Looking for advice from a parents point of view

[perla75]

Hi there,

I work in a school system & I have a parent of one of our young students very skeptical and uncomfortable with me and I am seeking advice on how to assure this woman and make her feel safe.

Her child (PDD/autism) just joined our school after aging out of EI services. The mom is having a very hard time transitioning from the EI staff to the staff at this school. In addition, I am newly hired to this school (though I have been in this field for several years). She seems very suspicious of me & not very optimistic that we are going to carry over what he has been taught in his EI services. It makes me sad and a little nervous because I have never been in a situation where a parent did not feel I was competent to teach their child.

I feel very confident that this student will be ok. I am very competent in my field, I have been teaching children of this population for a long time, I have great experience with training staff, I have multiple degrees and certifications directly related to this field. I usually have a great relationship with the parents as well, but this one.....I don't know. She was crying at his IEP saying she didn't think I could train everyone to work with this child, made zero eye contact with me, didn't even say goodbye to me when she left. Granted it was a stressful meeting with lawyers and such, but even her lawyer seemed to be more optimistic of me & my skills. I should also add that I look about 10 years younger than I am! (I'm in my early 30's), but I dress and I talk very professional....I'm not sure if that made a difference.

I just wonder what I can do to make this woman feel better about me. I mean I know that time will tell & she will feel better as she sees that her child will be ok, but I don't like feeling so uncomfortable and the fact that I am making her feel uncomfortable.

I know that transitioning to new staff & a new school must be tough on a parent & I've seen it before to some extent-I've just never had someone have no faith in my abilities before being given a chance!

I just wondered, from a parents point of view, what kinds of things do you appreciate from teachers to lessen that nervousness and develop faith in them? I do plan to send home weekly data & staff fills out daily school logs.

Thank you!

 

[LMC]

IMHO, there is not much you can do to reassure her right now. Trust me, I have been in her shoes. My DS is 13 now and it is still a battle (almost daily) to make sure that the school is taking care of him properly. By that I mean meeting his educational needs and following the IEP plan that THEY wanted just 2 weeks ago (which they basically were following this year anyway instead of the one they were suppose to be following). You should reapproach her, or have the special ed coordinator do it for another meeting, not necessarily an IEP meeting but a meeting to discuss ways she wants you to make sure her child is taken care of. If she is concerned about you teaching the others how to take care of him, maybe there could be a time that everyone could meet with her and she can explain his needs and ways to handle it. Did the IEP get finished? If so, then just make sure you are following it as she outlined her concerns as to the most appropriate way to educate her child. I know EXACTLY how she feels. No one ever knew my son was around. He was so quiet, got left on the playground a few times, and just many, many things that you could not imagine could happen with his education were happening because he was the good, quiet kid and he was falling through the cracks. I am shocked there are already lawyers involved; I haven't even had to take that approach yet (it may be this year) and my child is in the 8th grade.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I get to see both sides of the issue - as a parent and a staff member. My 13 year old son has Asperger's and is currently placed in a private school through our district. I work in the same district as a teaching assistant in the special ed preschool program.

I've seen many parents of young kids come in who are nervous and skeptical. It's especially hard for them if their child was doing well in an Early Intervention program and must now attend ours because they've turned 3. Our teacher has to work hard to convince some of these parents that their child will be just fine in our program. It's also hard for them when they realize our rules or our style is different from what they're used to.

I think the situation with your new parent will take time. In the short term, just give her lots of feedback. Use your data to show her what you're working on and how well the child is doing. We find that sending little notes in the child's backpack or lunchbox can improve the relationship. Something like, "Alex said his name perfectly today!" Or, "Tyler identified 5 colors today!" These little notes not only show that the child is progressing, but shows the mom that we're focusing on and excited about her child. We find that most nervous moms calm down after a month or so. Of course, some remain skeptical despite your best efforts. I'll bet your new mom will realize that you're a good teacher as time goes on. Good luck!

