ABA minimum 10 hours a week?

[Anonymous]

Does ABA need to be done for at least 10 hours a week to be successful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does ABA need to be done for at least 10 hours a week to be successful?

I can't quote the studies off the top of my head, but I read a summary of research on this and I think the studies have repeatedly found that autism symptoms diminished only with more than 10 hour a week (might have even been 20/week) of ABA.

[Anonymous]

It depends on your child's needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does ABA need to be done for at least 10 hours a week to be successful?

What is your goal?

[Anonymous]

op: My goal is to reduce the compulsive and impulsive behaviors. Primary diagnosis is epilepsy, secondary is autism. He qualified and received ABA from January to May, but when I learned that I owed $20/day, I said we could only do twice a week. The agency said 10 hour minimum and did not apply for re-authorization with my insurance. Until March I didn't realize Medicaid covers the co-pay for his other home therapies (throughout the past 4 years) but doesn't cover ABA co-pays.

[Anonymous]

op: Putting my son to bed is a nightmare, he removes his pull-up and pees, screams, etc. I understand it's scary to go to sleep when your brain catches fire as soon as you're asleep (all his seizures are in his sleep, currently) but I have no patience. He is 7. My husband usually puts him to bed, but my FIL just died so now my husband goes to synagogue to say kaddish during that time.

[Anonymous]

op: My son already has too long a school day, and when he misses naps, his seizures spill over to waking hours. So there is no time to fit in 7-day-a week ABA even if money were no object. He has speech/feeding therapy and OT at home, 4 and 2 times a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op: My goal is to reduce the compulsive and impulsive behaviors. Primary diagnosis is epilepsy, secondary is autism. He qualified and received ABA from January to May, but when I learned that I owed $20/day, I said we could only do twice a week. The agency said 10 hour minimum and did not apply for re-authorization with my insurance. Until March I didn't realize Medicaid covers the co-pay for his other home therapies (throughout the past 4 years) but doesn't cover ABA co-pays.

On, can you afford this copayment? From everything you describe, it sounds like a worthy investment.

[Anonymous]

Twice a week will be fine. I have to switch agencies to one that doesn't have a 10 hour minimum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:op: Putting my son to bed is a nightmare, he removes his pull-up and pees, screams, etc. I understand it's scary to go to sleep when your brain catches fire as soon as you're asleep (all his seizures are in his sleep, currently) but I have no patience. He is 7. My husband usually puts him to bed, but my FIL just died so now my husband goes to synagogue to say kaddish during that time.

Where do you live? The shul in White Oak has a later Ma'ariv minyan at 9:45 pm and the Yeshiva has one at 10pm. So he could still help with bedtime and then go to minyan to say Kaddish.

[Anonymous]

op: NY area, thank you. There is a 9 pm maariv in our neighborhood and he could go to minchah in Manhattan during his work day. He thinks that will just push bedtime even later but we need to try something different from what we've been doing.

[Anonymous]

We've had our son doing ABA for nearly 5 years now (he is autistic). One thing we've learned in that time is no amount of ABA is more important than your child getting enough down time to recover, which is something that you've discovered as well.

Does he receive ABA during the school day? Since my son receives ABA at school, we really don't do it at all outside of it.

[Anonymous]

They have just completed a Functional Behavioral Analysis and there were a lot of problem behaviors. (Last time they did one there were none). I called the district this morning and they are getting back to me about a behavioral plan.