School or Intensive Autism Therapy?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
School or Intensive Autism Therapy?
13
Thu, 07-27-2006 - 12:36am

Hello, I try to get on these boards often but I am way too busy this summer. I do have a question and looking for opinions. My son is next on the waitlist for state funded autism therapy, 35 hours a week of ABA. The problem I'm having is our school dist has a GREAT Early Childhood program 4x a week for 3 hours a day...our Birth to 3 keeps encouraging us for school but then the autism program discourages school. My son is pretty high functioning, his major issue is his lack of speech and communication. His cognitive skills has greatly improved in the last year...I just want to know what other people would do?

Thanks!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 07-27-2006 - 12:40am

Is a mix possible?

Seems the early childhood program would be good but possibly not enough hours. (It is only 12). So how about do those 12 hours then have ABA for an additional 12-20 hours per week for home issues including self care, communication, community outings, etc. The ABA program may even be able to go into the school and provide some hours there as well.

Does it have to be one or the other? It seems he may benefit from the school program but also would have needs beyond that the ABA program could provide.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Thu, 07-27-2006 - 6:54am

I agree big time with Renee. My son is also high-functioning and his speech now at age 9 is way proficient. The difficulties with anger and behaving when under extreme stress are now our bigger issues. There is much more to autism than communication, but when they are little and high-functioning, you can't tell that.

I do so recommend the longer hours, as Renee said, and trying both.

Let us know what you end up doing.

Sara
ilovemalcolm

Avatar for betz67
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 07-27-2006 - 8:35am

Hi!

I read your bio and see that you're from the town we moved from 2 years ago(because of DH's job). The program you speak of is WONDERFUL!!! and it's worth making sure he gets that classroom time! My sons had the OT that works there-- she was a godsend! Weston also had one of the speech therapists that was part of the team. We credit them w/ getting us a very very good start. My son wasn't actually Dx in time to be part of that early childhood program and now I really regret not having him tested and placed in it. We have several friends that went through that program and were able to be mainstreamed fully for kindergarten, the schools there have good aides as well.

I do think an ABA therapy would be helpful as well, I agree w/ Renee and Sara that doing both and getting the most therapy now would probably be the best for your son. We really regret not getting our son more therapy when he was younger. He's doing very well now, but I think his communication could have been even better with more early intervention!

Betsy

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-12-2005
Thu, 07-27-2006 - 3:15pm

My question would be 'why' does the state program discourage the school program? Usually they only do that if the parents intend to homeschool, in which case the school program will only serve to confuse the child. If you intend to homeschool I would recommend sticking with the intensive ABA program. BUT if you intend to put him in school then I have to agree with the others and recommend you try to get a mix of both. School, in and of itself, is a different world with different rules then 'real life' and if his primary issue is communication then it'll do him well to get a special head start on that way of doing things.

APOV on Autism

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Sun, 07-30-2006 - 11:07pm

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for responding! I'm sorry it took ME so long to respond. It has been a crazy weekend, I had my annual garage sale friday and saturday and SO glad it's over..it was SO hot this weekend but it's going to get worse!

Anyways...We can do both programs (school and aba) the only thing is for the ABA we have to have a minimum of 25 hours...I just don't want to burn my son out. We have yet to hear when we can start ABA, at least a month, if we get the call tomorrow and he will be 3 Oct. 18th. This is my plan: School-Mon, Tue, thur and Friday 830-1130 and ABA Mon, Tues, Thur & Friday 2p-6p, Wed, 8-noon and 2-5, Sat. 8-noon...that should work out I hope! The aba wants all one on one the first 6 months-1 year into the program....

Betsy! That is SO cool that you used to live here! You are talking about the Early Learning Center right? Yes I agree, the OT (Joan) is great and I am really looking forward to working with them...too bad you aren't still here! I could use someone in the area to lean on :) Where do you live now? How old is your son?

Thank you everyone! I appreciate everything!

Keri

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 07-31-2006 - 12:20am

If it has to be a minimum of 25 hours I would see if some of those hours could overlap during the school program to provide him a 1:1 for social interactions or any discreet trials he may need. Just an idea but if they are co-teaching it may save him a bit.

Also, on the weekends and such I would make sure it isn't all sit down table work. They can work on community stuff to like going to the park and socializing. Daily living skills like dressing and toothbrushing. Stuff he would be doing with his day anyway and stuff he needs to learn. Doing sit down table work for that long will be too much but you certainly can take advantage of the supports for other things that are part of every day family life that a child with autism needs to learn.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Mon, 07-31-2006 - 5:05pm

I don't this this program goes to school with the kids. I know they gradually work on that, seeing what the level of the child is...I know they will go to the store with us and such like that. It will help greatly! I'm just anxious to get started!!