 

[minkydog]

When you have a special needs child the weight of the world is on your shoulders 24 hours a day. I feel for this mother--I have been her, especially when my son was so young. It's not about you. Every time my child transitions to a different level I go through a certain grieving process where I become distrustful of the "new" staff and everyone has to prove themselves all over again. I know, not fair to you. But that's how it is for me and I bet that's a little bit of what this mom is going through. Be patient and like another poster said, send her frequent notes so she'll feel informed. Eventually she may learn to trust you.

Cathy--mom to Christian the Amazing Wonder Boy

 

[Forevryoung]

I have this issue too, except that I'm brand spanking new to the field (speech therapy) and I look like I am 16.

I told my "nervous parent" that I will make sure to remain in contact with her in any way that would make her more comfortable. We communicate through a notebook and she has my phone number. I will call her at the end of this week after I've seen the boy for 4 sessions.

I've had a parent say that she did not want me working with her daughter (I was there 2 weeks). The parent was demanding and had unrealistic expectations. She told my boss that no matter how much progress her daughter made with me, she would always believe that more could have been accomplished with a therapist with more experience... I was glad to be off the case, it set me up for failure.

Everyone comes to the special education team (parents included) with a past history. I just remind myself that I'm trying my best.

 

[perla75]

Thank you all for your responses so far. You are right that I shouldn't take it personally (when you work with children, it becomes very personal!). I am going to make sure I send this mom daily notes & maybe I will set up a weekly phone meeting as well (IF she wants).

As I've mentioned, I've been in this field for a long time. This current school job is new for me, and before I was sort of on the opposite side of the fence. Prior to this job, I was a home-based consultant, which I feel you develop a much faster trust & closer bond with the parent because you get to interact with them directly every day. Now I am working in a school system, so I think there is more distance going on there.

I just hope it works out with her. It breaks my heart that she is feeling so nervous & distrustful. & I know I shouldn't be complaining. I am sure she is feeling alot of emotions right now, transitions must be so tough-having to know and trust people all over again. I just want her to feel comfortable I guess.

It was actually an amendment meeting. The town was previously paying for outside services for a few months that were extended a bit from EI & now that the town hired me, they don't need to use outside services because I am trained & certified to teach & oversee the same type of services. I'm not sure why they opted to bring a lawyer. I was actually very comfortable with the lawyer (my first lawyer at a meeting experience & I thought I would be intimidated!). She asked me alot of questions, but I answered them well, & she was very polite & seemed respectful towards me.

Anyways, thanks everyone again for your help. I'll keep checking back here to see if there is any further advice!

 

[Earstou]

She was crying at his IEP saying she didn't think I could train everyone to work with this child, made zero eye contact with me, didn't even say goodbye to me when she left.

Is there any possibility that the mother is ASD also? You mentioned she didn't make eye contact with you, and that was the first thing I thought. This also might be way she didn't say goodbye, and why she is so stressed.
There is a youth at church who has severe Aspergers, and it's evident his mother does too, since she usually won't talk to anyone after church. So that's what made me think the mother of your student could possibly be affected with ASD. Just a thought!

 

[brenalexacamp]

The mom probably fought so hard to get the extra services and now are being taken away. In her eyes and her gut-her child NEEDS those services.

be in constant contact with her-daily notes of all academis stuff worked on- not he had a great day-

all parents go through different mourning periods- they are still babies and with delays, even more so.

have patience- sounds like you are one of the few, sad to say, these days that really care about the children and are not waiting for the pension.

I like when the therapists are young- they have fresh ideas, know the latest research, are fun and engaging. Don't forget- the seasoned therapists know what's tried and true.
Bottom line is you work for the school district and have to do what they say-you may work with this child and know he needs more-but you will be limited to what you can say.

 

[KirstenB]

Our daughter Zoe is 3, and just moved from EI to special ed preschool. She was dx'd with mild autism last summer. A couple of things that I've been grateful to her teacher for:

1. She has a weekly weblog, describing the theme of the week, all the sensory activities related to that theme, etc. She also posts photos of the kids on the blog. It's one thing to tell me the kids will be washing cars in the tub as part of the transportation unit, but quite another to see your child or your child's friends actually doing it.

