02/08/2020
Senate Select Committee on Autism
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Dear Committee Chair,
I am a mother of a child with autism and this is my response to the Senate Select Committee on Autism.
Aba has been blessing in my sons development and gift of social communication between the two of us. It’s a brilliant program that results in positive goals.
I underwent two hard years of occupational therapy/speech therapy as suggested by NDIS, and it was a waste of my son’s special golden years, my money & government’s funding. With no improvements, we didn’t reach any of our ndis goals, it was a disaster. Main stream supports failed to teach basic communication skills to my son. Its unspecialised, it didn’t even touch surface of my son’s special needs. We tried a few therapists, but most left after 10 months, perusing more money. It was very disappointing that there is so much movement in the industry. In the end I was told that they thought he needed a break, as he was not responding. I was left crying with no direction. Not to mention child lead therapy they introduced resulted in major behaviour issues and my son was very hard to settle. Whereas aba therapists and bcbas are specifically trained in behaviour science. They break down tasks into managed stages for my son to learn and reward the preferred behaviour. Not like the OT/speech theraphists Hanen protocol where its child led and ends with my son calling the shots.
Within a few months of starting aba at the centre, my son started reaching goals. Pointing, joint attention, independently drinking, imitation, more words. His progress is documented and constantly being reviewed for improvement. For the first time enjoys therapy.
Aba is very expensive I had to remortgage/borrow money from family, getting ndis funding was a very stressful and a painful process. They deter you from aba, you have to be really focused in the interview and say right words….and then it’s still like a lottery system which planner you are assigned. While others families get amazing results with little effort.
Lucky I found about aba just in time, because now my sons behaviours can be managed using ABA while he still relatively young and small in size. Otherwise I would have ended up strugginly, both physically & emotionally. We are reaching a stage now, where we can blend into the community and to have a social life. I’m no longer that mother with the unmanageable child in Coles. Having everyone’s eyes on my hysterical child. And some community members make it a hobby to stare.
Aba needs to be rolled out to schools, to help manage special needs childrens learning, and help harmonise class rooms. It’s a brilliant program and government need to support it in order for it to reach desperate parents that are isolated and exhausted from extreme behaviours from lack of communication from the child. The ABA program walks the talk. But more centres are needed and schools, teachers, & community needs to acknowledge that aba has become modern and is progressives and it’s that it’s no longer invasive as it was 30 years ago. Aba concepts are cutting edge, accountable and an international standard that Australian autistic children and families deserve!