IEP is next week and I'm freaking out

malcivar

IEP meeting scheduled for next Friday.  His pre-school is recommending a 6:1:1 program and I don't disagree.  I think it's on point for him.  However, what has me freaking out is ABA or not ABA?  DH is pro ABA because he's 'results driven' and he sees the charts and logs and can clearly track progress.  I'm wary because the world doesn't exist in ABA.  Or maybe I just don't completely understand ABA and how he can take what he learns there and generalize it.  There are two schools we like - one is ABA and one is not.  I like the one that's not - liked it from the get-go but I think DH is leaning towards the other one.

Unfortunately we don't get to 'choose' the school but we do get to state a preference.  So I'm kinda freaking out about what to do.  

The school I like does TEACH but the other one is ABA all the way.  

For those of you with school age children, what are your thoughts on these methods?

Thanks!

malcivar

I don't even know if this makes sense but they say they're officially an ABA school but that they put their own spin on it and do one-on-one stuff but also incorporate some things into smaller groups.

To be honest, up to now, my experience with ABA was from the EI world, he had one-on-one therapy at a center and then at home and to me it seemed very regimented and just based on memorization and what worried me was what if he encounters a scenario that doesn't fit a 'script' he's learned.  

So what appeals to me, like you said, is that it looks and feels less therapeutic.  Maybe I just don't understand ABA enough.  However, I will say that I don't feel Christopher has made as much progress while in this school than he did when he was in EI.  

So confusing.  

hopecounts

Well done ABA tries to avoid scripting by mixing up the scenarios and changing the words/altering the scenarios and focusing on the skill not the phrasing/behavior.

So they focus on things like makes eye contact for 90% of communications, responds to name 95% of the time, uses 2 word requests 95% of the time, etc.

It also relies on the parents to assist in bringing the skill into the real world.

DD is in ABA and it has been amazing for her but her team is really good.

They switch out providers so that naturally the scripts/scenarios alter and that it doesn't become person dependent.

I get weekly written updates on what she is mastering, what she is working on, and what she is struggling with and 'homework' of things we can work on at home. 

This week it is not accepting less than 2 word requests because she has mastered that skill in ABA so she knows to do that so she must say more milk for example if she wants milk. 

If it is well done by skilled professionals and overseen properly ABA can be amazing.

annibes

I don't have experience doing ABA, but I do work as a speech therapist in a TEACCH room for toddlers and another for preschoolers. The TEACCH part is mostly used to do transitions- picture or written schedules. We incorporate a lot of Floortime/PLAY ideas into the day to invite lots of interactions in a more natural way. But sometimes kids don't want/don't know how to do things they have to do, and the TEACCH model is helpful in reducing the meltdowns over those things. 

I can see the value in ABA for some kids- it really depends on the student. I'm sure ABA means different things in different classrooms, but if you're going with a purist's definition, discrete trials can be hard to generalize. I tend to recommend more naturalistic interventions for children at first, and then move on to more specific behavior-driven interventions if it becomes clear that the social-developmental stuff is just not making a dent. You could ask current teachers and therapists what they think based on your child's skills.

malcivar

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.  It's definitely helped and yes auntie, I know that when Friday comes I'm going to have to hold on to my heart and make decisions based on what's best for Christopher, irrespective of whether it gives me the warm and fuzzies.  

This parenting thing is hard!  :-)