Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Is it possible to have a child discharged from a state-funded ABA program for not progessing fast enough or for falling under the first percentile for their age on one of the tests psychologists do that I forget the name of (sorry). I'm just wondering what criteria would be used in the U.S. Here in Canada, our program is delivered by the provincial government. They don't want to provide services for children older than five years old so they are developing new criteria for discharge from their program, which includes progressing so well that they don't need the service anymore (which is every parent's dream) or (more typically) falling under the first percentile for XXX, as those children usually do not progress as quickly as others. They have reassessed the five year olds in the last few months and most of us are hearing the same thing (less than 1st percentile score). On one test, I was told that they did not include the gross motor part because most autistic children tend to do well on that and it artificially inflates their score. Unbelievable! I find it appalling and I'm just wondering if any of you have heard of any similar situations in the U.S. You can e-mail me privately at rboyd@... if you wish so this doesn't clog up the list. Thanks, Rhoda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Well, here's something more appalling. Maybe I'm wrong. However, I don't know of any state funded ABA programs for children in the US. There is a parent begun preschool in Utah for autistic kids. And it goes until four or pre-kindergarten. And it isn't entirely ABA. And it is not provided to all the children who need it. Our child was put on a waiting list. When he was accepted there were 79 or so other children on the list and only two being accepted for that year. There were only two slots open. Parents sell their homes in order to pay for ABA. Pretty shocking stats! > > Is it possible to have a child discharged from a state-funded ABA program for not progessing fast enough or for falling under the first percentile for their age on one of the tests psychologists do that I forget the name of (sorry). > > I'm just wondering what criteria would be used in the U.S. Here in Canada, our program is delivered by the provincial government. They don't want to provide services for children older than five years old so they are developing new criteria for discharge from their program, which includes progressing so well that they don't need the service anymore (which is every parent's dream) or (more typically) falling under the first percentile for XXX, as those children usually do not progress as quickly as others. They have reassessed the five year olds in the last few months and most of us are hearing the same thing (less than 1st percentile score). On one test, I was told that they did not include the gross motor part because most autistic children tend to do well on that and it artificially inflates their score. Unbelievable! > > I find it appalling and I'm just wondering if any of you have heard of any similar situations in the U.S. > > You can e-mail me privately at rboyd@... if you wish so this doesn't clog up the list. > > Thanks, > > Rhoda > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Rhoda In my state (California) we have regional center fund ABA in home (when a child is under age three) and then request school districts to fund after age three. Usually this will involve lots of homework, studying and more than likely an attorney to keep an in home ABA program in place. Those are the " state " agencies that handle that issue. I know of kids who are quite a bit older that may be in school for a bit but also have in home ABA after school...7, 8, 9 year olds. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 The same thing is happening here. Some provinces don't provide ABA, some do. Ours does until they turn six, but there are huge waiting lists. So, unless you have a very early diagnosis (like we did), your child can age out before they ever get off the waiting list. Most parents who can afford it (and many that can't) start their own private program with the hope that they will eventually get to the top of the list. I read about one family in Ontario where the father took a fire fighting job overseas in some war zone (Iraq?) because his job at home wouldn't allow the family to pay for ABA. Imagine having to face terrible danger and threats every day to pay for services for your child and having your partner back home carry the stress of both caring for an autistic child and worrying that you may be kidnapped or worse on an ongoing basis. Stories like that make me wonder if we really are a first-world country. Anyway, we were lucky to have been on the list for only one year. During that time we did private (and, yes, it is very expensive). We are looking at being discharged before our son will attend school full time in September 07 (there is no ABA in the school system here). So, we will have to go back to providing him with private services for the next year. After he is grade 1, we'll do an after school program. It is a significant financial burden, but what else can you do? I'm hoping to arm myself with information (stats, examples from other countries where ABA is provided, etc.) in order to fight the discharge. I may not win, but I have to try. Rhoda Re: Off-topic: ABA question Well, here's something more appalling. Maybe I'm wrong. However, I don't know of any state funded ABA programs for children in the US. There is a parent begun preschool in Utah for autistic kids. And it goes until four or pre-kindergarten. And it isn't entirely ABA. And it is not provided to all the children who need it. Our child was put on a waiting list. When he was accepted there were 79 or so other children on the list and only two being accepted for that year. There were only two slots open. Parents sell their homes in order to pay for ABA. Pretty shocking stats! > > Is it possible to have a child discharged from a state-funded ABA program for not progessing fast enough or for falling under the first percentile for their age on one of the tests psychologists do that I forget the name of (sorry). > > I'm just wondering what criteria would be used in the U.S. Here in Canada, our program is delivered by the provincial government. They don't want to provide services for children older than five years old so they are developing new criteria for discharge from their program, which includes progressing so well that they don't need the service anymore (which is every parent's dream) or (more typically) falling under the first percentile for XXX, as those children usually do not progress as quickly as others. They have reassessed the five year olds in the last few months and most of us are hearing the same thing (less than 1st percentile score). On one test, I was told that they did not include the gross motor part because most autistic children tend to do well on that and it artificially inflates their score. Unbelievable! > > I find it appalling and I'm just wondering if any of you have heard of any similar situations in the U.S. > > You can e-mail me privately at rboyd@... if you wish so this doesn't clog up the list. > > Thanks, > > Rhoda > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Our ABA is provided in centres for kids up to age six (if you are lucky enough to get off the wait list). Then the school system takes over, but there is currently no ABA provided in Canadian schools. That's where parents become frustrated. We wait and wait for services, get them briefly -- if lucky, and then lose them because the schools are supposed to take over but they don't have a clue. The Ministry of Education won't fund ABA in the schools because it says ABA is medical therapy and the provinces won't fund it as medical treatment because they say it falls under education. No one wants to pay for it. The families are caught in the middle. I just want my son to continue to go to the centre half days until he goes into full-time school in Sept 07, but he's turning six this fall. They won't discharge him because he is turning six (although they just won an appeal in court against a group of parents that had originally sued for discrimination over the age rule), but they will discharge for failure to progress " enough " -- although what is " enough " is not clear. They are in the process of developing this new criteria for discharge, but it was clear in our recent reassessment that my son will be one of the discharged. So, the province comes out looking like the good guy " We may have won the case, but we won't be discharging because of age. " but if you look behind the scenes what they are really saying is " Instead, we are going to reassess all the older kids and find other ways to get rid of them. " It's very sad. I was begging the psychologist not to discharge him this fall, since he has just started to talk and needs this therapy more than ever, but I think my pleas fell on deaf ears. It is pretty humiliating being reduced to begging. In the meantime, I'm gathering information from where ever I can to fight this tooth and nail. That's what we parents do, right? Rhoda Re: Off-topic: ABA question Rhoda In my state (California) we have regional center fund ABA in home (when a child is under age three) and then request school districts to fund after age three. Usually this will involve lots of homework, studying and more than likely an attorney to keep an in home ABA program in place. Those are the " state " agencies that handle that issue. I know of kids who are quite a bit older that may be in school for a bit but also have in home ABA after school...7, 8, 9 year olds. K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Rhoda a great website is www.lafeat.org they also have a group. Their resources are superb. Parents are very knowledgeable. I am a newbie (son started ABA in home in mid April!) I can give some help but I think it worth it to peruse this site and perhaps joint the group for pointers. Kristie Congrats on your son beginning to speak!!! What a joy!!!! Did you ever find out about those " absence seizures " we discussed or did you start medicating for that??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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