ABA with 2.9 year old. ASD w/ PLI

[Jackies Ladybug]

We are supposed to be starting ABA therapies with DD tomorrow. 5 days a week 2 hour sessions. The biggest component of her diagnosis I've been wanting help on is her language. They are saying ABA will help with it, but I'm not sure how yet. She is pretty high functioning, extremely high IQ, borderline gifted. I dont want them to try to turn her into a robot. Anyone here successfully go through ABA and get a good language improvement? I'm planning on homeschooling with her to hopefully help complement her unique style of learning, but they are offering services right now because she is under 3. Is this a bad idea? I'm only doing this because they have laid the guilt on thick that most families would kill for a free program like this to fall into their laps. Anyone else go through early behavioral and then homeschool later? I've only done speech/OT so far and they have been very gentle with not pushing faster than she wants to go. Help! I need to know people survive ABA, and that it doesn't just drill kids into machines. Thanks.

[PikkuMyy]

Hi!

I'd like more info on what your daughter needs help with, language-wise, but I can assure you that ABA is a very wide and useful intervention, and I use it with quite a few students who sound very much like your daughter. None of them sound like robots in any way.

[treehugger86]

"Anyone here successfully go through ABA and get a good language improvement?"

I work as an ABA therapist. A lot of children make exceptional progress in language development through ABA. A qualified ABA therapist will be able to design a program that will address your daughter's individual and specific needs regarding language development. There are several different components of functional language skills and acquisition (e.g. labeling, requesting, asking and answering questions, conversational skills, etc.). The focus can vary depending on a number of factors.

"She is pretty high functioning, extremely high IQ, borderline gifted"

A child does not need to be "low" functioning to benefit from ABA therapy. Rather, I find the labels of "high" and "low" functioning rarely reflect the range of skills (and deficits).

"I don't want them to try to turn her into a robot."

This is a common fear about ABA that is often founded in old-school ABA practices. Modern ABA therapy often involves incorporating the principles of ABA into play-based and natural environment teaching to encourage generalization of skill acquisition.

"Is this a bad idea?"

I am definitely bias as an ABA therapist, but I think it is always worth trying . . . !

I would encourage you to observe your daughter's ABA therapy session. You should also be given the opportunity to ask questions. It is also important that you are comfortable with your child's ABA therapist. Of course, I would hope that your daughter also develops a relationship with her ABA therapist . . !

[RiverTam]

My husband has an MA in clinical psychology from a school that specialized in behaviorism.  We used ABA techniques with DS1.  He had an extremely difficult time learning behavior and social skills through observation. Using ABA techniques helped us teach the skills he needs. He isn't a robot. That's not the point. The point is to teach skills that can be generalized and used flexibly. ABA is about putting tools in his tool box. 

[Lollybrat]

My son is 7 and has high functioning autism with hyperlexia and dyspraxia. We did ABA with him for years and it was wonderful for him. We used a form of ABA called Verbal Behavior, somtimes referred to as ABA/VB or VBA. We used the  Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS, usually pronounced "ables") to develop our curriculum and measure his progress. Our program included both "table work" and work in natural settings, both at home and out in the community. We worked on language, motor skills, self-help skills, social skills, etc. ABA/VB fit my son' s learning style very well and he both the table work and the natural environment sessions. ABA/VB helped DH and I learn how to break tasks down into smaller parts, teach those parts in an effective manner, and then reassenble the parts into the larger tasks. We learned how to use our son's strengths to build up his weaknesses.

We do not homeschool. we considered it, but it's not the right choice for our family. Our school district has a wonderful program for kids with autism. When my son entered Kindergarten, he went into a classroom that uses primarily the TEACCH methodology (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication handicapped CHildren).  At that point DH and I decided to stop our formal ABA/VB sessions, to aviod confusing DS with the two different methodolgies. The TEACCH classroom built on the skills he had developed during ABA/VB, but allowed him more opportunities for independence and helped him learn the skills he needed to function in a classroom environment. Last year, DS was partially mainstreamed in a regular 1st grade classroom. He mornings in the regular classroom and afternoons in the autism classroom. This worked very well for him and we will be doing a similar schedule this year for 2nd grade, with gradual increasing the amount of tine he is in the mainstream classroom.

Honestly, I do not understand the persistant myth the ABA turns children into robots. I always find it sad and a little offensive when people say that.