2. They're having a fall festival next week. She sent out the permission slips, and at the bottom of them signified they needed volunteers. If you ask for volunteers, it shows me how open you are to having parents as helpers.

3. Zoe rides the bus each day, so I don't get to see her class in action too often. But we picked her up FRiday. We got there a few minutes early. Instead of having us wait in the office, her teacher welcomed us into the classroom, and we got to see the end of day activities.

I had actually substitute taught this same class years ago. I'm familiar with the room, the types of activities, etc. So this should have been really easy for me. I trusted all the teachers, aides, etc, and I love the program.

Still when it's your kid, it's hard. With EI, you know your kid has to qualify for therapy, so you understand your kid is delayed. However, it's really very sheltered. The therapists come to your home. Your child is seen one on one. For special ed preschool, your child rides the short bus (or at least mine does). They're with other kids, some of whom probably have much greater challenges. It's the point where you can no longer deny your child is delayed. It's an adjustment like no other.

All I can say is give this mom time. She mom may have other issues she's dealing with in her life, or she may just be a person who's not very social.

P.S. YOu sound like a great teacher!! You and my daughter's teacher would probably get along well.

 

[perla75]

Is there any possibility that the mother is ASD also? You mentioned she didn't make eye contact with you, and that was the first thing I thought. This also might be way she didn't say goodbye, and why she is so stressed.
There is a youth at church who has severe Aspergers, and it's evident his mother does too, since she usually won't talk to anyone after church. So that's what made me think the mother of your student could possibly be affected with ASD. Just a thought!

My guess is no. She was visably upset at the meeting & I think she didn't make eye contact due to trust issues.

 

[perla75]

The mom probably fought so hard to get the extra services and now are being taken away. In her eyes and her gut-her child NEEDS those services.

be in constant contact with her-daily notes of all academis stuff worked on- not he had a great day-

all parents go through different mourning periods- they are still babies and with delays, even more so.

have patience- sounds like you are one of the few, sad to say, these days that really care about the children and are not waiting for the pension.

I like when the therapists are young- they have fresh ideas, know the latest research, are fun and engaging. Don't forget- the seasoned therapists know what's tried and true.
Bottom line is you work for the school district and have to do what they say-you may work with this child and know he needs more-but you will be limited to what you can say.

Thank you for that great post-yes, I'm quite sure she fought for her extra services. Though I have to say I am impressed with this school system so far-they are one of the few "fair" ones I've come across. The only reason why they discussed cutting those outside services is because it was an ABA agency and I am a BCBA with sped certification just hired to the district. The mom definately was not trying to keep her current services with the outside agency-she understood that I can provide the same. She is just used to these people I guess & she doesn't know me from a hole in the wall so she doesnt trust me. I get that, but it makes me sad. The staff (and this child's school 1:1) is not ABA trained, but now that they've hired me, I can train her. I have years of experience training newbies of ABA & it's often the newbies who receive good training that end up being the best at this job!

I definately cannot relate to that mourning process, always being a service provider and not a parent, but I do sympathize & I have no doubt that it must be hard.

I will try to be in constant contact with her. I am also planning to ask her today if I can set up an appt to observe the child's private speech therapist. This will help me with my own work with this child. It's funny you mentioned that about the school system though-having to do what they say. I used to be a private consultant, so I'm very used to doing things that I know are right without having to get approval first. I've tried to be very cautious about that here because I am just learning the rules in the school system.

 

[BeckyScott]

Just chiming in as another parent who has been there done that.

I was scared to send DS to EI preschool. And they did very well with him. But once I realized what was going on, I knew he was much more protected there than he would be in a regular elementary school.

The first day of kindergarten I was a nervous wreck. Yep, that's me, standing in the parking lot long after all the kids marched in, having a nervous breakdown. And he's doing fine. The first day of kindergarten is hard for any parent, a special needs parent it's so much harder, he had his own para but that didn't even matter. It's very scary.

