ABA life saver

[aceing1204]

Hi,

My son was diagnosed with pdd nos at 22 months old.  He is now recieving ABA school everyday for 2 hrs and 1 hr. of ABA at home plus a sensory gym 3 times, OT, and Speech.  He just started ABA 2 weeks ago and is a new child overnight, using gestures, playing with other kids, and trying to talk.  Is it possible he can beat this diagnoses since his brain is being re-wired now?.  I can't tell you how he has improved all around, he's a new child in just 2 weeks:)

[MJIthewriter]

As a PDD nos myself I can give you an answer: No.  

Longer answer:
There is no such thing as "growing out" or "beating the diagnosis" or "getting over it"  PDD, aspergers and autism cannot be cured.  It will follow your son for the rest of his life. Don't be discouraged though. It isn't always a bad thing.

What you are seeing is really improvement. We adapt to our surroundings and find ways to mask our weaknesses.  We find better coping strategies if we can.  But the autism is still there.

I still deal with the same issues and frustrations that I had when I was younger. I believe many of my hang-ups are the same with the milder forms of autism as more severe forms of autism.  But I've learned for the most part better ways to express myself and my frustration. Learning how to speak was a huge milestone.  Once I learned how to speak what I had in my head, I could start communicating with the outside world and let people know what’s on my mind. As I get older, my ability to explain gets better. (At least I hope.) It is an ongoing learning process.  I may have trouble with understanding people in social settings, but I can reflect upon the situation and think things out in a scientific way.  If the exact situation occurs, I can remember my past mistake. I have the option to apply my learned knowledge. I can try something else and see if the result comes out as expected.  I may not fully understand people’s feelings and emotions either, but I can feel my own emotions and imagine people feeling.  Usually this is done reflectively after I’ve had some time to think about what just happened. I may still not feel the emotion, but I can think it out and imagine it.  If I have the experience and time, I try to make up thought processes, regardless if they are true to the person or not as an effort to try to understand them.  Every person I meet is a new encounter, which means I am always in process of trying to fine tune my imaginative brain and try to understand the setting around me.

I think one of my biggest strengths is my imagination. I use my imagination to work around things that may come instinctively to other people. The process is slower, but it is what I have. I use what tools I have up there so to speak. The same will be with your son.

[chikp]

Well, I have been providing ABA for nearly 10 years now and I am happy to hear that your son has responded so quickly!  Without taking the wind out of your sails I want to let you know that it is likely that he will plateau some time in the future.  What that means is that he may go through phases where he is receptive to learning new skills making remarkable progress followed by phases where he seems a little more stagnant.  If this happens, do not worry.  As long as he keeps moving forward (even at a snails pace) you are on the right track.  

[dnamolecule]

oh my.... some of these comments are depressing.  Never let anyone tell you your child won't be cured.  My son was dignosed PDD at 18 months.  Is he cured now NO, however he'll be 5 soon and his syptoms are almost to the point of being NOT noticable.  He'll be going into regular Kindergarten in Aug.2008.  He didn't talk until almost 3, now he talks better than most 4 yaer olds.  He used to do alot of echo'ing.  He does alot of eye contact now, loves to interact and cuddle now.

He does still have a few quirks, and some days he still gets overwhelmed at times....but don't most kids.....be optimistic, and pay attention wehn he receices therapy ask for handouts and advice on what you can do to complement therapy given.

SMILE, and  know you are NOT alone, and things will get better.  :)

[MJIthewriter]

As an autistic myself, i'm just trying to be more realistic. There will always be challenges and hang-ups with the disability, but you are right it doesn't always have to be depressing.

It's an ongoing learning pricess for both the parent and autistic.  I think success comes with both the parent and the child.  The parent has to be open and supportive, and understanding. It is their responsiblity to make sure the teachers and school system is working up to par with not just the law, but also with your child's individual needs.

The child also has to be willing. Improvement can't be forced, otherwise furstration may occur. When the child is frustrated, step back and let them relax in a healthy way.  I know I can't do well when I am frustrated.

I think with me trying to learn how to understand people has been a process I want to learn and continue to strive for it. My autism prevents me from fully understanding people on an emotional level, but I can understand on a cognitive level. I use the powers of observation and my imagination to help compensate for some of the weakensses.

The human brain is an amazing thing.  If one area doesn't function well, other parts of the brain usually compensate. I think that is the "rewiring" that aceing1204 is mentioning.

Some strengths from my observation is the ability to take in and observe and create detailed images and movies in my head. I may not be as burdoned down if people around me are upset as a "normal person" may be. (as long as it isn't me they are upset about. :P)  When people ask me for advice on their feelings, I take a more scientific approach, and likely give an honest answer, perhaps more honest than they desire, but that's besides the point.  

The downside is, this method of thinking takes longer. Conversations and social settings seldom give me the time to think out my actions and think out possible reactions.  This sluggishness can cause an awkward situation when things require an immediate answer. But I learn from the outcome and arm myself with that newly acquired knowlledge for next time.

[chikp]

My comment was not intended to be depressing.  I just wanted to mention that sometimes when a child starts a therapy (especially if it is the first therapy for this child), you will notice a dramatic leap in skill development.  Most of the time this levels off to a slower, but steady pace.  Kind of like going on a diet; the first week you may lose lots of pounds but then the weight loss tapers off to something more steady that the body can handle.  

When a child begins therapy, his brain is responding to lots of new stimuli and sometimes it seems like it has been jumpstarted - which is wonderful and exciting!

Like I mentioned in my original comment, I've been working with kids on the spectrum for nearly 10 years.  If I found it to be depressing, I would have stopped long ago.

[mjthewriterdad]

You said:
"Is he cured now NO, however he'll be 5 soon and his syptoms are almost to the point of being NOT noticable"

Not noticible to you or to him or to a third party?  I can see his symptoms are certainly noticble to HIM.  Based on what you said here:

"He does still have a few quirks, and some days he still gets overwhelmed at times....but don't most kids....."

My point is that managing the symptoms to a degree that they are not perceived by a thrid party is not a cure and it seems that you are well aware of that, too.   He still struggles inside and has his challenges, right?    

I see where chikp is going with this:  life is a dynamic thing, as soonn as one skill is mastered, new challenges need to be worked on.  The diet analogy at work....

[Angela77]

ABA is a wonderful thing with much scientific research behind it.  Children can make gains, large and small through ABA.  HOWEVER, it does not, as you said, "re-wire" the brain.  It is a treatment, just as the speech, OT, PT.  I would focus on how to use ABA strategies in your home when the staff are not present, so your child can generalize the skills to different people and environments.