stories from your journey would help! > > > > Thanks so much, > > Kathy Dudero > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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