Got a comment today from Sarah, below, asking about methodology for service provision. I thought this was a great time to open up this can of worms and throw it out for some lively debate and discussion. I have posted her question below, and my response below that. Please read and throw in your 2 cents! We need to get this community engaged in conversation and action, rather than watching and arguing from the sidelines.
************************************************************
Sarah Seymour (Edmonton, AB) wrote
3 hours ago.
do you only offer ABA based therapy? I know the lovas method is one of the most common methods, but it isnt for every child. I know my daughter really doesnt repsond to it at all.
With all the wonderful professionals you have listed you would be able to provide the indiviudalized therpay without subscribing to one method/school of intervetnion.
Sarah
**************************************************************
Sarah,
Thank you for your question! I’m actually quite glad you asked it, as this was one of the main reasons I opened the center. When we first set out on this journey, I found many things available all over the country, but must extremely unaffordable and nothing multi-modal and comprehensive in approach, that address the entire child, based on individual needs. As autism has emerged over the last few years as the epidemic that it is, this is still an issue that needs a tremendous amount of work.
At one of the major national conferences last year, I was speaking with a familiy in the lobby, who had been arguing over service provision. The wife had been at one provider table all day and had been sold on their service. The husband had been at yet another, and was convinced theirs was best. Needless to say, the heat was on, and unfortunately, they were all wrong!
In the course of speaking to these parents, not one time had any of these individuals from the intervention agencies spent time with the child to find out what the child responded well to. They were talking about signing contracts for $75K+, and really had no guarantee their child would even respond. I was FURIOUS, to say the least. So what would have happened if this family 2nd mortgaged their home for one of these programs, got locked into a highly expensive protocol, only to find their child didn’t respond as hoped? That’s absolutely CRAZY! Where’s the child’s interest in all this?
In ABA, as in every other method of intervention, there are particular types available, each having it’s own pro’s and con’s, and highly subject to personal opinion, in my view. I have seen most of these programs work very effectively, yet not with everyone. It truly depends on the child.
ASC takes a rather different approach. I don’t really like to say eclectic blend, as that’s not exactly accurate, yet we do consistently use the “Whatever It Takes Method,” which I have found extremely successful!
Basically, we determine what is best for the child, based on current skills and abilities, and create a protocol that works best for how that particular child learns. Sometimes that might be a standard Lovaas style ABA program, but the bottom line is, if that’s not working, we better know how to tweak it and fast! Gotta step outside the box sometimes.
I have always said that a good therapist can turn anything into a teaching opportunity. Protocols are necessary for data collection and continuity across settings and people, to insure the best adequate outcomes. However, there are times when we need to just throw the books to the wind and do what works, even if that means stepping outside what our particular ideology says.
Unfortunately, this attitude has met with much resistance, as there are many egos in this field, not willing to admit there could possible be a different or perhaps better way. I often believe those egos are what keep us in the trenches, where we have been fighting so hard for so many years, and recovering many kids, I might add.
Bottom line: This is not about US, or OUR BELIEFS, or what WE think is best. It’s about WHATEVER IT TAKES to get these kids better, and we KNOW they do get better most of the time, with appropriate intervention.
All this to say, if anyone walks into a treatment facility and is told, “This is what we do for autism here,” RUN! There is NO one size fits all, there is no one perfect therapy, and there is no one perfect provider of such therapy.
Effective treatment is a journey through finding the correct combinations of medical, therapeutic, behavioral, and educational interventions, all directly designed to meet the INDIVIDUAL needs of the child in question. Anything less, while it might be better than nothing, is far from optimal.
If you have a moment, watch my interview with FAIR Autism Media at last year’s Autism One Conference in Chicago. We spoke about many of these issues and how ASC plans to address them globally. Here’s the link:
http://www.autismmedia.org/media17.html
We MUST draw together as a community and start agreeing to disagree on some of these issues, rather than arguing and splintering off into separate sects. While I may not agree wiith some methodologies, I am also open-minded enough to know that there is potential they could work well for some, and that should be an option. I could very possibly be wrong, as could we all, and we ought not ever forget that, at the expense of a child’s wellfare. Whether I agree with it or not, if it’s working and the child is getting better, don’t fix it if it isn’t broken, and let’s get some more research done on it!!
OK – I’ll get off my soapbox for the moment! Just remember, this is about the individuals with autism, not the egos serving them! Work with those that will work with your child, the way they learn, and the way they best respond.
Sincerely,
Laura Corby, Founder/CEO
Autism Solution Center, Inc.
www.autismsolutioncenter.org
