I wanted to address ABA now as I Know there is a lot of commentary and negativity around ABA even regarding my blogs and parents refusing to read it because it is associated with ABA. The ABA method is recommended by Medical experts for children with autism in many countries like Canada, USA, and Norway. I understand that the main controversies around ABA are because of how it originally started and how it was repetitive and equally used rewards and punishment, instilled fear and was cruel. However, that is not what it is today, and it is not the type of ABA that L has received. The ABA program L received was play based therapy and used positive reinforcement and was all based around her motivators. She was never punished. Therapists take something away if it is harming L or if used when she was having a tantrum. Most parents would never reward behaviour like that with their children. With L if we gave into problem behaviour like that, which we did prior to ABA, it made her behaviour worsen daily, and made it unbearable. I don’t think a child that is screaming for hours of the day is happy and that is what ABA changed for us. ABA is not a one size fits all children approach and good BCBA's (Board Certified Behaviour Analysts) will work with families to develop the best program for a child based on their specific needs.
I wonder what a parent would do if their child was born with a disability like being deaf or having no limbs. Would you just let nature take over or would you use all the evidenced methods that has proven to lead your child to live a fully functional, fulfilled life to support them and make them less frustrated with everyday life. I think that is something to think about here. What would have happened with L, if I just let her be, and continued with the therapies that she never engaged with, where would she be today? I want to emphasise that all the ABA therapy L has received has not made her unhappy, it has done the opposite, she is happier because of receiving this method. It has led her to learn and therefore be more safe, more independent (which she loves to be), and able to communicate with the world her needs and wants. Prior to this, L would run into dangerous situations, and have tantrums that lasted hours, it was exhausting trying to keep her safe and happy.
Just like any other therapies, there can be people who misuse them, or are just not good or effective at it, due to their training and lack of experience in the field. That’s why I recommend a thorough research of whoever is going to be working with your child whatever method you decide to use. And the approach that has worked best for us is a multidisciplinary approach, as the most success L has had, has been with a team of specialists, including BCBA’s, ABA Therapists, Occupational and Speech therapists working together to address all the areas that L needs support with.
There is a lot of negative talk from autistic people who can advocate for themselves about ABA therapies, and it tends to be more from the high functioning in society, who can communicate with the world about it. So, what would that mean for children like L who cannot speak or communicate, have tried everything else and still are getting nowhere. Would you leave them to it, or would you look for therapies that have been proven to help children who are struggling to communicate and cope with everyday life and ultimately keep them safe by teaching them the dangers of the world.
I think regardless of what ends up working for your child, you would have wanted to know all the possibilities out there and specially the therapies that have evidence of helping other children. There are a lot of questionable un proven so-called therapies out there in the world of autism, that I would not have every subjected L to, and did my thorough research before deciding to go with the ABA method. I want to emphasize that L would run into her school that specialised in ABA, and loved going there, not all kids enjoy going to school and if this is happening that is a big sign of something working. Learning needs to be fun and motivational for all children, and that is what ABA has been like for L. L's needs have always been met with this method, and her motivators are things that you would never allow for a child to have all day long, so nothing has ever been withheld from her in a way to negatively impact her. I would never give biscuits to any child who wanted it all day long, is that holding back on their needs or keeping them safe, so that their teeth doesn’t rot, and they have health issues. I think these are all things to think about before judging people on using this method that is helping their children, while keeping them safe and happy. And for those who advocate against ABA and other therapies, how great is it for you that you are able to advocate for yourself, because not everyone can, especially the non-speaking autistic community. It is important to remember that needs vary within autism and while ABA was not a method that helped you, it could absolutely be a method for those who cannot speak for themselves and need to be taught in a different way. What I hope is for L to be able to advocate for herself one day through her communication method and that is why I will absolutely use therapies that are helping her and getting her engaged to learn.
We have had a lot of regression, since L left her ABA school and that is something I will be writing more on in later blogs. I just thought it was time to address this part of our journey as it is controversial, and that always takes away from the fact that we found a method of making our child happy, safe and able to learn to communicate her needs and wants. That is what I want people to take away from our ABA journey, and I hope that L can one day recognise how much it helped her and communicate what it did for her. I can say without a doubt that the ABA L received, brought our whole family together, it brought my little girl back to me, help me understand her and able to ensure she is happy.
My next few blogs will be about our EHCP and all our struggles to get it to where it is today, and how we are still fighting to get it to meet Ls needs.
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