ABA as we see it.

I would first like to point out that we at the time I write this, only have trained and received ABA supervision of some 3 months so we must certainly be seen as inexperienced novices in the field. Here we will with our own words and in simple terms describe how we are so far experiencing ABA training with Rasmus. I was very surprised by how fast Rasmus learned to sit at the table and concentrate on the exercises. With much verbal praise and some exciting reinforces in the form of toys with, for example light or sound, supplemented by some mini smarties (Small tiny chocolate lentils), Rasmus actually understood the concept from day one. I had a couple of times during the first week trouble with  Rasmus to sit at the table, but after then Rasmus has absolutely loved to train and runs in full speed to the table when I ask him whether he will train. It is quite clear that Rasmus now sees the training as fun play. We train around 5 minutes at a time, followed by 2 to 3-minute breaks. Normally we train for 20 to 60 minutes with a couple of longer breaks every 20. minutes. Supervision is essential for us as to get the training closely aligned with Rasmus's progress every 14 days. It is extremely rewarding for both Rasmus and I as a parent to have this close interaction with each other and we have lots of fun during training. Training is actually a somewhat misleading word. We should actually call it organized play.

We see ABA as a targeted individual adapted general educational treatment which methodically records the progress. We find it therefore very difficult to deal with criticism from professionals and parents who without knowledge to ABA comes with all kinds of allegations around the ABA. In fact the exercises are often exact the same as they are also running in their TEACCH inspired treatments. Here is the difference simply that ABA is much more systematic and targeted building up the child's skills. This ensures the ABA supervisor. The ABA supervisor is a well trained certified specialist who has several years of concentrated autism experience. We have not yet in our quest in the established system found professionals with a autism specific knowledge which is anywhere near getting close to the knowledge and experience that ABA supervisors have.

The offer from the established health-care.

Our experience (so far) is that many of the municipalities do not have sufficient knowledge or experience in autism treatment. We have met the talented and committed people from the municipality, but since that each municipality will have to build knowledge and experience and that the small municipality "specialist" will have to cover many different disabilities, Autism will only be a tiny part of his working day and he will never have a chance to get acquainted with developments within the autism treatment development or obtain adequate experience in the area. It must be obvious to all that, in the areas of disability we should have nationwide teams of experts to work exclusively with a disability, if we are ever going to hope to build knowledge and experience in the field and proactively monitor international developments in the methods of treatment. Our (inexperienced and perhaps simplistic) view is that the treatment which many of the municipalities today are offering is directly harmful to the child with autism and takes place in an environment which is something close the worst that we can offer the child. Well-intentioned educators and psychologists eliminates any possibility that the child one day will be able to engage effectively in the public world, when they uncritically make the child addicted to communicate using pictures and bring regular daily routines on the exact dates. By doing so, the poor child often comes in affect if the daily routines only have the slightest deviation. How on earth can a child exposed to such a treatment ever adapt to a just fairly decent and normal life?

Autism treatment and ethics.

A lot of people discussing ethics in the different autism treatment methods. We, Rasmus's parents, are his only ambassadors and it is us who will have to take the decisions which we believe is the right for him to get a good and decent life. We are not for a moment in doubt that it is our duty to do everything we can for Rasmus to get an early intensive treatment since it is indisputable and is proven (in far most cases) that it can increase the child's development potential significantly. This will be crucial for Rasmus's adulthood. It can be the key to whether Rasmus, when he becomes an adult, must spend all his life at specialized institutions, whether get a almost normal life in the public world.

If your child was very visually impaired and therefore could not keep up with school then you will not put the child away on a special institution, but rather buy a pair of glasses which will make the child able to follow the teaching and thus have a normal life. In a way We're looking at the ABA treatment as Rasmus's glasses which will ensure that he gets more out of life than to spend all his life on a special institution. For us it would be unthinkable to simply accept Rasmus's disability and place him in "care taking" on a special institution. Rasmus has as much right to learn and to live his life as any other child.