Parents ARE a child's first teacher. Who is better qualified to be able to address the winding road of learning than the person who knows him/her best.

Posted by: JANE CAPPIELLO     2008-07-11 21:59

A former colleague once told me that she had an autistic son. I felt for her (because I know what severe autism looks like) until I met her boy. He was certainly lagging behind in school and still had trouble tying his shoes at age eight nor could he differentiate between the days of the week or accurately tell time on a clock that wasn’t digital. I soon began to understand what was at the root of problem. The boy had no peers with which to socialize and his parents spent zero, and I do mean zero, time with him. Their response to his very presence was "go away." I made a few attempts at discussing this with his mother and suggested that she work with him on the lacking skills. I went so far as to create a calendar for him featuring his favorite cartoon character. I used text and images to establish routine days and special events. I gave it to his parents and asked them to “rehearse” the calendar with him each evening, discussing the routine events of the day, reiterating which day it was, and then asking him to repeat the process for the upcoming day, again reiterating which day “tomorrow would be.” I soon learned that she had given the calendar to the child but proclaimed herself too busy to work with him (meaning curling up in front of the TV after work). Her response was complete apathy. She was able to dismiss him as "autistic" and therefore beyond help (other than medicating him). Beyond lacking a few skills the boy behaved in an otherwise normal manner. Needless to say, I just allowed the friendship to lapse. However, I do wonder what become of the boy. It seems to me that the “epidemic” is not autism.

Consider that the expansion of the definition of autism has much to do with the so-called "epidemic." Note also that the instances of boys diagnosed with autism (at about age three) are higher (at a rate of 1 to 5 according to the NIH) than girls of the same age. This does not strike me as coincidental as boys are generally more rambunctious, if not social, than girls at age three and would tend more often to exhibit some of the "behaviors" listed on the assessment. Moreover, shy children may also "exhibit" some of the behaviors used as indicators. As a child, I would certainly have qualified as "autistic" due to a reserved nature. Let's also not forget that children spend much more idle time in front of the television than they once did and though I will not go so far as to blame the programs, it does appear to me that the hands-on teaching of proper behaviors and skills has been replaced by TV time. It has also been suggested that television reduces the attention span (more so in youngsters than in adults). You can be sure as well that the drug industry has much to do with the escalation of the autism (and ADHD) "epidemic." I note that the prescription of Ritilin and Prozac are listed as treatment options for both.

I would suggest that “applied behavior analysis” has a high rate of success because the process can otherwise be defined as “teaching.” You take the time to actively engage a child and the child learns. Once upon a time, parents took on the role of teacher in a child’s pre-school years, but as you have noted, when you requested that the parents of one of your “patients” engage in 1:1 learning activities with their child, they declined. There lies much of the problem. The rest of the problem lies with the expanded definition of autism and the new criteria used for diagnostic purposes.
See: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/508429
See: http://www.slate.com/id/2151538/

Posted by: Karen Freed     2008-08-18 03:22

One of the best parts about my job as a clinical supervisor at the Lovaas Institute is the opportunity to work closely with parents. When I meet with parents for the first time, I make sure to first of all, empathize with the challenges (and joys) they face while raising a child with autism, and secondly, convey the critical importance of their involvement in the intervention to their child’s success and learning.

Parent training is an integral component of the Lovaas Model of Applied Behavioral Analysis. In fact, Dr. Lovaas’ original research study on which the model is based, stressed the importance of parents’ ability to implement interventions and generalize skills. However, beyond parents’ ability to implement interventions, my experience in this field and working with numerous parents has taught me that the qualities of being a good listener, creativity, open-mindedness, patience, thinking on your feet, and even silliness, are just as important! When I think about the children I have worked with over the years, I can’t help but feel proud of not only how much they have learned throughout the course of treatment, but how much their parents learned as well. This is truly the goal of successful behavioral intervention.

On a scientific note, it is important to point out that we at the Lovaas Institute require a formal diagnosis from a psychologist or medical professional prior to beginning services. While there is much speculation, a formal diagnosis of autism or an autism spectrum disorder must meet specific criteria, as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV).]

In the Summer edition of the Lovaas Newsletter, Meeting Point, there is an article that includes suggestions for making parent training a successful experience for both clinical supervisors and parents. Click here to read more http://www.lovaas.com/meetingpoint-2008-08-article-01.php.

Posted by: Nicole Murillo, M.A., Assistant Clinical Director, Lovaas Institute     2008-10-27 22:00