I wonder her preschool went with her child, if something happened there that is making her worry even more.

You'll find that often, and probably especially with the ASD moms, we don't trust anybody in the public school system. Nothing personal. But as a parent, if you're one of those parents that does a lot of reading and research, there are horror stories everywhere. Kids being left in supply closets for "time out". (two incidents of this in my area) IEPs put in place but not followed (very common once the child hits middle school and has several different teachers). Horror stories of having to go to court, or having Social Services called (that happened to us). I am pretty distrustful, I don't care how many degrees or how many years of experience someone has.

(of course I don't know you)

It's just the way it is. One bad apple spoils it for everyone else. If you spend some time reading at the WrightsLaw website, and think about if you had a special needs child and read all that stuff, how you'd feel. When DS started preschool, I told DH that we'd be very lucky, and I mean very very lucky, to get him all the way thru 12th grade without having to call a lawyer at some point. That's just the way the odds are.

This is all combined with the overwhelming amount of information, or lack thereof, on autism itself. No specific cause. No specific "fix". But plenty of arguing. Even the parents themselves argue, so it's hard to find a good support system. There are so many camps, and everyone would rather argue about the cause or the treatments, than to actually work together. So it's very frustrating that way, too.

Your challenge is to get her to believe that you care more about her son than about your job. That you're not influenced by budgets, schedule restraints, or pressure from the school district. That if there was a disagreement you'd have her back. That if something went wrong you'd be on the phone to tell her, even if it caused a problem with your co-workers. That your concern is her son and that's all. And I don't know how to tell you to do that, 'cause I haven't ever witnessed it myself. That's what I would want to know, if I can speak for all of us that's what we all want.

 

[sdarwkcabemanmy]

Still when it's your kid, it's hard. With EI, you know your kid has to qualify for therapy, so you understand your kid is delayed. However, it's really very sheltered. The therapists come to your home. Your child is seen one on one. For special ed preschool, your child rides the short bus (or at least mine does). They're with other kids, some of whom probably have much greater challenges. It's the point where you can no longer deny your child is delayed. It's an adjustment like no other.

It's especially hard if your kid (like mine) is in a 'mixed ed' classroom--a couple of the kids are EI/PPCD but most are 'normals'. I know last year when DS started sped preK I was VERY freaked out about it.I didn't know the therapists very well and I wasn't terribly familiar with the teachers, either. I am so grateful his teachers were as wonderful as they are because I was calling or stopping by the room at least once a day to make sure everything was going ok. I was SUCH a freaking helicopter. I was somewhat distrustful of the APE teacher esp, because she looked like should still be in HS.

You'll find that often, and probably especially with the ASD moms, we don't trust anybody in the public school system. Nothing personal. But as a parent, if you're one of those parents that does a lot of reading and research, there are horror stories everywhere. Kids being left in supply closets for "time out". (two incidents of this in my area) IEPs put in place but not followed (very common once the child hits middle school and has several different teachers). Horror stories of having to go to court, or having Social Services called (that happened to us). I am pretty distrustful, I don't care how many degrees or how many years of experience someone has.

I'm a 'normal' and even I don't trust the school system any farther than I can throw it sometimes. I grew up in a public school that was, well, a bit lacking to say the least. In second grade, my sister's teacher INSISTED she was ADHD/ADD and INSISTED my mother have her put on Ritalin, which Mom did. It turned my sister into a zombie and, after a little more research/testing, we found out she wasn't ADD/ADHD at all. She had Dyslexia and my mom had her taken off the Ritalin. With the appropriate therapy, Dsis blossomed and did fairly well in school.
I was told there by the school district there was NO WAY I could have a learning disorder even though I had a lot of problems in one particular area (math). They said that math was just my 'weak point' and that my parents shouldn't worry about it. Come to find out, I actually have Dyscalcula, which is similar to Dyslexia. So needless to say, it was very hard to trust the school system when DS started last year, to trust they would do the right things and continue on in the same vein as we had been with EI.

