ADOS. is flawed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And the smarmy award goes to...

Don't like the truth? Sorry. Kids in self-contained classes in my district aren't taught much academically. They are viewed as simply not capable. Sometimes their parents also buy into that view because that's what they are told all the time, other parents I talk to are very frustrated by the lack of academics and are even filing state complaints about it, but the state has told them, too bad. We aren't required to teach kids in special ed anything.

Stop blaming the parents and the kids. Why not focus the energy you put into being self righteous and lobby lawmakers to change the system?

The system is exhausting and expensive to fight. I'm not remotely "blaming" the parents or kids. I'm blaming the state and the special ed departments, and often the teachers.

We find the principal sets the tone and how things are done at each particular school. Our teachers are pretty checked out and have a very closed classroom, and I'm assuming its mainly due to the principal. We get very little information about how our child is doing and have very little input into the IEP, services or needs. It isn't worth fighting the system. You either work within it or leave. By the time you pay an attorney and fight, if you can afford all that you might as well pay for private or homeschool. One problem we have at our school is they put any child with an IEP in one classroom regardless of the need and the higher functioning kids are slowed down to catch up the other kids and there is very little individualized instruction. Teachers are not well trained in all special needs and are doing the best they can but when they don't understand a particular disorder, they often dismiss the child as not knowing rather than trying to find other ways to gain the information they need. It would take many parents banding together to fight a huge system or a parent with a lot of money willing to take on the challenge. I'd rather put that time and money into my child to make sure they succeed. We end up doing a lot of teaching at home.

This is what we have found. Instead of spending more money on advocates, we are spending it on tutors. We are aggressive at IEP meetings, and the school has at least built a schedule for a high schooler that means he's learning some things -- but the key has been keeping him out of those damned self-contained classes with no curriculum, syllabus, books, agenda, tests or feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No you don't understand EMRs. You think you do. Also, when do you think you'll get over the diagnosis that gave you access to services. It's been YEARS that you've brought up this up here. Stay on the MERLD list serves if you're so intent on spreading misinformation.

What do you think happens to them? They just get turned off or locked down? My child will be on this insurance till he ages out.

Hence, it does not follow him the rest of his life. 23 or 26 OR get a different health plan when he's 18.

You live in a very different world than we do. 23 to 26 brings him to his adult life, which employers and others can and may access the insurance. If he continues with the same insurance due to his employment choices, he'd continue and his medical files would remain open.

What do you think happens to these medical files? They just disappear? He will not get a different health care plan at 18 as he will continue to be covered as long as he is in school to age 22 and if he continues in school till age 26 (assuming there is still the mandate and it doesn't go back to age 22).

Let me guess, you are a SAH parent. Get a job and put your kid under your insurance and stop whining. It's been YEARS that you've been posting this on DCUM. Get over it and get a job.

I don't need to work and why would I get a job to get lousy insurance when we have insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No you don't understand EMRs. You think you do. Also, when do you think you'll get over the diagnosis that gave you access to services. It's been YEARS that you've brought up this up here. Stay on the MERLD list serves if you're so intent on spreading misinformation.

What do you think happens to them? They just get turned off or locked down? My child will be on this insurance till he ages out.

Hence, it does not follow him the rest of his life. 23 or 26 OR get a different health plan when he's 18.

You live in a very different world than we do. 23 to 26 brings him to his adult life, which employers and others can and may access the insurance. If he continues with the same insurance due to his employment choices, he'd continue and his medical files would remain open.

What do you think happens to these medical files? They just disappear? He will not get a different health care plan at 18 as he will continue to be covered as long as he is in school to age 22 and if he continues in school till age 26 (assuming there is still the mandate and it doesn't go back to age 22).

Let me guess, you are a SAH parent. Get a job and put your kid under your insurance and stop whining. It's been YEARS that you've been posting this on DCUM. Get over it and get a job.

I don't need to work and why would I get a job to get lousy insurance when we have insurance.

Then stop complaining about the future consequences of keeping your current insurance, especially when those consequences are unlikely to ever occur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No you don't understand EMRs. You think you do. Also, when do you think you'll get over the diagnosis that gave you access to services. It's been YEARS that you've brought up this up here. Stay on the MERLD list serves if you're so intent on spreading misinformation.

