What qualifies as an ABA classroom?

[Guest guest]

Dear Listmates,

After 8 years of battles with our school district over ABA they are now

telling the parents of the preschool to Kindergarten age children that they will

have an ABA classroom starting this fall. They will no longer fund home

programs using Medicaid funding designated for this purpose, nor will they

continue

to use the consultant that we have all come to depend upon. The teachers they

are assigning to this class have never worked in an ABA program of any kind

(one of the teachers has a history of being very anti-ABA, does not want

shadows or other tutors in the class, and has already offended one of the

families

expected to place their child in this classroom.) The special ed director is

telling us that everyone is going to get " trained " this summer but has not been

specific regarding who will do that training or what kind of training she is

has planned. We are not even sure what the adult to child ratio will be or if

there are going to be children with other diagnosis in class in addition to

the kids with autism. Parents are being pressured and rushed to sign I.E.P.s

Any suggestions on how we can handle this crisis? We support the idea of an

ABA classroom but we want a quality, qualified staff...Help...Any strategies

will be gladly considered...Or kids deserve a REAL ABA program ...What

constitutes an ABA Classroom?

Thanks,

one mom deep in the trenches