Getting
Started
(With an emphasis on ABA)
This
is a conglomeration of info, so some is just plain on Autism
other is info specific to interventions. There are many great
resources out there on Autism. Here are a few books I recommend
you read first:
"Facing Autism" by Lynn Hamilton
"Let Me Hear Your Voice" by Catherine Maurice
"Behavioral Intervention in Young Children with Autism" Catherine
Maurice
"Teaching Developmentally Disabled Children: The ME Book"
Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas.
"Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental
Disabilities" Dr. Sundberg/Dr. Partington
You can get these books at www.difflearn.com
The first two books are personal accounts by parents who have
children that no longer carry the diagnosis of autism. Here
are some websites I recommend:
http://members.tripod.com/RSaffran/aba.html
http://www.isn.net/~jypsy/autilink.htm
I highly recommend the first one!
There are also many other listservs out there, dedicated to
helping parentswho have children with autism in ABA programs.
http://www.addr.com/~me-list
The Me-List is a wonderful website for parents who have their
children in an ABA program. The parents are very resourceful!!
This is for parents using the Lovaas Method (see explanation
below)
www.DTT-NET@egroups.com
This is similar to the ME-List, in fact many parents/professionals
are on both lists. This is for people using the Verbal Behavior
Method (see explanation below).
Now
for some explanations. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is
a psychological principle (B.F. Skinner, 1950's) that involves
changing behaviors. The term behavior means ANY behavior (i.e.,
spitting, solving= math problems, acting out, reading, riding
a bike, etc.). In teaching=20= children with Autism, you apply
the principles of ABA into a teaching method called Discrete
Trial Training (DTT). DTT is a teaching format where you task
analyze skills. Task analyzing means you take a skill and
break itdown into smaller, more attainable steps. For example,
you can break down tying a shoe into 10 parts or even more
than that. You would then systematically teach the child each
step he needs to know, reinforcing each step in a systematic
fashion. DTT is 1:1 teaching. ABA programs are very systematic
and very STRUCTURED!
Now
for the other explanations. In the field of Autism and use
of ABA principles, one of the most well-known professionals
is Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas, out of UCLA. No, he did not come up
with ABA (Skinner did that in the50's), but he did research
it extensively and applied it to DTT.He developed an enormous
"recovery rate of 47%," which is highly disputed today. He
developedthe UCLA Young Autism Project, where he trains his
staff to implement his intervention. He also has many replication
sites around the US. Yes, his intervention is disputed because
it has not yet been fully replicated, although each replication
site has significant success with the children they treat.
This method is often referred to as the Lovaas method.
There
is another application of ABA out there referred to asVerbal
Behavior (VB) or Applied Analysis of Verbal Behavior. This
is simply based on Skinner's book, " Verbal Behavior ." It
includes using language and motivation to teach the child
in both the structured and natural environment. This method
emphaasizes acquiring some form of language first (i.e., verbal,
sign, picture, etc). This method also utilizes DTT.
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While
this method is in no way new, it seems to be quickly becoming the
mainstream, over Lovaas. I'm not saying that either is better. VB
emphasizes more on teaching skills based on the motivation of the
child and quickly generalizing those skills into every day situations
(NET).
There
are a few people in the "ABA world" that deal with verbal behavior
that I will mention. There are others, than the one's i'm listing...
Mark Sundberg, Ph.D.
Jim Partington Ph.D.
Vincent Carbone Ph.D.
The first two people mentioned, wrote a book called "Teaching Language
to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities" All
three people mentioned above are experts in the field and give WONDERFUL
workshops around the world. Dr. Carbone is in Jacksonville, FL (the
other two are in CA). I have been to his (Carbone) workshop and
was AMAZED at what he had to say and the videos of children he showed!!
You
can find out more about his workshops at www.jerichoschool.org
and look under "workshops." The Jericho school is also another place
of interest in "ABA land!" It is located in Jacksonville, FL and
Dr. Carbone works with the school the school. The school was started
by a small group of parents who wanted a better education for their
children with autism. I believe they currently have 10 children
in their program. If you ever have time, I recommend going to visit
their website to see what it is all about.
