A little Rant/Rave
Hi everyone!
Okay, how many of you have actually gone down the path of using ABA and felt like your child was "cured". I'm going to rant a little here... 
Although I think its a good idea to expose your child to as many therapies to see what works best, I find it very interesting how many parents are set on ABA and if you child is not doing ABA that you aren't doing all you can to help him/her.
First of all, my son is 3 (diagnosed at 18 mos) and my twin girls (20 mos) have been getting therapy since 8 mos. My son and oldest daughter are getting lots of therapy -- OT, Speech, Self Help, and Music therapy. My son is also in Special Ed Preschool and my daughter has been getting lots of 1:1 therapy/floortime, etc at an excellent birth to 3 center. Also, my youngest twin is also getting therapy for communication delay. My husband and I as well as the teachers and therapists have seen great improvements in all of our children. I get so frustrated by judgement calls by other parents with children on the spectrum.
My husband and I are very dedicated parents!!! We work opposite shifts in order to make sure that one of us is with them throughout the day. I was able to work a split shift and work from home at night since I work in IT for a wireless co. I am blessed to have that luxury. I get home from work and am on the road getting this one and that one to all the therapies they need. Being 300+ pounds doesn't make it any easier. This is part of the reason I've decided to take this very big step in my life.
So WHY can't parents be open minded to what works for each family and each individual child?????????? I just wanna SCREAM sometimes not just from familial struggles of dealing with Autism/Special needs, but all the judgments that come along with that from others.
Okay thanks for letting me RANT & RAVE!!!!
Jenn
Still waiting on surgery date, looks like it might be late April 2006...YEAH!
Although I think its a good idea to expose your child to as many therapies to see what works best, I find it very interesting how many parents are set on ABA and if you child is not doing ABA that you aren't doing all you can to help him/her.
First of all, my son is 3 (diagnosed at 18 mos) and my twin girls (20 mos) have been getting therapy since 8 mos. My son and oldest daughter are getting lots of therapy -- OT, Speech, Self Help, and Music therapy. My son is also in Special Ed Preschool and my daughter has been getting lots of 1:1 therapy/floortime, etc at an excellent birth to 3 center. Also, my youngest twin is also getting therapy for communication delay. My husband and I as well as the teachers and therapists have seen great improvements in all of our children. I get so frustrated by judgement calls by other parents with children on the spectrum.
My husband and I are very dedicated parents!!! We work opposite shifts in order to make sure that one of us is with them throughout the day. I was able to work a split shift and work from home at night since I work in IT for a wireless co. I am blessed to have that luxury. I get home from work and am on the road getting this one and that one to all the therapies they need. Being 300+ pounds doesn't make it any easier. This is part of the reason I've decided to take this very big step in my life.
So WHY can't parents be open minded to what works for each family and each individual child?????????? I just wanna SCREAM sometimes not just from familial struggles of dealing with Autism/Special needs, but all the judgments that come along with that from others.
Okay thanks for letting me RANT & RAVE!!!!
Jenn
Still waiting on surgery date, looks like it might be late April 2006...YEAH! 
Jenn - I just wanted to say - 3 kids with special needs and you havent jumped off a cliff yet? BLESS YOU! I have an Autistic son, now 23 yrs old, there were times I didn't think ONE of us would survive his childhood!
I'll put in a good word for you and your family in my prayers tonight!
Good luck on your upcoming surgery - getting to a healthy weight will make it easier to deal with all you have going on (although you already seem to be Superwoman!!!)
~Robin
Robin -- Thanks so much for the kind words and prayers!!! BTW, I am by no means a superwoman. I am so fortunate that my husband is so involved with our kids too. We just do what needs to done. 
Kim -- ABA is "Applied Behavioral Analysis". Think of Palov's Dog experiment. A lot of parents swear by it. Basically you pay a therapist lots of cash to sit with your child and in my opinion do "drills". They call it a discreet trial. It requires a lot of time, and a huge commitment. When my son was doing ABA it was very difficult for him to stay focused. Toys as motivation didn't keep his attention either. We tried many tactics to keep him engaged, but he would tire out too easily. Most of my son's success has been due to floortime and music therapy. According to an Autism Specialist here in Seattle, the most important thing I can do for him is to make sure he gets as many socialization experiences as possible. This way he can learn from others and learn by example. In his spec. ed preschool they have "peer models" which is a wonderful tool for him and others in his classroom with special needs.
My daughter (twin A) was officially diagnosed yesterday with Autism. We are planning on trying all the therapies that we did with my son. We'll try ABA with her as well, even though I don't like it. Tomorrow we get the results for her twin sister. I don't think she's on the spectrum. Her only real issue at this point is a communication delay.
As a parent, I feel I need to be open-minded about various therapies. However, frustration rears its ugly head when parents say that only one type of therapy will "cure" your child. ABAers are notorious for those kind of comments. Each family has to decide what to try, what works best and what they can afford. It's as simple as that.
Jenn
Kim -- ABA is "Applied Behavioral Analysis". Think of Palov's Dog experiment. A lot of parents swear by it. Basically you pay a therapist lots of cash to sit with your child and in my opinion do "drills". They call it a discreet trial. It requires a lot of time, and a huge commitment. When my son was doing ABA it was very difficult for him to stay focused. Toys as motivation didn't keep his attention either. We tried many tactics to keep him engaged, but he would tire out too easily. Most of my son's success has been due to floortime and music therapy. According to an Autism Specialist here in Seattle, the most important thing I can do for him is to make sure he gets as many socialization experiences as possible. This way he can learn from others and learn by example. In his spec. ed preschool they have "peer models" which is a wonderful tool for him and others in his classroom with special needs.
My daughter (twin A) was officially diagnosed yesterday with Autism. We are planning on trying all the therapies that we did with my son. We'll try ABA with her as well, even though I don't like it. Tomorrow we get the results for her twin sister. I don't think she's on the spectrum. Her only real issue at this point is a communication delay.
As a parent, I feel I need to be open-minded about various therapies. However, frustration rears its ugly head when parents say that only one type of therapy will "cure" your child. ABAers are notorious for those kind of comments. Each family has to decide what to try, what works best and what they can afford. It's as simple as that.
Jenn 
Jenn,
I am a respite care provider for PDD children. I have worked in many classrooms over the years and all I wanted to say was..do what works for you and your child. I am not a big believer in ABA but for some kids it works well. HAve you ever heard of Developmental Therapy? Floortime is also a great example of what I find "works." Do you children use PECS to help them with their communication? I found that using the PECS program was really beneficial. I still use PECS a lot with the children I work for privately....as well as expectant waiting.
I admire you and your husband for all your strength and courage. Sounds like you are a very busy mom Best of luck to you on your upcoming surgery!
It's ok to rant and rave from time to time- we all do it!
Take care,
Christine 
Best of luck to you on your upcoming surgery!
It's ok to rant and rave from time to time- we all do it!
Take care,
Christine Most Active
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