Keri

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-16-2006
Mon, 07-31-2006 - 7:35pm

I am mixing my ds. We get 3 days per week preschool for 2.5 hours. I do a special autism camp program for summer 2x per week for 3 hrs. I mix in Tss in house it was 4 hours per week I cut back to just 2. I feel she doesn't do anymore than what I can do.
ABA is doing sessions in class. OH I also get OT for .5 2x per week and throw a private speech in the mix 2x per month. My son is PDD and has progessed alot. Today was awful in OT cause the normal lady wasn't there. DS is creature of habit, bad scene all the way around.
I would try to incorperate what you can. I feel it's better for my child to get all he can.
Pray for me this month is gonna be nuts.
Hang in there, remember you hold the cards and control what you feel is best.

Take care
nora

Avatar for betz67
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-01-2006 - 8:39am

Keri,

Joan was wonderful for both of my boys-- my oldest is now 14 and beginning high school, he is Dx is ADD-NOS, but we had a hard time even getting this Dx. I really do think he's AS but not enough so to get a Dx, part of it is that he's so verbal and engaging w/ adults. He also has huge anxiety and SIDs. Joan was wonderful helping him w/ all kinds of OT and things that helped him stay on track, she started working w/ him in 2nd grade and helped him through 5th-- he knew her sons through scouts as well. my Weston (almost 10 entering 5th grade), has been Dx w/ Autism (we couldn't get a firm Dx when we lived in Sheboygan but had a probable PDD-NOs Dx, Vera Shircel was the school psychologist that did his eval). He's now very verbal but still has difficulty w/ pragmatic and receptive language and severe SID. Joan worked w/ him from Kindergarten through 2nd grade when we moved. She was the only school person that believed he could be in the mainstream classroom, and she worked very hard to keep him there (the principal, ST and teacher all thought we should change him to a special day class-- but he was learning just fine just driving his teacher crazy!). I think he is able to keep things together now because of the foundation she gave him. He's now very verbal and fully mainstreamed for academics w/ pull outs for speech therapy, social skills learning and ot.

I used to know several of the aides at the ELC as well. One had a son that played soccer w/ my oldest and another had boys the same ages as my oldest 2 kids. They were in the 'speech delays' classroom. They were wonderful w/ the kids! If you're going to send your son to school I think the ELC is a great place. I really wish I'd sent Weston there-- we didn't because of his severe SID-- that place is really busy, and kind of loud for a kid w/ sensory difficulties, if I'd know all that Joan works w/ them on and how well they do I'd have done that differently, I think they would have caught my son earlier and we'd have had a DX earlier, therapy earlier, and the whole bit but hindsight is 20/20.

We used to live behind Wilson and South. Just blocks from the ELC. We moved to South Carolina 2 years ago. The schools here are no where near the quality that the Sheboygan Area Schools are. Our kids were a full year ahead academically from where the SC kids were (they went to Wilson), I think for Weston things would have been better in Sheboygan if we'd had the firm autism Dx that we have now. They would have had a better idea for what to do with him and we'd have had more firm ground to stand on when it came to getting him what he needed (an aide!) in the mainstream classroom. Here we just happened to move into a school that had housed the autism program for the district and still houses the special needs preschool so the therapists know exactly what he needs and have been wonderful.

It's so cool that you live in Sheboygan! It was my home for 12 years (we're origninally from IL). We really miss the cheese and brats and hard rolls (I've found that Gibbsville Cheese, Miesfelds and Johnston Bakery all will ship to us!)--grocery shopping there was better than here! but I'm slowing getting used to the south!

Betsy

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Tue, 08-01-2006 - 2:46pm

Betsy! I am so glad you responded and for sharing your experiences! That really helps me out a lot! My son Jacob does not have a lot of sensory issues so I think he should do well at ELC, my daughter just finished there with the 4K program and LOVED it! He will do really well. He's pretty much nonverbal but is really trying the past few weeks to actually repeat words we are saying to him..I'm just glad he finally says "mama"!!

I wish you still lived here we could get together! Do you guys have family here?

Well, I hope you wouldn't mind if we could keep in touch via email? Here is my email address: smit475@charter.net.

SC, wow what a difference that Sheboygan! That's awesome that they will ship the good food off to you :) It's Brat Days this weekend and we are going to the parade..how hoaky huh? But it will be fun :)

Thanks again for the reply and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Take Care!

Keri

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