What services......

is your DC getting under the EI? also how many hours total are you getting? is it at home or at a developmental school?

Is it uncommon/common to just get ABA therapy for a child with autism? my daughter was diagnosed with PDD NOS.

My daughter has been receiving ABA therapy since October. I think she will benefit from Speech and possibly PT. I have no idea how to go about asking. I asked previously if I could have speech and the county gave me 1 more ABA session.

I have heard that they no longer give the additional services (ST, OT, PT) during EI because ABA is broad and is language based. Also heard a rumor because money is tight. we also have 1 speech therapist who is certified in ABA on her team but she does everything in the ABA methodology.

ABA seems so rigid and structured. and I have read that its the best method during EI for kids with autism.

She has definitely learned so many words but it just seems to me that she is either imitating or its scripted dialogue or from songs. I know several speech therapists who have told me she can benefit from speech bc its not so rigid and the words she is learning they can use in different contexts so her language and words is not so scripted?

I asked the therapist if she thought my daughter needed it. she did not say it but danced around the question. she told me to wait 6 months and then if i wasn't happy that call a meeting. My daughter scored so low. 2 standard deviations below the normal in speech. so how can they tell me that she doesn't need it right now?

Here is my thing. She has grown so much since she has started the program. Was it because of the intensity or it is bc she is getting older or a combo of both?
time is of the essence. my daughter is technically delayed and it takes her longer than most/average kids. So for me to wait 6 months is a long time. My daughter could use these type of services now. I know the therapists love her and are working together to move her along. I know she has grown the past 3 months but I want to maximize the most growth in this time to get her where she needs to be.

Am I wrong in thinking this? is it worth a shot or fight? I am so thankful for these services. but I am scared they will pull back ABA and give me speech. But i want the speech and possibly PT as a supplement.

My daughter did not ask to be like this. as her mother, I am her advocate. and unless they can give me a crystal ball to say that everything will be ok...then i won't stop at nothing to help her.

any comments or opinions are helpful. feel free to FM. I feel like I am alone and my family members all think that we are doing everything we can. but are we?

Re: What services......

I am an OT and have found that in EI they try and justify not providing related services like OT, PT and Speech by saying that the Teacher can cover those areas because they cover a broad area. And yes, the teachers should be covering all areas of deveploment in EI but a teacher does not have the specific training in the areas of OT, PT and Speech that the related service providers have. If as child qualifies for a related service, they should get it. A teacher is not a therapist, they don't have the medical trainging and deep understanding of gross motor, strength, balance, fine motor, visual perception, sensory processing, receptive/expressive & pragmatice language, articulation etc... It's just not the same. If your child scored low in those areas, request further Evals to determine if specific services like OT, PT and Speech are needed. I would rather have an interdiciplinary team than just ABA services unless your child is SO severe and has many behavioral interferences that they couldn't benefit from therapy.

Re: What services......

As a speech language pathologist, I believe related services should be provided along with ABA. Unfortunately it does happen often that ABA is the only service. However, I do know of instances where parents fought for other services and received them. Continue to ask for further evals to determine qualification. While ABA can be beneficial, it is not the same as receiving quality therapy in a specialty area such as Speech, OT, and PT. Good luck!

Re: What services......

thank you guys so much!! I am going to fight to get the services. I scheduled a meeting so hopefully they will.

Re: What services......

Just as previous posters stated a "teacher" is not a "therapist". They are not healthcare professionals who are trained in comprehending the neurological system and how it relates to the body's motor planning. Low tone /high tone, muscle strength all play a HUGE role in development. Teachers do not have training in this, unless they sought it out for themselves. I am a general education teacher (taught for over 15 years) and I am amazed with how little I knew about the neurological system.

Suffolk County seems to push for ABA only, which in my opinion is disheartenining. We live in Nassau County and until I found the "right' OT, and SLP and thankfully a SEIT who is so knowledgeable in motor planning and DIR/Floortime approach(her sister is an OT and she was also trained in California where DIR/floortime is practiced a bit more) , my dd's progress TOOK OFF. ABA -discrete trials, was a nightmare for a my dd. My dd learns from whole to part, and has a wonderful understanding of things, she actually learns by observing/ and listening etc. She was unable to demonstrate to others how much she knew because they were focusing on tiny tasks that developmentally were not even appropriate for her due to motor planning/fine motor issues or she was completely bored from. If she didn't understand the "point" of doing something, she most likely too little interest in it. Finally my dd's ABA was altered into a true verbal behavior model, with pivotal response technique (which is imo the most meaningful approach to reinforcers)...with a LOT OF DIR/floortime mixed in. My dd learns from a developmental model, and not a behavioristic approach. My dd wasn't choosing not to do things, she physically couldn't so she didn't. I highly recommend the documentary Graham's Story.

It can be really upsetting to me because I watched hundreds of children learn, and know that keeping things in "static" can really turn a child off. Learning needs to be natural, and 'wholistic", connections need to be made, relating to prior knowledge in order to keep moving forward to the highest level of inquiry. Many therapists ...don't know how to prompt correctly, they don't know how to actually utilize the techniques of ABA to make it dynamic.

I believe it's your child's right to the evaluation and your PED can write a prescription if she qualifies.

Re: What services......

wow thanks everyone!! so interesting to hear people's opinions and comments on here. I appreciate it