If your child has recently been diagnosed with autism, you will
quickly experience the frustration of being put on long waiting lists
for government-funded services. The worst thing you can do for your
child is to sit back and wait because you could be waiting for years.
The good news is that there are several things that you can do, which
aren't free, but much less expensive than paying for the services of ABA
(Applied Behaviour Analysis) psychologists, program supervisors, and
instructor therapists, etc. for 30 to 40 hours of therapy for your child
per week.
I will start by saying that I am not affiliated in any way with the websites that I am recommending below. But I have personally used them or joined their programs at one time or another and found the information provided by them to be extremely beneficial for my son with autism.
First, learn about biomedical treatments for children with autism. Autismactionplan.org is an excellent website. It is a "doctor-driven" website and was created to assist parents and caregivers in the biomedical treatment of their children. Doctor Kurt Woeller provides comprehensive and interactive education by way of video lectures and tutorials to help you treat your child using biomedical interventions. You will also have access to live chats and parent forums. In order to access the information, a monthly or annual membership fee is required. In my opinion it is worth every cent because it costs much less than monthly visits to a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctor. Plus, instead of blindly following treatment instructions given by a DAN doctor, you will become educated about the reason for each treatment and can make informed decisions on behalf of your child.
Next, investigate online ABA therapy tools that will help you create and implement a learning plan for your child. Rethinkautism.com provides an effective and affordable web-based ABA treatment program that provides step-by-step written instructions as well as videos to demonstrate how to teach your child each new skill. The program also includes automated progress tracking to measure treatment effectiveness so that you can determine if your program is working.
Finally, invest in an iPad. There are hundreds of very effective autism apps, and more are being developed every day. Autismepicenter.com is my personal favourite website for Autism App reviews. The apps are categorized into groups such as; AAC Communication, Behaviour, Social Skills, Speech & Language, Visual Schedules, etc. Reviews and ratings are through first-hand experience of an autism Dad with a technology background and a degree in Management Information Systems. He also provides reviews on iPad cases that can handle the rigors of autism.
Note: In Ontario, iPads (for the purpose of augmentative communication) can be accessed through the ADP (Assistive Devices Program). An occupational therapist or speech and language pathologist who is registered with the program, assesses the specific needs of the person and prescribes the IPad and communication app (Proloquo2Go). The program will only help pay for equipment that is purchased from vendors registered with the Assistive Devices Program.
Take these 3 gigantic steps and it is possible that your child will be on their way to recovery or at the very least, major improvement. I can tell you from personal experience as a parent that being proactive and directly involved in managing your child's treatment plan will alleviate the dreadful feeling of helplessness and frustration, and ultimately your child will benefit greatly.
I will start by saying that I am not affiliated in any way with the websites that I am recommending below. But I have personally used them or joined their programs at one time or another and found the information provided by them to be extremely beneficial for my son with autism.
First, learn about biomedical treatments for children with autism. Autismactionplan.org is an excellent website. It is a "doctor-driven" website and was created to assist parents and caregivers in the biomedical treatment of their children. Doctor Kurt Woeller provides comprehensive and interactive education by way of video lectures and tutorials to help you treat your child using biomedical interventions. You will also have access to live chats and parent forums. In order to access the information, a monthly or annual membership fee is required. In my opinion it is worth every cent because it costs much less than monthly visits to a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctor. Plus, instead of blindly following treatment instructions given by a DAN doctor, you will become educated about the reason for each treatment and can make informed decisions on behalf of your child.
Next, investigate online ABA therapy tools that will help you create and implement a learning plan for your child. Rethinkautism.com provides an effective and affordable web-based ABA treatment program that provides step-by-step written instructions as well as videos to demonstrate how to teach your child each new skill. The program also includes automated progress tracking to measure treatment effectiveness so that you can determine if your program is working.
Finally, invest in an iPad. There are hundreds of very effective autism apps, and more are being developed every day. Autismepicenter.com is my personal favourite website for Autism App reviews. The apps are categorized into groups such as; AAC Communication, Behaviour, Social Skills, Speech & Language, Visual Schedules, etc. Reviews and ratings are through first-hand experience of an autism Dad with a technology background and a degree in Management Information Systems. He also provides reviews on iPad cases that can handle the rigors of autism.
Note: In Ontario, iPads (for the purpose of augmentative communication) can be accessed through the ADP (Assistive Devices Program). An occupational therapist or speech and language pathologist who is registered with the program, assesses the specific needs of the person and prescribes the IPad and communication app (Proloquo2Go). The program will only help pay for equipment that is purchased from vendors registered with the Assistive Devices Program.
Take these 3 gigantic steps and it is possible that your child will be on their way to recovery or at the very least, major improvement. I can tell you from personal experience as a parent that being proactive and directly involved in managing your child's treatment plan will alleviate the dreadful feeling of helplessness and frustration, and ultimately your child will benefit greatly.
Karen Robinson at AFASE at school http://www.afase.com
provides special education advocacy training and consulting services to
parents and guardians whose children are challenged by autism and other
developmental disabilities.
I develop my clients into informed, proactive advocates for their children's educational needs. They are empowered by current, customized information that enables them to articulate their children's needs to school staff and school board administrators in a way that is both assertive and collaborative.
Browse through my website to learn more and sign up to receive free advocacy tips and news. http://www.afase.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_A._Robinson
I develop my clients into informed, proactive advocates for their children's educational needs. They are empowered by current, customized information that enables them to articulate their children's needs to school staff and school board administrators in a way that is both assertive and collaborative.
Browse through my website to learn more and sign up to receive free advocacy tips and news. http://www.afase.com
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