Exercise Helps with Autism so School Districts Need Physical Therapy on IEPs
Meta-Analysis on Intervention Effects of Physical Activities on Children and Adolescents with Autism
Thanksgiving, Gratefulness, and a Two Month Anniversary for the NYC Department of Education
August 23rd, after an hour and a half on hold, I ordered from the Department of Education a new ipad for Talia to communicate. Her previous one was malfunctioning. Over two months later, I am still waiting for it to arrive, but I am grateful Judge Rotenberg Center loaned her one. Many children can't go to school in New York City because they have no access to Wifis and/or tablets. If a parent did not provide a child with an education, the Administration for Children's Services would be promptly involved. Yet when the school district does not provide a tablet or wifi so a student can access an education, there are no consequences.
I am also grateful I can pay for a private practice to do my daughter Talia's dental work under general anesthesia and not have her first traumatized with x-rays on a restraining board with her head held down. This potentially traumatizing restraint is done in corporate hospitals so they do not have to book an operating room for any longer than absolutely necessary to maximize their profit margin. Judge Rotenberg Center is bringing Talia to NY for this to avoid a common traumatic event, while there are antiaversive self-appointed advocates who will maintain their silence about corporate dental care for individuals with disabilities.
Obtaining Effective Treatment is Most Stressful: My Impartial Hearing
A recent article, “Low Standards Corrode Quality of Popular Autism Therapy,” shows how applied behavior analysis (ABA) is not delivered by properly trained staff. In medicine, if doctors do not prescribe properly they are legally liable, but schools and agencies have no liability for not providing applied behavior analysis correctly, so this goes on. I have met people, parents and professionals, disillusioned with ABA, but when I explore it with them, I realized no one implemented ABA according to evidenced based research to begin with. Back to my daughter: I have said for years, at least for me, the hardest part of raising my child with severe autism, is not my daughter’s issues, but rather fighting for help, effective treatment. I just had my first day of impartial hearing after paying privately for an ABA school where my daughter has made progress. New York State refuses to approve schools that offer one to one ABA, which my daughter requires according to many professionals, as well as many other children need, to be safe and to learn. The Department of Education meanwhile never offered my daughter a school to begin with. The irony of it is without her school and home support, I would have had to place her in residential treatment years ago, and that would cost the government even more money. Parents shouldn’t have to pay exorbitant amounts of money, take loans and fight in court for reimbursement, just so they can keep their child at home, which saves government money.
Imaginary Education and Imaginary Contact Tracers
Imaginary Education and Imaginary Contact Tracers
Last spring, the New York City Department of Education would not fund any in home speech, occupational or physical therapy services, due to the COVID pandemic. Perhaps they imagined all students can make progress remotely. Maybe the administrators thought that a 5 foot 10 200 pound child, refusing to do a remote assignment, can get violent, and that the mother would be able to handle the problem all by herself. Surely, this mother can protect this child and herself.
Our elected officials said they were concerned about COVID and wanted to protect us. Last spring I got proficient in discrete trials, tried to do my best job as a teacher, physical and occupational therapist with my daughter while never taking even a course in any one of those subjects at school, working despite sleepless nights, being physically attacked and unable to defend myself well. I sure did not feel anyone elected considered my daughter or my life worth anything.
After I caught COVID, I thought maybe then our lives meant something. After all, the nurse practitioner told me if I was positive a contact tracer would call. I was positive twice and both times I got a text message that a contact tracer would call me. However, I have been waiting almost a month. No one monitors where I go, although I have chosen to stay at home. I can go anywhere I want, to the airport, but a ride on the subway would be cheaper, and I don’t have to pay more to ride in rush hour. Maybe I like to share. Right now, I’m just waiting for my third COVID test result, will be at least five days now to find out, not good timing if we want to stop the virus.
I guess if the contact tracer, like the school district, could save the government money instead of receiving a government paycheck, someone would find me. In the meantime, I won’t and I can’t imagine that government is really concerned about our health and that’s why the school district denied us services.
I'm Afraid of COVID
My daughter with autism two weeks ago was in the hospital for IV fluids due to COVID 19. Thankfully, she is fine now. New research shows how individuals with autism already have more health conditions, including heart problems and others. The psychiatric medications or having COVID 19 further increase these risks. I'm glad my daughter is recovering well, this may have been prevented if people were wearing masks covering both their noses and mouth.