I've been missing from the blog for several weeks, but as you all know well...the holidays do that to a mom! I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday with your families...and I promise to get things going again better than ever with the blog!
I called this blog mother knows best because I truly believe that. I believe this to be true with any child, but even more so with our little ones on the spectrum. The lesson to take from this blog is if you don't agree with it...don't do it...if you think it can help...try it...and if you have a strong feeling about something, whether good or bad...stick with your mommy gut!
My biggest regret in my journey with Brady is his first year of therapy. Brady received his diagnosis in June of 2007 when he was 21 months old. In October, just after his 2nd birthday, we began an in-home ABA therapy program. I hired 2 wonderful young ladies to work with him and we started out at 20 hours each week. When he received his diagnosis, this was the only option presented to me...sort of a "our way or the highway" it felt like. So, I read all the books they suggested, which basically said the only thing that would work at all was ABA...so I was convinced. I put every ounce of my faith in the organization that was running our program. If they said jump, I said how high. If they said we need a big-little program, I bought the materials. If they said he is ready for potty training at 33 months, I paid for a potty party, bought underoos, threw out the diapers, and was in hard core potty training mode. I took their word as the gospel, and that is my biggest regret. I don't doubt they wanted the best for Brady, they do care about our kids...but they didn't know him like I do. They reassured me every month that first year that things were going well, but when that first year therapy anniversary came around, I sat back and looked at the big picture, and we really hadn't gotten anywhere. That is when I knew things had to change.
ABA is the most widely accepted treatment for autism, and for some kids it is the perfect fit. For Brady, at 2 years old, it was not. I wasted too much time, too much money, too much energy on this one avenue. I wish I had placed more efforts in other areas sooner - biomedical options, music therapy, play therapy, more speech therapy, more occupational therapy, groups, etc. Learn from my mistakes...look at all your options from day one...don't assume the biggest option is always the best option...talk to everyone and find out what is working for them. Do your absolute best to keep your child with peers, whether it be in a preschool setting, social groups, play groups, church nursery...they need to be around their peers to learn from them. Brady was removed from other children, from the typical world almost in doing all of the ABA hours that were recommended to us at such an early age.
I am not saying here that ABA is bad - we still incorporate some ABA programs into Brady's every day therapies. I am saying look into all of your options, give your child a variety of therapies, find what fits best for your child, and TRUST YOUR MOMMY GUT!!! If something is working, build on it, make the most of it. If you think something isn't working...do something about it now.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
If you're interested in music therapy check out the Free Sound Therapy Home Programme available from Sensory Activation Solutions. Their Auditory Activation Method builds on the pioneering work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis (Tomatis method) and Dr. Guy Bérard (Auditory Integration Training) and has been specifically developed with the aim to improve sensory processing, interhemispheric integration and cognitive functioning. It has helped many children and adults with a wide range of learning and developmental difficulties, ranging from dyslexia, dyspraxia and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder to sensory processing disorders and autism. It is not a cure or medical intervention, but a structured training programme that can help alleviate some of the debilitating effects that these conditions can have on speech and physical ability, daily behaviour, emotional well-being and educational or work performance.
There is no catch, it's absolutely free and, most importantly, often very effective. Check it out at: http://www.sascentre.com/en_free.html.
Hey, better late than never for music therapy :) And in regards to the above comment, what is being referred to there is listening or auditory therapy. This is very different from music therapy. To learn more about music therapy, you can contact me or go to www.musictherapy.org.
I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Lucy
http://racingonlinegames.net
Thanks for the information regarding sound therapy. My boyd both do therapuetic listening recommended by our OT at Pediatric Therapy Partners. For those who don't know, therapeutic listening is is an evidence-backed protocol that combines sound-based intervention with sensory integrative activities that can impact sensory modulation, attention, behavior, postural organization and communication difficulties. We use equipment from www.vitalsounds.com
I love your blog and can relate to so many of the issues you are writing on. I learned recently that you are a single mom doing all this and I have the upmost respect for what you do for your sons and the entire community. Those cuties are lucky to have you as their mommy! Keep up the good work! Your writing is beautiful!
Post a Comment