“The BEST Results for ALL our Children”
Funding for ABA is frequently discussed. What about developmental therapies?
Today Jon Gerrard shared his address to the House Of Commons regarding wait times and ABA therapy and employment opportunities for adults with Aspergers.
I invite you all to go to his page and applaud his efforts.
Over the course of time that I have started and administrated my autism support Facebook group, I have heard about ABA and Developmental therapies (such as RDI, DIR and Floortime.)
My daughter was too old to receive therapy when she was diagnosed. I do not know what I would have chosen had I the chance to choose ( although I believe at that time the only choice was ABA, but you know what I mean).
After watching the threads in my Facebook group and many national groups, and stumbling upon blogs of adult autistics who believe that ABA caused them much stress, I see there might sometimes be a connection between ABA and the increase of anxiety, depression, self worth issues, aggression and violence.
Although I’m not saying it causes this in every child, there are more and more adults coming out and saying it was not a respectful therapy and it should not be used.
I do think ABA may help many children and many parents have attested to this fact.
Although some of our children may share some common interests, symptoms of autism, I think we all agree that no two of our children are the same.
I think that different children respond differently to different teachers because of their difference of attitudes and teaching styles. I think we can all agree.
So it has become my belief that different children will respond to different therapies and that all parents should have CHOICE of which therapy that they think that their child would best respond to. It is my belief that one therapy can not bring about the BEST results for ALL our children.
I am hoping that Manitoba will follow suit with other provinces that have decided to let parents CHOOSE different therapies that are best for their child. I’d like to see parents be allowed CHOICE, but that choice be a REAL choice: equal in funding, wait times, access, and therapists.
Regardless of your choice of therapy (and I think we all should be able to respect the individual choices of each family), I do invite you all to go and show some appreciation to Jon Gerrard for addressing therapy funding, wait times, and adult employment opportunities for adults on the Aspergers end of the spectrum.
https://www.facebook.com/jon.gerrard/posts/10154437952435049