What do you think happens to them? They just get turned off or locked down? My child will be on this insurance till he ages out.

Hence, it does not follow him the rest of his life. 23 or 26 OR get a different health plan when he's 18.

You live in a very different world than we do. 23 to 26 brings him to his adult life, which employers and others can and may access the insurance. If he continues with the same insurance due to his employment choices, he'd continue and his medical files would remain open.

What do you think happens to these medical files? They just disappear? He will not get a different health care plan at 18 as he will continue to be covered as long as he is in school to age 22 and if he continues in school till age 26 (assuming there is still the mandate and it doesn't go back to age 22).

Let me guess, you are a SAH parent. Get a job and put your kid under your insurance and stop whining. It's been YEARS that you've been posting this on DCUM. Get over it and get a job.

I don't need to work and why would I get a job to get lousy insurance when we have insurance.

Then stop complaining about the future consequences of keeping your current insurance, especially when those consequences are unlikely to ever occur.

+1

It explains a lot though. You need a hobby other than posting obsessively on the SN forum. Use that health insurance and get help for yourself. Maybe find a therapist or social worker to help you. Ruminating about the past or future isn't healthy:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201306/the-seven-hidden-dangers-brooding-and-ruminating

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No you don't understand EMRs. You think you do. Also, when do you think you'll get over the diagnosis that gave you access to services. It's been YEARS that you've brought up this up here. Stay on the MERLD list serves if you're so intent on spreading misinformation.

What do you think happens to them? They just get turned off or locked down? My child will be on this insurance till he ages out.

Hence, it does not follow him the rest of his life. 23 or 26 OR get a different health plan when he's 18.

You live in a very different world than we do. 23 to 26 brings him to his adult life, which employers and others can and may access the insurance. If he continues with the same insurance due to his employment choices, he'd continue and his medical files would remain open.

What do you think happens to these medical files? They just disappear? He will not get a different health care plan at 18 as he will continue to be covered as long as he is in school to age 22 and if he continues in school till age 26 (assuming there is still the mandate and it doesn't go back to age 22).

Let me guess, you are a SAH parent. Get a job and put your kid under your insurance and stop whining. It's been YEARS that you've been posting this on DCUM. Get over it and get a job.

I don't need to work and why would I get a job to get lousy insurance when we have insurance.

Then stop complaining about the future consequences of keeping your current insurance, especially when those consequences are unlikely to ever occur.

+1

It explains a lot though. You need a hobby other than posting obsessively on the SN forum. Use that health insurance and get help for yourself. Maybe find a therapist or social worker to help you. Ruminating about the past or future isn't healthy:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201306/the-seven-hidden-dangers-brooding-and-ruminating

Why is an incorrect dx her fault?

[Anonymous]

Bouncing this back up; sick of all the posters saying "Get the ADOS" for a language-impaired child. DO YOUR HOMEWORK on the ADOS. Read the research on it - it has sensitivity but not specificity. It routinely overidentifies kids as autistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't even understand this debate. Autism isn't a disease or disorder with a specific known cause, like tuberculosis or Down's. It's a word doctors have decided to use to describe people who present with a particular set of characteristics and limitations. If objective observers perceive those characteristics and limitations then you "have" autism, by definition, no matter how or why you got there. And because there are different underlying mechanisms causing different people to fit that profile, there will be some people who meet the autism criteria today and do not a year from now, and others who will meet them forever. The ADOS can't be "flawed" because there isn't some other, more objective or accurate perspective to critique it from. If the medical powers that be want to declare that test the definitive measure of whether you have "autism" or not, then the word just has no meaning apart from the results of that test.

Autism is thought to be a lifelong condition. Early intervention is also thought to result in better functioning later in life. So there is a push to diagnose autism early, and immediately begin treatment. The debate exists because some parents were told their kids had autism and were pushed into expensive, time-consuming treatments, but it later turned out they had a language delay or a language disorder. This raises the questions as to whether the ADOS is really the best we can do.

If there's a "push" for early intervention for kids with speech or communication delays not for diagnosing autism. Early intervention methods are often the same because many kids don't have a diagnosis.