 

[bookwormde]

I guess I will preface this with the statement that as an Aspie and parent of an apsergers child my comments are quite direct and while hopefully are in only a small measure applicable to you, since they are to a large portion of the educational community.

Since most school systems do not have a clue how to give Autism spectrum children an “appropriate education” except in a school which is dedicated to ASD she has every right to feel apprehensive and doubting.

I do not know you but I have met lots of teaching professionals who have lots of degrees and training in special education and speech, but do not have a clue as to what is required to provide and appropriate education for moderate and high functioning children who are receiving services in some proportion in the general education setting.

Did you receive at least 1 semester in ASD broad-spectrum education in you formal education, did you do some of your internship in a educational setting which had a progressive ASD system for providing an appropriate education? Do you do several ASD seminar or training sessions provided by nationally recognized clinicians each year?
Do you read 1000+ pages of clinical work, studies and recommendations this year?

If you did I am moving my child to your district, if not the parent has every right to question whether you “get it”.

The fact that you did not seriously consider that the mother had spectrum characteristics would give most people a concern as to your clinical background, because with your description I would guess that the mother is the side of the family that the spectrum genetics came from so you have to view here reactions in that light.

I know it may sound like I am “beating you up” (not my intent) but this is the reality when a well-informed and deeply concerned parents meets the “new staff”.

Now to answer your what can I do question.

Be specific as to how much time in your formal education was dedicated to ASD and specifically to the area of the spectrum where her child is. Do the same with your continuing education and clinical reading. If she is well read than she will recognize the works and clinicians, which you site, if not you may be able to guide her to some of the better basic works such as Attwood if her child is on the moderate to high functioning end (loan her the schools copy).

Explain the structures that the district has in place how much individual and small group time is going to be spent per week on social skills TOM and EF and how this will be generalized. Let her know that it is a standard procedure to do an environmental audit for potential sensory issues, that you have a plan in place to allow her child to decompress when a melt down occurs and that a formal social autopsy is part of your program so the child can understand how the situation occurred and there can be a feedback loop to the non-academic curriculum staff to include these missing skills in the curriculum. Let her know that you are considering a 1 on 1 well-trained paraprofessional if that is required for an appropriate education to be provided in LRE.

The fact that there was an lawyer present at the first IEP meeting either means that she has had a bad experience in the past or has heard very bad things about your districts program form other parents.

Take the time to meet with her 1 on 1 outside the formality of an IEP meeting and be an aggressive advocate for her child's needs for an appropriate education even where it may not be administratively convenient for the district.

When she sees that you truly understand what is required for an appropriate education of her spectrum child and that you are fully committed to seeing that that all the services and supports are included in the IEP and implemented and monitored and adjusted a needed regardless of what is “standard” or convenient for the district only then will you have her trust and faith.

If she is well read and if her child is not towards the classic end of the spectrum saying that you are ABA trained may be of little comfort since the majority of ABA therapy is done so poorly. Now if you were trained in the skills focused end of the ABA world by someone like Jim Ball and thereby really get the big picture then that might well be of great comfort, especially if you give her a basic outline of how it works and its application at home.

In closing I would like to thank you for choosing to work with spectrum children, just be sure that since the current educational system for teachers and therapist is so mediocre at best that you do continuing education from nationally and internationally recognized clinician and educators, aggressively.

bookwormde

 

[Forevryoung]

Bookwormde, read up on the Half Hollow Hills School District in NY.

They are not only ahead of the game on paper but I have seen them in action.

The school district has discrete trial classrooms within their schools in addition to "blended" classrooms (1 "reg" education teacher, 1 special education teacher, 1 part time para) and self contained classes (there are 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 2 high schools). Not every school has every type of classroom for every grade level due to the number of children receiving services, space, and logistics but without getting into too much detail I believe the parents and staff are generally happy with the setup.

All kids are mainstreamed for specials, snack, lunch, and special events.

