Re:ABA therapy in school and home programs

January 21, 2008

I can so related to all that you wrote in your e-mail. I have

struggled with this topic for the past 12 years (literally since

Colton was brought home from the hospital). I believe that I was too

extreme with therapy and if I had it to do over again would have

accepted Colton's disability more rather than trying to change it. I

wanted so desperately for Colton to be as high functioning as

possible and did not allow myself to put limits on the amount of

money we spent or the stress it created in him or our family. Colton

is 12 and very low functioning in terms of what a test would show. I

am convinced that he knows a lot but is unable to get it out in test

form. I do not know how he would have functioned had we not done

ABA, chelation therapy, wf/gf diet, somonas sound therapy, hippo

therapy, cranial osteopathy, B2 injections, secretin therapy, program

from the Academy of Child Development and I could go on and on. I do

think programs and therapies are helpful but my experience with

Colton has taught me that so much is determined from genetics and

things that are out of our control. Maybe many would disagree with

me but that has been what we have experienced. Last year our church

showed the movie, " Facing The Giants. " It is a Christian based movie

that ended by the main characters prayers being answered. I was

sobbing at the end of the movie (not typical for me) and praying to

God that if he never answered another prayer for me for the rest of

my life that I just wanted Colton to talk. I truly believe he has so

much inside but cannot get it out. Well, we started AVB this summer

and he now can say about 15 words and has sounds for about 5 more

words. I am very thankful and believe that my prayers were

answered. Colton can now repeat some words and sounds and will do so

in order to get what he wants. AVB was the tool (therapy) I believe

God used to get us there. Colton still however prefers to not use

words and will do so only when directed by us to do so. This has

just further reinforced to me that Colton is who is is and that I

need to accept him and love him just the way he is. If words can

make his life better that I want to give him a way to use them but if

he is fine not using them than I guess that is o.k. too. It has

taken me a long time to get to this point. I believe life it is so

important to keep a healthy balance ( I did not) between therapies,

play time, down time, our children's needs, or needs, or spouce's

needs, etc. I hope this helps.

Lori

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