Mom of a language child - of course there is a push for early intervention. Speech therapy will not cure a child with a langage disorder. Nor should one go in expecting it. Nor will it make a child higher functioning like ABA is supposed to do for a child with autism. BUT, it will give your child the tools they need so when they are ready, they will be successful, especially with receptive language. The language comes in its own time but the stuff they work on is important so your child has it in their memory bank to draw from when they are ready to talk. I don't think speech therapy was helpful before age 3-3.5 but it was helpful in getting my child ready and understanding the routine and expectations.

You basically only have ABA, Speech, OT, PT (and depending on if you want to include art, horse and other therapies most of us don't have financial access to). So, in that sense they are the same, but how they are used is different. ABA was a huge waste of time for my child. He loved the provider but she didn't really understand language development and we didn't have any other issues outside speech so it wasn't helpful. But, I know other kids who do have autism and it was extremely helpful.

I am baffled by the bolded.

What do you think the term "higher functioning" means other than having more of the skills you need so you are more successful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't even understand this debate. Autism isn't a disease or disorder with a specific known cause, like tuberculosis or Down's. It's a word doctors have decided to use to describe people who present with a particular set of characteristics and limitations. If objective observers perceive those characteristics and limitations then you "have" autism, by definition, no matter how or why you got there. And because there are different underlying mechanisms causing different people to fit that profile, there will be some people who meet the autism criteria today and do not a year from now, and others who will meet them forever. The ADOS can't be "flawed" because there isn't some other, more objective or accurate perspective to critique it from. If the medical powers that be want to declare that test the definitive measure of whether you have "autism" or not, then the word just has no meaning apart from the results of that test.

Autism is thought to be a lifelong condition. Early intervention is also thought to result in better functioning later in life. So there is a push to diagnose autism early, and immediately begin treatment. The debate exists because some parents were told their kids had autism and were pushed into expensive, time-consuming treatments, but it later turned out they had a language delay or a language disorder. This raises the questions as to whether the ADOS is really the best we can do.

If there's a "push" for early intervention for kids with speech or communication delays not for diagnosing autism. Early intervention methods are often the same because many kids don't have a diagnosis.

Mom of a language child - of course there is a push for early intervention. Speech therapy will not cure a child with a langage disorder. Nor should one go in expecting it. Nor will it make a child higher functioning like ABA is supposed to do for a child with autism. BUT, it will give your child the tools they need so when they are ready, they will be successful, especially with receptive language. The language comes in its own time but the stuff they work on is important so your child has it in their memory bank to draw from when they are ready to talk. I don't think speech therapy was helpful before age 3-3.5 but it was helpful in getting my child ready and understanding the routine and expectations.

You basically only have ABA, Speech, OT, PT (and depending on if you want to include art, horse and other therapies most of us don't have financial access to). So, in that sense they are the same, but how they are used is different. ABA was a huge waste of time for my child. He loved the provider but she didn't really understand language development and we didn't have any other issues outside speech so it wasn't helpful. But, I know other kids who do have autism and it was extremely helpful.

I am baffled by the bolded.

What do you think the term "higher functioning" means other than having more of the skills you need so you are more successful?

I'm not the PP, but as the mom of a child with severe receptive language issues, I know exactly what she means.

ABA for autism teaches compliance and skills. So kids learn to follow simple directions. Fill out the worksheets. Sit quietly at your desk. Tie your shoes. Button your shirt. Respond rotely when people say, "Hi, how are you?" Yes a child becomes "higher functioning" but it's often pretty limited.

Speech therapy for a child with a receptive language issue like for my child initially just got him to associate spoken words with items, like book, or ball, or car. Those single words he could hold onto and his vocabulary from ages 2 to 3 exploded with probably 100 words, almost all common nouns. If he could see a picture of something tangible, he could hold on to the idea and know what it was. We thought we were all set. But then his progress stalled dramatically.

It took us a long time to realize that he couldn't understand words put together. He couldn't blend sounds. He couldn't process what you were saying at all beyond single words -- but sometimes he could fake it, if he could pick out a few nouns and used contextual cues. This isn't anything that could be remediated with ABA, because it wasn't compliance oriented, or skill oriented; it was the fact that his brain couldn't process language.

And there's no fixing that, unfortunately. You can lay in a foundation with speech therapy so they have the most basic speech building blocks their brain can process, but you can't build beyond there for true speech until their brain is ready to move on.