There
is another school, similar to Jericho in Tallahassee, FL. I think
it is the same make-up, just different city (meaning both schools
use Verbal Behavior model). This school is called the Center for
Enabling Special Needs Children. For info on Sundberg/Partingon,
please visit www.corteks.com/STARS
There
is so much more info on ABA out there, if you just do a search on
Applied Behavior Analysis, you will get a lot of info/websites!!!!
Shauna
Thanks Shauna for this excellent summary!
Following
is a list of important questions to ask when identifying an appropriate
ABA school for children with autism:
Does the program offer a 1:1 teaching ratio?
Does the program offer an extended year program?
What related services are offered and how are they delivered?
In what ways are parents able to participate in the program?
Does the program offer home consultation and how is that service
provided?
What is the program's philosophy regarding inclusion?
What is the program's philosophy regarding peer modeling?
What is the process for establishing appropriate goals for each
student?
How is progress evaluated?
What data collection procedures are used to assess progress on individual
goals?
How and when are staff trained?
Who is responsible for that training?
What is the experience and background of the administrator responsible
for overseeing programming and training staff?
How are motivational systems assessed and implemented?
How are challenging behaviors addressed?
How is stereotypical behavior addressed?
How are communication systems assessed and implemented for each
student?
Are therapies, philosophies, or strategies other than ABA used in
the program?
What is the program's philosophy on group instruction?
Is there daily communication between home and school?
How often do home visits occur?
(From
ABCNews.com March 9, 2001)
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2001
Autism Rally, Conference, Hearings, and Caucus
Book
of the Week:
Sleep Better, A Guide to Improving
Sleep for Children with Special Needs; V. Mark Durand
Sign
Our Guestbook
Thanks to everyone who has signed it!
Attitude
is Everything!
Searchable
Databases:
Medline
Plus
Combined
Health Information Database (CHID) Online
NLM's
PubMed
Computer
Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP)
ClinicalTrials.gov
Salon
Cover Story on Autism:
"Secrets
and Lies" by Lesli
Mitchell
Crash
Course in Autism; Holiday Letter
about the challenges autistic individuals face during the
holidays.
New
eLearning course; What
is Autism? From The Autism Society of America.
Significant
statement on the incidence of autism in the sixth edition
of Child Neurology-2000, Menkes & Sarnat.
We
Cured Our Son's Autism by Karyn Seroussi
Helpful
Hints for Persons with Autism (This can be posted in a school
or other public place)
Tips
for Dealing with Doctors and Labs
Tips
for Families with a newly Diagnosed Child
Dr.
Jeff Bradstreet's Excellent 74 Page Biomedical Summary (PDF
format, may take a minute to load!)
Click
here to get Adobe Reader.
Autism
Recovery Network's excellent Resource
Guide. A great start for families of newly diagnosed kids.
(PDF
format, may take a minute to load!)
Click
here to get Adobe Reader.
PowerPoint
Presentations from the Spring DAN! 2001 Conference (Atlanta,
GA 2001) New!
Developmental
Milestones
New!
California Special Education Statewide Enrollment by Disability
Category 1985-1999; (illustrating a dramatic rise in the rates
of autism.)
Pins
and Bumperstickers
NICHD
Autism Fact Sheet
New!
Autism
Card That may be Displayed in a Public Place.
The
Autism Society of America's position on the relationship between
vaccinations and autism.
(PDF document)
Download for Free!
Kirkman Laboratories
Guide to Intestinal Health in Autism Spectrum Disorder. A
comprehensive review of intestinal health issues in Autism Spectrum
Disorders and the options available for treating them.
Houston
Nutraceuticals Digestive Enzymes
Show
your spirit! The
Autism Recovery Network offers 3 different autism awareness
ribbons. Children's or Men's small lapel pin with small red heart
only $2 each.
Misfortune
sometimes a blessing in disguise. Star NFL Quarterbacks and their
special-needs kids.
Article:
Autistic student, parents realize a dream.
"It's
not easy living with these kids(with autism), and anything that
makes their lives better makes the family's life better,"
Anonymous
Living
as an Autistic (a 1st-person account)
Understanding
Autism in Adults
Site
Awards:
Selected for WebBound's 2002 Spring Edition of 75,000 Best Web Sites;
Selected for reliability & ease of use. www.WebBound.com
Autism
Society of Florida Member's Choice for helpful websites
Featured
on Newstalk 920 am Melbourne, Florida
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