Primine

First and foremost: this is the trouble with labels. They provide pseudo-explanations. Every child on the spectrum is different and needs different programming to help them. However we have no choice but to apply labels occasionally to help express position on the spectrum. While AS is considered to be lower on the spectrum they do still need help, of course. The problem arises in that when someone demonstrates more severe characteristics of autism there are many things that can be done to help them. There are extensive methods to improve functioning and learning that would not work with AS children. With AS children there is a much higher chance of obtaining normal functioning, given the same treatment as provided to the severe children. The moral dilemma is the utilization of resources. There are simply too many people out there and too many governments would rather spend money on military than on health and aid. I'm sure you must be aware that well over 75% of children with Autism with never, ever reach normal functioning. The hope is to improve functioning, and sometimes the goal is simply to get the characteristics similar to the same characteristics of AS. So do we try to get the most severe cases to be less severe, or do we focus on the AS children that have a higher chance of actually reaching normal functioning? As your research has found it was correct saying that a characteristic of AS is normal or near normal IQ. This does not mean they have normal functioning. Yes, they still do need a great deal of work. I agree that they should be treated differently, but BOTH should still be treated.

Punishment has been found to be just as effective as the more commonly used positive and negative reinforcement until you get into risky punishments. Because they are nearly equal it has been found that generally reinforcement is preferred because it is more ethically sound.

You always need to have a clearly defined target. Always. It is the only way to maintain a solid and steady schedule of reinforcement and have the child learn your word is true. Further many children on the spectrum feel a self-reinforcing satisfaction with completing a task, so it is important to give a feasible goal, and get the child started. Lots of small reinforcers are good at first. They should be paired with lots of praise so eventually praise is reinforcing in itself. Once a schedule of reinforcement is established use fewer reinforcers, more praise and an occasional big reinforcer (remember to clearly state the target and reinforcer) Finally it is very important that the reinforcer is not of monetary value, but value to the child. The child determines what he wants, and will always work harder for those items.

Hello all. I am an IT trained in ABA and IBI and thought I might help explain the head's decision. I can't say one way or another if what the head was justified in determining his program, there are simply too many details that cannot be fully explained in any chat forum. Every child has different circumstances with their position on the spectrum. But when he said that he doesn't want to "reward" not going to the toilet it is a reference to conditioning. If the child is really afraid of the toilet then giving him a nappy would keep him from having to go near the toilette. Further down the road it may be impossible to get him off the nappy. The child may have learned that if he holds it long enough people will cave and get him a nappy. It would be extremely difficult and time consuming to extinguish. I do not think (in my experience at our centre) that it would be right to send him home if he doesn't go. I would recommend (while I do not have my PhD or Masters yet this is done in my centre) that a schedule be set up where the child goes to the bathroom every 45-60 minutes (always the same length of time). If the child excretes or urinates he should be heavily rewarded... preferably with some sort of edible. (cookie?) If he does not go then he is returned to class. This assumes that the child is not scared to approach or sit on the toilet. There are many different fears associated with going to the bathroom. Fear of sitting, fear of bare bottom, fear of the flushing and each fear needs to be treated differently; usually it is treated with shaping. I'd discus this with the head. Feel free to pass my ideas on to the head, but PLEASE DO NOT REFERENCE ME AS A PROFESSIONAL. I am still very new and still have much to learn. And again, there may be several hundred factors I don't know.

I am a psychology intern who has recently been charged with a research project to improve the functioning of early intervention and hopefully be able to apply a test project on select children within our centre following an ethics review. I am brainstorming areas that need development and improvement and would gladly hear any concerns you have with the current intervention program. (specifically I am trained with the IBI area of ABA) Thank you all kindly!