Introduction:
ABA is one of the most recommended therapies in the United States for those with autism. But there is a lot of controversy in the autism community surrounding it. Some see it as extremely harmful compliance training. Others have had a fantastic experience.
If you are unfamiliar with it, I broke down ABA in an extensive 3-part series, which you can find here.
On top of that, I did a 12-week series of what ABA looked like for us. I’m not trying to promote it or discourage its practice. My aim is simply to inform you so you can make an informed decision on whether ABA is right for you or your kids.
You can find an index of all the video’s here.
And now, the post!
So in the video, I said we were in “Week 8,” but I was obviously coffee-deprived and we are actually in “Week 7.” I’m afraid my week numbering will be off for the rest of the series and I will just have to edit it out.
Honestly, I am writing this a few months after this video was taken and I don’t even remember what week we are in.
Moving forward, I might switch to longer ‘monthly updates’ instead of weekly. That is definitely more appealing for ME.
Anyways, this week, the novelty of the therapist coming over has worn off a bit.
Jonah is still making a TON of progress. He will do flashcards he has never seen before, repeating words and phrases the first time he hears them, or attempting to imitate the therapist virtually 100% of the time.
Jonah’s endurance is definitely being tested and our therapist has been having to get more and more creative in finding ways to engage Jonah.
This week he used a couple different toys. One was a “butterfly blower” toy that used a fan to blow out colorful toy “butterflies.”
Jonah will last maybe an hour before he doesn’t want to engage anymore. When Jonah is ‘done’ with his therapist, he loses interest in playing with him and instead looks to ‘throw’ things as an avoidance technique. The therapist doesn’t try to stop him.
Instead, our therapist has brought over ‘soft toys’ that are more suitable for throwing (rather than heavy or breakable ones he finds around here).
We are finding creative solutions to keep the sessions both engaging and interesting for Jonah while at the same time teaching and equipping him with tools to succeed.
So, I’m still onboard. I still see lots of progress, and we will continue to work hard to keep him engaged.
ABA Weeks 1-12
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