ABA Therapy or not?

amother

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 6:35 pm

My almost 3 year old has some sensory and social skills issues. Going through the BOE he can def qualify for speech and OT. The school claimed that a SEIT would help him a lot and therefore with my consent they will write in the evaluation that he has ASD and get him approved. I figured it doesnt hurt getting him more help and agreed.
My son doesnt have ASD. Besides for that he is smart and advanced.
Now that they put ASD into the evaluation they asked me to go through the insurance and request a para. At first I thought, why not...
Now the more I think about it, the more I feel like being taken advantage of.
Is there any point in having a Para if the child doesnt have ASD? Is requesting ABA from my insurance going to cause me or my child problems later on?
Please help me!

P.S. I am not in denial of him not having ASD, I have family members who are therapists and even the therapist that evaluated him said it is just going to make it easier to get him approved by the BOE for the services he needs!

lk1234

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 6:39 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Confused- why would you need ABA therapy if kid does not have autism?

amother

Linen

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 6:48 pm

I speak as a professional who worked many years in the school system and referred children for eval s for ASD. This diagnosis will follow him through life. If he has ASD and needs the services, that's the price you pay. If not, services he doesn't need will prevent him from developing as a typical child when you learn, sometimes fail, pick yourself up again.
ABA can take away initiative and motivation. A para can end up doing things for him he can really do himself, become his teacher instead of him developing his own relationship with his teacher and peers.
It's a huge moneymaker.

Achava

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 6:51 pm

amother [ Linen ] wrote:

How does AbA take away initiative and motivation ?

amother

Mistyrose

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 6:51 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Isn't a para more like a shadow? How is a para going to help your son? From how you describe your son, it doesn't sound like that's something he needs. I'n fact I'd worry about him getting used to having that extra help that he doesn't need. I wouldn't want him to use it as a crutch - unless it's someone specially trained to teach him skills he doesn't have.

A seit is trained to help with social skills and understand sensory issues - somthing that he could benefit from so it sounds like that would be good for him.

I understand writing asd to get more hours, just don't understand why they are trying to get a para and not a seit...

amother

Seagreen

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 7:02 pm

It's not clear how much his social deficits are affecting him in school. They may be extensive enough that it's worth having a para to guide him throughout the day. If not, find out what benefit he will have from that. I'm a therapist and I'm not in favor of the more therapy the better. I believe in giving just the right amount and type of therapy to meet each child's needs.

amother

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 7:20 pm

He is an only child as well and therefore doesnt know how to play with peers, share...He loves children, he is just used to everything being his. They claim it sometimes overwhelms the teacher, she cant keep on running to him when he fights with others. A para will be there only for him. (Basically they want me to get a teachers assistant)
I feel that if he gets a SEIT 1-2 hrs a day and then the other help he needs, it will take time but he will get there.

#BestBubby

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 8:46 pm

If he has social issues than a para or seit can be very helpful.

But only if the para/seit knows what she is doing.

Not all do.

Make sure you interview the therapist and ask them how they would work on his social skills.

As a seit I would observe the class, ask the teachers, to find a child who would be a good
"shidduch" as a friend for my client.

Than I would take the classmate with my client out of the class to play together in a private setting
with me coaching my client on appropriate behavior.

Also, in the classroom I would try to organize some pretend play with my client and other children
(play house, play doctor).

Also, in the classroom, when the children parallel play (building with lego) I would model talking
about what I was building and asking others at the table what they are building.

Hatzlochah!

amother

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 9:00 pm

Stars wrote:

How can a school give a diagnosis?
You need to go to a psychologist for that.

He got a psychological evaluation and doesnt have ASD according to her. But he needs help in certain areas (not every child that needs help has ASD). The BOE is very stingy in giving help so sometimes they over dramatize the report at the request of the mother.
The school asked me to do it in order for him to qualify for SEIT. Now the school feels that since he has an evaluation with ASD in it, let him get a para as well.
This is where I am standing now. I want to know if to go for the para since there is nothing to loose anyways or no, the school is just taking advantage of me and a para wont help in any way.

amother

Seagreen

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 9:05 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

If I were you I would discuss this with someone who knows your child pretty well IRL and also is familiar with the therapy world. It's a very individual decision that's impossible to answer here.

amother

Burgundy

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 9:31 pm

OP I was in the exact same situation as you a few months ago and my kid sounds like yours! His teachers and EI therapists kept trying to convince me to get aba for him. My son does not have ASD. I took him for psychological evaluations and the drs all agreed no ASD. But the agencies that I had reached out to inquiring about aba were practically running after me, they literally all told me "we have a doctor that will give you the diagnosis you need, when do you want to make an appointment?"
Yuck. So many kids are easily diagnosed with asd just so they can get more free therapy. My pediatrician told me if I go ahead and get the diagnosis it will stay with him FOR LIFE and who knows what it can do to him in the future. Not worth it at all. Why would you give your kid a label and a diagnosis that he doesnt have.
Im all for kids getting the therapy they need, but stick to speech, OT, etc before getting someone to give your kid a false diagnosis.
Hatzlacha

amother

Scarlet

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 10:28 pm

amother [ Burgundy ] wrote:

This.
1000% this!!!

I literally just went through a very similar experience with my 2.5 years old.
Ei agencies pushing diagnoses to get ABA.
I spoke to a few people who actually told me that ABA can have a negative effect on a child who doesn't need it, I spoke to someone who's family member was negatively affected and is BH doing better because he isn't doing it anymore.
My EI therapists also didn't recommend it.

I got the evaluation done by a psychologist who also agreed that my child absolutely does not need ABA.

So, OP, be wary, go to a qualified psychologist (not one who will tell you they will give you the "right" diagnosis to get you services.

It may be your child can benefit from it, and then 100% you should do what's best for your child, but it shouldn't be the school deciding, or a psychologist who works for a agency who stands to benefit from a specific diagnosis.

Hatzlacha!!

amother

Aubergine

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 10:32 pm

You should see a developmental pediatrician in a top hospital. CHOP is first choice, but they have a waiting list over a year long. (Possibly thanks to Covid its shorter.) Hackensack is also an option.

They'll do a thorough analysis of his behavior, language etc and then give you a game plan even if they don't pin an exact label on him.

amother

Mon, Dec 28 2020, 10:56 pm

Thank you everyone!!
I am going to make more homework now and will tell the agency to put my ABA request on hold.
The more I think of it the more I feel like I was pushed into something I didn’t even have time to understand.
I feel like a lot of people out there are just saying, it’s free so you might as well.
Not every bag they hand out for free on the streets to I grab.