Hey, Everyone Well, I decided it’s time that we start a blog. Having a blog is going to be great for a lot of reasons. I’m going to be posting information on our events, thoughts about ABA, Verbal Behavior, Early Intervention, and Autism Insurance Legislation, and information about how to deal with common behavior problems. I want the blog to be interactive, so if you have a question – general or about something I write – or a comment on anything you see in the blog, please share! This blog should be informative as well as entertaining! The more you participate, the better it will become. I’ll probably be the one writing the blog most of the time, but maybe we’ll try having other staff answer some questions or post fun things occasionally. Recently, I wrote an article for a local directory. I thought it would be a nice start to getting some comments, so it’s posted below. Please let me know why YOU chose ABA for your child, and what you think about its results. The article is pasted in below. If there are things you want to see, learn about, or explore, post a comment to let me know. I’m looking forward to the blogging adventure!

Making the Right Choice: Why Intensive Early Intervention is a Must for Children with Autism
By: Chrystin Bullock, Executive Director, Florida Autism Center
Every day at Florida Autism Center, this scenario plays out: A family comes in with their beautiful baby and a million questions. Someone in their life, usually a doctor or a teacher, used the word ‘autism.’ Every day, I hear the same comment, ‘They told us what it is, but not what to DO about it.’ They ask, ‘What’s behavior analysis?’ ‘How do I pay for it?’ What’s Early Intervention?’ ‘Will he ever talk?’ and the big one – ‘What kind of life will my child have?’

We can’t predict the future, but I can tell them what research tells us about the past. Children reach their potential and have great outcomes when they undergo Intensive Early Intervention via Behavior Analysis. This is not an opinion nor is it based on testimonials. This is science. Let’s pause for a minute to talk about what happens when I say ‘science’ to newly diagnosed families. They panic. ‘Science’ is a scary word for many, conjuring images of strapping children down and poking at them, I suppose. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Someone once told me, ‘Science isn’t a party pooper, it’s the designated driver.’ This is truer than you might imagine, In a world where autism ‘treatments’ run rampant, science is the saving grace. When I tell you I am planning to teach your child a skill or decrease a behavior, I mean it. I can show you that this behavior has changed. Not only should it be outwardly apparent, but I can also show you on a graph. That graphing piece, that’s science. That’s what’s keeping me, you, and everyone else honest about a child’s progress. If a child is not learning a skill I want to teach, everyone knows it. We look at the percentages – 25% today, 25% two weeks ago. The graph doesn’t lie, nor does it hide problem areas. That’s why in an intensive behavior analysis program for young kids, that graph is a parent and professionals best friend. So, please don’t be scared when I say ‘science,’ simply think ‘checks and balances.’

Now, back to those great outcomes I was talking about. How do we get them?

First, start YOUNG. One of the most important things we can do to help ensure best outcomes is to start early. The day you suspect a delay should be the day treatment begins. Don’t wait to get started until you have a formal diagnosis, to see what happens in the public school program, until his 4th birthday, or any other delay. Autism is not a ‘wait and see’ issue. It’s not going to go away on it’s own. The younger a child is when they receive intensive treatment, the better chance they have to ‘recover’ – period.

Second, start INTENSE. ‘She’s a baby, don’t you think 20, 30, 40 hours per week is too much?’ That’s a question I get a lot. Sometimes, a baby needs a nap and that’s all there is to it, but high hour programming is an absolute must to get where we want to go. Think of it this way; a child who does not have autism is learning during every waking moment. You can literally watch them learn something new. The other day, as I worked away on my computer, my 20-month-old watched Sesame Street (yes, even a behavior analyst occasionally let’s her children veg out with the TV!). Big Bird said ‘The letter of the day is X.’ A string of X’s paraded across my screen. My daughter said ‘X!” and went on about her day. Before bed, we looked at a picture of a treasure map in her storybook. ‘X,’ she said, and darn it she was right.

Typical kids are fortunate that they learn things in passing. No one needs to sit down and formally teach them to speak. They are learning it every minute of every day through their interactions with the world.

Kids who are diagnosed with autism don’t have the luxury of learning that way. The kids I know who have autism, and I know quite a few, are VERY smart. They are funny, and bright, and quite frankly amazing. They just don’t learn the same way other kids learn. The important thing, though, is that they CAN learn. They just need the right teaching methods and teachers. And, the opportunity.

So that’s what high intensity programming is really all about, creating the opportunity for the child to learn.

“What are they going to teach him?’ you wonder. Well, lots of things: letters, and numbers and shapes and colors, and the rules to games, and to draw a picture, and to tie his shoes, and hundreds of other little skills. Behavior Analysis isn’t about what we teach, it’s about how we teach it. Nestled down in all those little skills though, is the true goal of what we are trying to teach a child: how to learn.  Kids at Florida Autism Center and in other quality behavior analysis center’s around the country are learning how to learn. That might sound funny, but when it all boils down, it’s what we’re really all about. Our goal is to get kids kindergarten ready and out the door. Every parent with a young child with autism who has ever visited us has heard me say ‘We don’t want to keep you here forever.’ Well, teaching your child how to learn is how we plan to get you out the door.

When our kids get to that kindergarten classroom, they need to be able to learn the way the other kids in that room are learning. They need to understand and attend to their teacher. They need to know how to speak to their classmates to make friends. That’s what Early Intensive Behavior Analysis is about: starting young enough and intensively enough to give our kids a chance to catch those other little sponges (who are soaking up information left and right).

For me, I can’t understand it when a parent chooses a different therapy option for their child. I’m well aware that each child is different and learns in his or her own way, but each EI program is different. No cookie cutters apply and everything is tailored specifically to the needs of that one child. It’s friendly and fun and based on rock-solid scientific data. The people who do the work are passionate and knowledgeable experts who really know HOW to teach children with autism. The staff members are talented in their craft, and are able to get amazing results. The kids who have been in intensive behavioral programs when they are young are now sitting in regular education classrooms, indistinguishable from their peers. The parents who have made the sacrifice to put their children in Intensive Early Intervention programs are relieved, they know what lies ahead for their children now: college, jobs, independent lives.

It makes me think that families must not know about Early Intervention, or must be misled in some way. A parent told me this week that she thought behavior analysts tied children in chairs. Another told me she’d read that her child would act like a robot if she chose a behavior analysis program. Both were surprised to see brightly painted rooms full of toys and laughing children.

In closing, consider your options carefully when you are determining the education and treatment of a newly diagnosed child with autism. You only have one chance to make the right choice. Just as Senator Steve Gellar told me a few months ago – ‘we can pay for this when a child is young – in dollars and sweat and hard work – or we can pay for this for the rest of that youngsters life – in dollars and tears and regret.’ I encourage you to do what is scientifically recommended and has documented effective results.
Chrystin Bullock is the Executive Director of Florida Autism Center. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Chrystin’s primary interests are Early Intervention, Verbal Behavior, Autism Insurance Regulation, and Advocacy for families with children on the autism spectrum. You can reach Chrystin via e-mail at CBullock@FloridaAutismCenter.net or by phone at 407.413.9550. You can learn more about Chrystin and Florida Autism Center at www.FloridaAutismCenter.net