Seven months ago, in May of this year, my little girl Allison who was nearly at her third birthday, was diagnosed with autism. I finally had an answer as to why Allison was completely non-verbal - except for two sounds "oo" and "ahh" and it explained why Allison would not really make eye-contact, play with toys, nor play with her five year old brother. It explained why she was such a quiet, different child.
After feeling utterly devastated with what seemed to be such a hopeless diagnosis, I searched for an answer as to how I could help little Allison. F.E.A.T. of B.C. (Families for Early Autism Treatment) gave me that answer. Lovaas Applied Behaviour Analysis.
Lovaas A.B.A. is the only scientifically-based, medically-backed treatment that is proven effective.
What is it?
Lovaas A.B.A. treatment was developed by Dr. Ivar Lovaas from UCLA. He believed that he could teach autistic children how to learn. How? By breaking down a task into very small segments, by immediately reinforcing the "learning" of that segment, and when all of the segments of the task have been taught, the child can "learn" the tasks of appropriate language, of behaviour, and reasoning. Reinforcement can take the form of small pieces of candy, or tickles, hugs etc. We fade these reinforcers very quickly. For example, 21 weeks ago when I started Allison's Home Treatment we used ju-jubes cut up into four's and tiny M & M's - now we have faded those reinforcers and we only need to use tickles and hugs!
Studies have shown that one-on-one, early, intensive treatment, preferably before the age of four years old works, e.g. Now I get to tell you about Allison's accomplishments. She can now approximate 12 words imitatively, and now says three words expressively "up-ah" for up, "dow" for down, and "op-ah" for open - with accompanied eye contact. She is learning to communicate!
What is the cost of this therapy? Well, to set up a Lovaas Program for a child, a Behaviourist, trained in Lovaas ABA is brought to the home to set up the Treatment Program and train the people that you have hired to do the therapy. Because there are no home-grown, Canadian trained Lovaas-type behaviourists I had to fly a UCLA trained Behaviourist into Vancouver. The three-day session which the Lovaas Behaviourist conducted to evaluate Allison, and train the ten people I hired, cost approximately $5000 (after paying that awfully high exchange rate on the American dollar). Next, to keep a Home Treatment program going, you spend about $10/hr per therapists for 25-40 hours per week. My own program is approximately 110 hours per month which costs me $1100/month. I augment the treatment on a daily basis when I get home from work.
As an aside, it would be great if we could keep our behaviourist dollars in Canada. To solve this problem, an organization called the Autism Education Society is trying to raise money for a Chair at UBC to teach Lovaas-ABA. There is nobody qualified in Canada to set up Lovaas-ABA programs.
Since my daughter's diagnosis, I have become one of the very sad statistics. I am one of the 75% of families which break up due to the stress of having a Special Needs child. My husband and I split up two months after Allison's diagnosis and are presently negotiating a Separation Agreement. I am a full time worker, with a live in Nanny (it is impossible to find anyone to start work at my home at 5:15 am). I have rented out part of my home, share my bathroom and kitchen facilities with two other people, cut my cable and am contemplating moving into my garage, and renting out my house to facilitate paying for Allison's program.
I am doing a home treatment program myself so that I don't have to move to Alberta, the only province in Canada which pays for this treatment. I know of three families who have moved to Alberta from BC just so that their autistic children can obtain the only treatment that works.
It is deplorable to think that other children in this province whose parents do not have the financial means to either start a home treatment program, or move to Alberta, must have this treatment denied to their children.
There is no funding for this therapy. The province of B.C. will not pay for this treatment even though we have 63 licensed psychiatrists in the province of BC who endorse Lovaas-type ABA treatment as being medically necessary treatment. There is no other proven treatment. Every child is a citizen of this province and needs to be treated the same way that any other child or adult in this province is treated when they require medical treatment. If there is treatment for a medical problem, they get it. So why are autistic children being discriminated against by the province of BC? Well I don't get it, 63 BC psychiatrists don't get it, and the other 120 families in BC who have Lovaas Home Treatment programs for their autistic children, don't get it. It is wrong that this treatment is not covered.
Please help the autistic children of BC get the only scientifically-backed, medically-endorsed treatment available -- Lovaas-type Applied Behaviour Analysis.
The money spent now on early intervention will save our autistic children from becoming expensive, institutionalized adults. Surely as citizens of this province, all autistic children deserve this only chance to function at their highest possible potential. Lovaas ABA gives autistic children that chance.
Thank you.
20641 - 46 Ave., Langley, B.C., V3A 3H8 Canada Ph. (604)534-6956 Fax (604)534-9527 e-mail:skfreeman@aol.com Director: Dr. S.K. Freeman