So people need to understand the difference between the two therapies. My child didn't really need ABA because he readily imitated and eager to please, if only he knew what you wanted, so paying astronomical ABA prices was a waste for us.

Private speech therapy after about 5 years old also didn't do much. Instead, using Hanen methods at home and getting him into a language rich school environment were the most beneficial. The most important thing, though was just time. Time was the biggest "speech therapist" for us.

[Anonymous]

ABA was never recommended for DS with ASD/ADHD, nor a self contained classroom, etc. DS's has Asperger's which was also known as a nonverbal learning disorder. ASD is a spectrum which means people with the diagnosis can range from completely nonverbal to others who are very verbal.

My DS, 10, with ASD is at an immersion language charter and has gotten speech therapy since preschool. In his case, the speech therapy is for social communication and understanding social interactions.

Not sure why you make it sound like ABA is mandatory for ALL kids with autism. The individual deficits, not the diagnosis especially an autism disagnosis, dictate what therapies are appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't even understand this debate. Autism isn't a disease or disorder with a specific known cause, like tuberculosis or Down's. It's a word doctors have decided to use to describe people who present with a particular set of characteristics and limitations. If objective observers perceive those characteristics and limitations then you "have" autism, by definition, no matter how or why you got there. And because there are different underlying mechanisms causing different people to fit that profile, there will be some people who meet the autism criteria today and do not a year from now, and others who will meet them forever. The ADOS can't be "flawed" because there isn't some other, more objective or accurate perspective to critique it from. If the medical powers that be want to declare that test the definitive measure of whether you have "autism" or not, then the word just has no meaning apart from the results of that test.

Autism is thought to be a lifelong condition. Early intervention is also thought to result in better functioning later in life. So there is a push to diagnose autism early, and immediately begin treatment. The debate exists because some parents were told their kids had autism and were pushed into expensive, time-consuming treatments, but it later turned out they had a language delay or a language disorder. This raises the questions as to whether the ADOS is really the best we can do.

If there's a "push" for early intervention for kids with speech or communication delays not for diagnosing autism. Early intervention methods are often the same because many kids don't have a diagnosis.

Mom of a language child - of course there is a push for early intervention. Speech therapy will not cure a child with a langage disorder. Nor should one go in expecting it. Nor will it make a child higher functioning like ABA is supposed to do for a child with autism. BUT, it will give your child the tools they need so when they are ready, they will be successful, especially with receptive language. The language comes in its own time but the stuff they work on is important so your child has it in their memory bank to draw from when they are ready to talk. I don't think speech therapy was helpful before age 3-3.5 but it was helpful in getting my child ready and understanding the routine and expectations.

You basically only have ABA, Speech, OT, PT (and depending on if you want to include art, horse and other therapies most of us don't have financial access to). So, in that sense they are the same, but how they are used is different. ABA was a huge waste of time for my child. He loved the provider but she didn't really understand language development and we didn't have any other issues outside speech so it wasn't helpful. But, I know other kids who do have autism and it was extremely helpful.

I am baffled by the bolded.

What do you think the term "higher functioning" means other than having more of the skills you need so you are more successful?

I'm not the PP, but as the mom of a child with severe receptive language issues, I know exactly what she means.

ABA for autism teaches compliance and skills. So kids learn to follow simple directions. Fill out the worksheets. Sit quietly at your desk. Tie your shoes. Button your shirt. Respond rotely when people say, "Hi, how are you?" Yes a child becomes "higher functioning" but it's often pretty limited.

Speech therapy for a child with a receptive language issue like for my child initially just got him to associate spoken words with items, like book, or ball, or car. Those single words he could hold onto and his vocabulary from ages 2 to 3 exploded with probably 100 words, almost all common nouns. If he could see a picture of something tangible, he could hold on to the idea and know what it was. We thought we were all set. But then his progress stalled dramatically.

It took us a long time to realize that he couldn't understand words put together. He couldn't blend sounds. He couldn't process what you were saying at all beyond single words -- but sometimes he could fake it, if he could pick out a few nouns and used contextual cues. This isn't anything that could be remediated with ABA, because it wasn't compliance oriented, or skill oriented; it was the fact that his brain couldn't process language.