 

[palpluto]

My son has developmental delays and an incurable disease causing heart failure. That makes me very protective in itself.
But, when he started in our local school program I was very excited and trusting. I had been a professional and seen the program and thought it was good. As it turned out, he had 2 incompetent people on his team and they caused him harm. I feel guilty that maybe I would have caught on sooner if I had not been so trusting. After that horrible experience and knowing what damage was done and how hard it was and contionues to be for my son to recover from their incompetence, I have a hard time trusting, even when I think the teacher is good. I think time makes it easier, lots of communication and showing that you know her child. Pay attention to this child and don't assume he is like others with the same diagnosis. Communicate to mom the things you learn about this child and remember sometimes you have to look outside the box.
Good luck.

 

[perla75]

Hi everyone,

First off, THANK YOU for your input and advice. I appreciate all of it-even the stuff that made me stop to second guess myself.

Anyways, I already made some changes to this child's schedule (he was previously placed in some activities that he just was not benefiting from) & asked mom if she would be comfortable with me observing his outside speech services. She seemed thrilled that I did these things and seems to be feeling a little better with me.

I do want to add-since a few posters were wondering-that I think I may have described her incorrectly on my original post. This mom does NOT have characteristics of autism-with regards to her demeanor at the meeting, her eye contact, etc....She just has characteristics of a very worried mom.

I don't blame her for being skeptical at all. I don't trust most public schools (and many private schools) either When I was a home-based consultant, I vowed I would never work for a public school (or private school)-I found most to be unethical & inexperienced. But I had a change of heart this year and thought maybe I could work for a public school & work toward changing that for the better. So, that is my mission or goal I guess for this job-to make their ABA programs that are listed on their IEP's actual ABA programs.

I am extremely dedicated to my field. I attend autism and ABA seminars several times per year. I'm even planning a trip to the 2009 DAN conference because it's important to me that I am up to date on popular approaches that are outside of my realm. I am planning an autism & ABA in-service training for all of the teachers in the preschool next month. My ABA training was under the supervision of some very prominent BCBA's in my state who have developed important research. Next year I am beginning my studies for additional BCBA certification for a new autism focus they have developed. In addition, I have burned bridges with several schools in the past to get my home-based clients the services they need, almost didn't pass my student teaching practicum several years ago because I was fighting for what was right for the student I was an aide for at the time.

The public school system I work for is pretty good. They are a large school system in a semi-urban district. They are not perfect, but they are willing to go through the steps to get there, which is why they decided to hire someone from my field full-time. They want to do right by their students, they just didn't have the resources before. So far, the sped director has been great-the first sped director I've ever met who I can call "ethical." The sped director is new and is really doing an amazing job making changes in her district.

Anyways, thank you all again. I'm hoping this mom continues to give me a chance & gradually feel safer as time goes on. I think the most important thing is to maintain close communication with her. I am also going to take your advice and schedule a 1:1 meeting with her.

 

[KirstenB]

Perla,
May I ask you a question about ABA?

I know very little about it. Our dd Zoe is 3 and was dx'd with mild autism last summer.

A little background:

She'll eat any food you put in front of her.

She makes fabulous eye contact continuously, especially if she needs help.

She has zero issues with transitions/routines.

She doesn't line up her toys. As a matter of fact, she does well with pretend play. She'll attempt to feed her dolls from an empty plate with a fork.

She does have significant speech delay. Her IEP says her expressive is 14-16 mth old.

She has no negative behaviors at this time (we've conquered the "pulling off the diaper and shredding it into a million pieces!)

I know our insurance would not cover ABA, and it is expensive. Our school system doesn't provide it. Zoe is receiving PT (gross motor delays, motor planning issues), and Speech, as well as full-time special ed preschool, where she's thriving.

Would you suggest ABA? Can you help describe it to me, and the benefits of it?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[perla75]

Perla,
May I ask you a question about ABA?

I know very little about it. Our dd Zoe is 3 and was dx'd with mild autism last summer.

A little background:

She'll eat any food you put in front of her.

She makes fabulous eye contact continuously, especially if she needs help.

She has zero issues with transitions/routines.

