Posted in UK Autism Group

What parents need are access to accurate, impartial, evidence-based information with which to make informed decisions in the best interest of their child’s individualized needs. With ASD, especially with comorbidity (co-occurring conditions), developing a customized intervention plan based upon a thorough and accurate medical diagnosis and skills assessments is critical.

As an example, a child with ASD with co-occurring conditions of ADHD and Sensory, which is very common, might be receiving the following services:
Applied Behavior Analysis
Occupational Therapy
Speech Therapy
Medication Management
Counseling / CBT / DBT, etc.
Education

Because ABA covers a wide range of target skills, the ABA program might be working on the same targets as those that are being worked on by other disciplines. An example is language and communication, which is a huge part of any ABA program, which also falls under the speech domain.

So learning about who does what, why, and how is something that parents must master as overseers of their child’s program. If you’re lucky enough to have access to funding and access to services, a parent’s role becomes a care coordinator. In order to be an effective care coordinator, you need information. Access to objective, accurate, data-based, actionable information so that you can make the best decisions for your child but also continue to act as a watchdog so that you can keep making the right decisions as your child continues to progress.

Yes, it’s great to have access to professionals, but as a parent, you must never fully rely on the opinions of service providers. You must take the time to validate the information.

NOBODY will ever be as vested in your child’s well-being and future as a parent. Even the best, most well-intentioned service providers will come and go. But you’re here to stay. You are the link to demand continuity of service when service providers transition.

It is your right to demand access to program information so that you can keep data on your child’s progress so that when you change service providers, your child doesn’t have to start all over again, relearning skills he/she has already mastered because the transition was handled poorly. Time is the greatest enemy. We can’t afford to have our kids go backwards relearning skills or equally as bad, to working on skills that are totally inappropriate. Not developmentally appropriate. Unfortunately, this happens too often.

As a parent, YOU HOLD THE KEY TO YOUR CHILD’S FUTURE! Don’t ever let anyone make you feel otherwise.

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Being an RBT for me was extremely fun because where were you going to find a place where you can be completely silly without having to worry what people thought about you? This was the only job that made me feel like I could make a dramatic difference while being myself.

I also liked to be surrounded by people that had the same goals of wanting to help kids and the teamwork made the job much easier and more enjoyable.

Change and progress was the ultimate goal for our kiddos. The early intervention program was seriously only a miracle because I saw changes in the kiddos that from day one, you wouldn’t even recognize who they were.

Changes from being able to utter 3-4 words where they can only make a syllable from when they started, the behavior decreases in which kiddo that used to engage in 30-40 0 self-harm to only half, learning how to wait during games, table work where they use to swipe and drop to the floor if they had to.

My favorite was when the parents would tell us what amazing progress they were making at home. I used to tear up and felt for these parents so much because it was already difficult for them and now, they can trust and rely on ABA and the therapists knowing their goal was ours.

By Emma Rogers, BA, RBT

Mother Child
Special Learning’s Free Hotline

This is an independent SL Hotline that is part of our VCAT service. This hotline has no connection with any other association or membership group.

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