And there's no fixing that, unfortunately. You can lay in a foundation with speech therapy so they have the most basic speech building blocks their brain can process, but you can't build beyond there for true speech until their brain is ready to move on.

So people need to understand the difference between the two therapies. My child didn't really need ABA because he readily imitated and eager to please, if only he knew what you wanted, so paying astronomical ABA prices was a waste for us.

Private speech therapy after about 5 years old also didn't do much. Instead, using Hanen methods at home and getting him into a language rich school environment were the most beneficial. The most important thing, though was just time. Time was the biggest "speech therapist" for us.

Yes, the best thing for development is development. But the skills that you dismiss as being "rote" are actually important and can be built upon. Barring expense, I still don't think you have made a case for why children with severe receptive issues would not benefit from ABA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ABA was never recommended for DS with ASD/ADHD, nor a self contained classroom, etc. DS's has Asperger's which was also known as a nonverbal learning disorder. ASD is a spectrum which means people with the diagnosis can range from completely nonverbal to others who are very verbal.

My DS, 10, with ASD is at an immersion language charter and has gotten speech therapy since preschool. In his case, the speech therapy is for social communication and understanding social interactions.

Not sure why you make it sound like ABA is mandatory for ALL kids with autism. The individual deficits, not the diagnosis especially an autism disagnosis, dictate what therapies are appropriate.

That's because your child is verbal, so you have no clue what I'm talking about. It's the nonverbal kids who are most often pushed toward ABA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Bouncing this back up; sick of all the posters saying "Get the ADOS" for a language-impaired child. DO YOUR HOMEWORK on the ADOS. Read the research on it - it has sensitivity but not specificity. It routinely overidentifies kids as autistic.

Can you point us to some of this research?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ABA was never recommended for DS with ASD/ADHD, nor a self contained classroom, etc. DS's has Asperger's which was also known as a nonverbal learning disorder. ASD is a spectrum which means people with the diagnosis can range from completely nonverbal to others who are very verbal.

My DS, 10, with ASD is at an immersion language charter and has gotten speech therapy since preschool. In his case, the speech therapy is for social communication and understanding social interactions.

Not sure why you make it sound like ABA is mandatory for ALL kids with autism. The individual deficits, not the diagnosis especially an autism disagnosis, dictate what therapies are appropriate.

That's because your child is verbal, so you have no clue what I'm talking about. It's the nonverbal kids who are most often pushed toward ABA.

For a non-verbal child, they try to force speech. For autism, its productive and can work. For a child with a language disorder, you can give them the tools to talk when they are ready, but it is not something that can be force. They kept pushing my child to say a specific word - he could not (he would have if he could) and they would withhold the object until he said it which he never did. With an SLP, the therapist worked more on concepts and did it through play and other interaction that would better elicit sounds, then they moved to words, etc. ABA therapists are trained in behavior, not language development. They may have a class or two and very general knowledge but it is not comparable to an SLP so its doing your child a disservice to replace ABA for Speech, which we were pushed to do. The ABA therapist met with our SLP and our SLP told us to drop the ABA as it was going against what she was doing and it made no sense given how much speech we were doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ABA was never recommended for DS with ASD/ADHD, nor a self contained classroom, etc. DS's has Asperger's which was also known as a nonverbal learning disorder. ASD is a spectrum which means people with the diagnosis can range from completely nonverbal to others who are very verbal.

My DS, 10, with ASD is at an immersion language charter and has gotten speech therapy since preschool. In his case, the speech therapy is for social communication and understanding social interactions.

Not sure why you make it sound like ABA is mandatory for ALL kids with autism. The individual deficits, not the diagnosis especially an autism disagnosis, dictate what therapies are appropriate.

That's because your child is verbal, so you have no clue what I'm talking about. It's the nonverbal kids who are most often pushed toward ABA.

ABA is actually quite controversial. There is a lot of bad ABA out there and even nonverbal ASD parents complain about it. Plus it's a huge time and money commitment. So the issue isn't ASD vs. language disorder for ABA, but whether it is right for your individual child and whether you have found the right provider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't even understand this debate. Autism isn't a disease or disorder with a specific known cause, like tuberculosis or Down's. It's a word doctors have decided to use to describe people who present with a particular set of characteristics and limitations. If objective observers perceive those characteristics and limitations then you "have" autism, by definition, no matter how or why you got there. And because there are different underlying mechanisms causing different people to fit that profile, there will be some people who meet the autism criteria today and do not a year from now, and others who will meet them forever. The ADOS can't be "flawed" because there isn't some other, more objective or accurate perspective to critique it from. If the medical powers that be want to declare that test the definitive measure of whether you have "autism" or not, then the word just has no meaning apart from the results of that test.