She doesn't line up her toys. As a matter of fact, she does well with pretend play. She'll attempt to feed her dolls from an empty plate with a fork.

She does have significant speech delay. Her IEP says her expressive is 14-16 mth old.

She has no negative behaviors at this time (we've conquered the "pulling off the diaper and shredding it into a million pieces!)

I know our insurance would not cover ABA, and it is expensive. Our school system doesn't provide it. Zoe is receiving PT (gross motor delays, motor planning issues), and Speech, as well as full-time special ed preschool, where she's thriving.

Would you suggest ABA? Can you help describe it to me, and the benefits of it?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Hi there,

I would love to help you with this. I would recommend ABA services for any student with autism. Reason being, it is research-validated to be the most effective treatment for children with autism. That said, as another poster stated, just like any other therapy-it needs to be implemented correctly & consistently in order for it to be effective.

There are many preconceived notions about ABA & to explain it simple, ABA is merely a style of teaching that utilizes teaching methods that are based on research. We teach everything from self-care skills to behavior management to academics....and it is a HUGE field for language training. You should do some internet searching on a subset of ABA called "Verbal Behavior."

The other "myth" about ABA is it is not just limited to autism. I have several colleague who are teachers for typically developing students & apply these techniques with their work.

It is wonderful to hear that your daughter has so many wonderful skills! If language is her biggest need, I urge you to look into ABA services.

One downfall of ABA is, like you mentioned, it can be expensive. If your child was under 3 years old, I would recommend getting EI to give Zoe ABA services. When I worked as a home-based consultant in a private practice, I often charged on a sliding scale because I don't feel that children should miss out on ABA services simply because of money matters. You might find a consultant or agency in your area who offers sliding scale services as well. I think it's unfortunate that health insurance does not cover ABA services. There was recent discussion of this in my state, and I have hope that it will be partially covered in the future.

That said, there is such thing of starting your own home-program though & I know some families who have done this. If means alot of reading & organizing on your part, but it is well worth it in the end!

If you are very interested, I suggest that you pick up this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Behavioral-In...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224554015&sr=8-2

The author is a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) with two children on the spectrum. I believe at least one was "cured" (up to speed in every developmental area, as evidenced by formal testing). This is a very parent friendly book & has lesson plans already written out for you.

The other resource I would recommend-especially for language training is for you to pick up a video by Vincent Carbone. He is a well respected & amazing implementer of Verbal Behavior techniques. I have been to several of his trainings & seminars. I always find that videos are great learning tools for people just getting started.
Here is the link to his clinic in NY. You can find video clips here as well.:
http://www.drcarbone.net/

If you haven't yet, I strongly suggest to purchase the book "Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family's Triumph over Autism" by Catherine Maurice-she is actually co-author on the first book I recommended to you above. I'm sure you can also find this book or order it at your local library as well. It's a mother's autobiography & journey with ABA & other services that led to her child's "recovery" It is truly a heart-felt story that will give you a mother's point of view from her child's diagnosis, through her struggle with services, progress with ABA, & recovery. A must have for parents, IMHO.
**Actually, this might be a perfect place for you to start**
http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Hear-Y...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224554508&sr=8-1

Additional web resources:
http://www.christinaburkaba.com/index.htm (General info on ABA/VB)
http://www.bacb.com/ (Search the certificent registry for BCBA's in your area)
http://verbalbehavior.pbwiki.com/Audio,+Video+and+Slideshows (Scroll down to the videos)
http://www.polyxo.com/discretetrial/ (Very user friendly description of the basic structure of ABA teaching.

Please feel free to PM me with any questions you might have & I wish you well & encourage you to at least look into this. Your child is at a very good age to start this.

 

[KirstenB]

Perla,
Thanks very much. I'll look into the books/websites you recommended. When we received Zoe's dx last summer, I bought Dr. Greenspan's books on Floortime, and we really threw ourselves into working with Zoe. I've tried to read about ABA, but never really could get a clear understanding of what it was.

I really appreciate your help.