If you could solve a behavioral issue relating to your autistic child what would the number 1 issue be?” I am surveying because I am an experienced worker with autistic children and I am writing a book, so any suggestion as to understand exactly what parent’s biggest concerns would be very helpful.
Jacqui
But what if your answer to the behavioural issue was something like an aversive?
I wouldnt want to contribute to a book unless I knew what the answers to the behaviour problems would be.
What answers do you have? Do you agree with ABA?
I do not believe in aversive approaches at all. I have a very strong sensory background and believe that we need to work with the behaviours to find out firstly what the need is that is trying to be communicated and then try to find alternatives that meet the need, yet is more acceptable to the people around them.
I believe that ABA has a place, but not in it's purist form. I work in a school where ABA is incorporated with sensory, and general fine and gross motor skill development.
I work with breaking down tasks and teaching functional skills through structure and repetition. All of this in the context of the child's particular sensory needs.
I hope this answers your questions. I am really trying to understand and focus on what would make the biggest difference to you and your child.
I believe that ABA has a place, but not in it's purist form. I work in a school where ABA is incorporated with sensory, and general fine and gross motor skill development.
If its not using aversives, and its not really ABA, then what is it?
It seems that there is a 'new ABA' that tries to make the same money but is really more of a play therapy.
Parents are persuaded that only ABA will help their child, then what they actually get comes in more flavours than Ben and Jerrys. :roll:
Perhaps it should be called something else, but it's definitely more than just play therapy! It's the predictable environment, the structure and repetition that seems to work.
I don't advocate ABA as the answer to all, in fact I have found it to create some very promp dependent kids. In some cases, kids who won't do a thing unless given a prompt.
However, I believe in an eclectic approach. Every child is different and needs different things. Learning what works is a process of trial and error.
Perhaps it should be called something else, but it's definitely more than just play therapy! It's the predictable environment, the structure and repetition that seems to work.
Play therapy is a real type of therapy, it is not just playing, and would also incorporate a predictable environment, and structure.
I never said play therapy wasn't "real therapy", I use this too.
Any thoughts about my original question relating to my book?
Why should people here help you write a book when you will be recommending ABA, and one of the main themes of this site is Anti-ABA!
:mad:
If my son had a behavioural issue, my response would be to work out what that behaviour was communicating and try to respond according to that need.
For example when my son was headbanging, obviously i tried to remove the stressors that were making him do that. I also realised he had a deep need for rhythmical movement to soothe him when he was stressed, so taught/ encouraged him to rock, spin and flap at these times instead of bashing his head on the wall. Being upside down would help him too, so I taught him to stand on his head, so maybe he had needed some kind of pressure on his head too- hence the banging.
Traditional behaviouralism would seek to stop the headbanging but wouldnt try to understand past that it was an 'undesirable behaviour' to be stopped. Some behaviouralists would see the rocking itself as an undesirable behaviour, which I dont agree with- to me, its only undesirable if its hurting someone else or the child in question. For that reason i would never have used an ABA or ABA-like program on my child
I also feel the need to point out that my son was dxed 'severe' so we've done the majority of the 'big' behavioural issues that parents like to quote as the horrors of 'low functioning' autism. I dont know why I feel i must point that out- probably because I'm sick of people responding that its all very well saying something like that with a HFA child.
Ok, I just figured out the question! Its a 'what sucks most about autism' question. huh.
I actually wasn't planning on incorporating ABA in the book at all, since I am not an ABA therapist and am not involved in that program.
I agree with Bethduckie, I would also try to find other sensory things that would stop self harm. My major focus is sensory when working with the kids.
Its difficult to enter into these discussions, really... I've been called a child abuser because i dont chelate my child and of letting him 'fester' because I choose to accept him for who he is rather than trying to cure him. So i regard anyone with a suspicious eye. I suppose lots of us are like that. Especially if the subject is the child's 'issues' because that's automatically zooming in on the sucky bits :roll: (which I add are there with all children whatever their neurology...)
B xxx
Ok, I just figured out the question! Its a 'what sucks most about autism' question. huh.
Personally, what sucks most about autism is the NTs we're forced to deal with.
Alison
Yes, and people trying to make us "change" just to suit them.
If I had an autistic child, I would think "screaming" would be the main behaviour that I couldn't handle but that is probably because of the sensory overload issues associated with my own autism. Also, not all autistic children scream and some kids who aren't autistic, do.