Autism is thought to be a lifelong condition. Early intervention is also thought to result in better functioning later in life. So there is a push to diagnose autism early, and immediately begin treatment. The debate exists because some parents were told their kids had autism and were pushed into expensive, time-consuming treatments, but it later turned out they had a language delay or a language disorder. This raises the questions as to whether the ADOS is really the best we can do.

If there's a "push" for early intervention for kids with speech or communication delays not for diagnosing autism. Early intervention methods are often the same because many kids don't have a diagnosis.

Mom of a language child - of course there is a push for early intervention. Speech therapy will not cure a child with a langage disorder. Nor should one go in expecting it. Nor will it make a child higher functioning like ABA is supposed to do for a child with autism. BUT, it will give your child the tools they need so when they are ready, they will be successful, especially with receptive language. The language comes in its own time but the stuff they work on is important so your child has it in their memory bank to draw from when they are ready to talk. I don't think speech therapy was helpful before age 3-3.5 but it was helpful in getting my child ready and understanding the routine and expectations.

You basically only have ABA, Speech, OT, PT (and depending on if you want to include art, horse and other therapies most of us don't have financial access to). So, in that sense they are the same, but how they are used is different. ABA was a huge waste of time for my child. He loved the provider but she didn't really understand language development and we didn't have any other issues outside speech so it wasn't helpful. But, I know other kids who do have autism and it was extremely helpful.

I am baffled by the bolded.

What do you think the term "higher functioning" means other than having more of the skills you need so you are more successful?

I'm not the PP, but as the mom of a child with severe receptive language issues, I know exactly what she means.

ABA for autism teaches compliance and skills. So kids learn to follow simple directions. Fill out the worksheets. Sit quietly at your desk. Tie your shoes. Button your shirt. Respond rotely when people say, "Hi, how are you?" Yes a child becomes "higher functioning" but it's often pretty limited.

Speech therapy for a child with a receptive language issue like for my child initially just got him to associate spoken words with items, like book, or ball, or car. Those single words he could hold onto and his vocabulary from ages 2 to 3 exploded with probably 100 words, almost all common nouns. If he could see a picture of something tangible, he could hold on to the idea and know what it was. We thought we were all set. But then his progress stalled dramatically.

It took us a long time to realize that he couldn't understand words put together. He couldn't blend sounds. He couldn't process what you were saying at all beyond single words -- but sometimes he could fake it, if he could pick out a few nouns and used contextual cues. This isn't anything that could be remediated with ABA, because it wasn't compliance oriented, or skill oriented; it was the fact that his brain couldn't process language.

And there's no fixing that, unfortunately. You can lay in a foundation with speech therapy so they have the most basic speech building blocks their brain can process, but you can't build beyond there for true speech until their brain is ready to move on.

So people need to understand the difference between the two therapies. My child didn't really need ABA because he readily imitated and eager to please, if only he knew what you wanted, so paying astronomical ABA prices was a waste for us.

Private speech therapy after about 5 years old also didn't do much. Instead, using Hanen methods at home and getting him into a language rich school environment were the most beneficial. The most important thing, though was just time. Time was the biggest "speech therapist" for us.

Yes, the best thing for development is development. But the skills that you dismiss as being "rote" are actually important and can be built upon. Barring expense, I still don't think you have made a case for why children with severe receptive issues would not benefit from ABA.

Well, besides the 50 grand, it's a huge time sink. 3 to 5 hours a day, and a parent has to be home. So kiss your job goodbye! And for what? It wouldn't bring in my child's receptive language any sooner.

And my child rebelled against anything that wasn't child-led. No way would he have tolerated ABA. As it was I wasted a lot of time on a speech therapist who wasn't child led. Once I told her she need to switch to the Hanen method, she couldn't believe how much better the therapy sessions went. A lot of "professionals" out there really don't know what they are doing.