How to Make Sure Kids With Autism Reach Their Potential

Slow and steady and never give up! 

When Nick was 8 years old a behavioral agency informed me they would be ending his program. When I asked why, I was told in their professional opinion he had plateaued. 

I will never forget how this so called expert stood before me, straight faced , emotionless and explained how children with Autism reach their potential around age 5 after which they don't expect to see much progress or significant change and they believed this to be he case with Nick. I was so angry. I literally yelled at her "Plateaued!!!. On what planet does any human plateau at 8!" 

How dare anyone who is charged with helping children, pass this information on as if it was fact. If I had been another mom, I might have believed this "Expert" and given up right then and there and robbing my child of the opportunity to become his best self. Instead, I refused to let anyone tell me my son was without potential and his developmental life was over. I mean who writes off an 8 year old! 

I am so glad I did not listen, because she could not have been more wrong! 

For the past 21 years we have worked everyday to expand Nick's capabilities and it has paid off. When he was 8 going to the dentist meant being totally restrained. Today he sat in the dentist chair unrestrained, as the doctor drilled and filled his first cavity. Not a scream, or a dangerous wiggle, or any breaks to get the job done!

I know his progress does not look like a typical kiddo, it looks like Nick, slow and steady, up and down, forward and back, but in the end all small steps forward. Our goal is to help Nick become as independent as possible and the version of him he can be, not he best version of anyone else. We constantly introduce new things, repeat known things to help him achieve mastery. We always keep in mind, just because he didn't like it at 6, doesn't mean he won't like it at 8 or 10. Or just because he couldn't do it at 12 that doesn't mean he won't be able to do it at 20. We just keep going slow and steady until suddenly we notice a thing...

"Nick followed 3 multistep instructions independently."

"Nick used a full sentence, unprompted."

"Nick did great in the dentist office today." 

"Nick made breakfast all by himself." 

"Nick was not aggressive today."

"Nick offered to share his food."

"Nick just worked independently for 1 hour." 

"Nick figured out how to work the paper shredder by himself."

"Nick made his bed without any assistance."

"Nick did all of chores without any prompts."

These success's may not sound like much to all parents, but for me and Nick they mean the world, literally. Every one of these achievements is directly connected to Nick's independence and his independence is connected to his quality of life including how much time he spends in the community. 

It has not been easy. That said, he had not plateaued then, and at 23 he has still reached his "Plateau".  Nick is a human being and just like the rest of us, when given the opportunity to learn he will. It's been a lot of work for me and Nick, but I am so grateful I didn't accept that my 8 year old Nick had plateaued.  

New Bill Fast Tracks Behavioral Services for Individuals with Autism

Assembly Bill 1074 FastTrack’s Behavioral Services to Improve Services for Individuals with Autism

Governor Brown signs Assembly Bill 1074 updates California’s autism mandate providing for clinical case management, removes the requirement for professionals to be vendored by state regional centers and lifts experience requirement for paraprofessionals.

California Governor Jerry Brown has signed Assembly Bill 1074, a bill authored by Assembly Member Brian Maienschein (R- San Diego) and co-sponsored by California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA) and the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). The bill received overwhelming support from both the California Assembly and Senate....   more

In addition to technical changes, AB 1074 removes the requirement for autism treatment professionals to be vendored with a state regional center and clarifies that evidence-based autism treatment includes clinical case management. Additionally, the bill removes a 6-month experience requirement for paraprofessionals who work one-to-one with individuals affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a requirement that has limited the capacity of California’s autism treatment providers to meet the needs of California’s autism community.

Many families impacted by autism appreciate the need for service providers to have more flexibility making it possible to swiftly serve families in need, especially those seeking early intervention services. Families with older children remember the days when untrailed staff were labeled paraprofessionals and deployed to provide critical ABA services.  Because these guidelines where initially put in place to protect those affected by ASD, there is concern about the quality of care as guidelines are loosened and paraprofessionals are no longer required to have 6 months of prior experience to work one of one with an individual affected by ASD.

California is home to more autism treatment providers than any other state; yet, individuals diagnosed with ASD often encounter delays and waiting lists when seeking medically necessary treatment.

“When my son was diagnosed 17 years ago service providers sent untrained or undertrained staff in an effort to meet the explosive demand. I remember a 19-year-old tennis coach showing up to our home. She possessed no understanding of individuals with autism, and her only training was 1 day in a single ABA styled table top activity drilling a child on colors. These sessions were unproductive, a waste of taxpayer dollars and critical development time in my son's life. It is exciting to know so many people today are working to improve the systems of care for individuals with autism, and I embrace the progress. We will know in time if these changes to AB 1074 increase the number of working paraprofessionals and still ensure each child – including those in underserved communities – is receiving the evidence-based programs they deserve” said Donna Ross-Jones Author of Autismdaybyday,  Co-Founder Special Needs Network.

 “I’m gratified to have had the opportunity to increase access to treatment for individuals affected by autism. This bill clarifies California’s autism mandate to ensure behavioral health providers are not hindered by outdated requirements,” said Assembly Member Maienschein.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in every 68 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with ASD, with one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls diagnosed. These 2014 figures represent a 30 percent increase since 2008. As the prevalence of ASD has increased, services for individuals with ASD have not always kept pace with demand. The increase in autism diagnoses and the lack of resources leaves some families struggling to access the services that are crucial to their child’s development.

"On behalf of our membership and the thousands of families they serve, we are grateful to Assembly Member Brian Maienschein for his leadership on this issue. The language included in AB 1074 will remove unnecessary barriers for providers and provide increased access to care for the vulnerable population receiving crucial behavioral health treatments," said Matt McAlear, executive director of CalABA.