Premature Ventricular Contractions and more

I am seeking an experienced VB therapist to join our established VB
program for my 3.10 year old verbal PDD son. The hours would be
Mon/Wed/Fri afternoons and (if interested) weekends. There is also the
possibility of increasing hours to a full time position. The position
would offer the opportunity to work with the Carbone Associates group
in our home (our VB consultants) and potentially other Carbone
workshops. We are located in Delaware County, PA and very close to
the Blue Route and I-95.
If interested, please write me off list or contact me directly at
(610) 522-1773.
Thanks!
ann

October 18th & 19th, 2001
Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Educational Institute, Inc.
136 East Ave.
Erie, PA 16507
Contact: www.drbarbercenter.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
November 8th, 9th, & 10th, 2001
Double Tree Hotel Lincoln Center
Dallas, TX
Contact: www.featnt.org
++++++++++++++++++++
Preliminary information on workshops for next spring.
Portland, Maine, April 1-2,
Newark, New Jersey, April 4-5
Wilkes-Barre, PA April 24-26

Therapist needed in Vancouver B.C. Canada, very
excelent payment $20+ depending on experience, if you
are interested call me at: (604)517-0840 or
e-mail me at: di20d@...

I'm looking for VB/ABA therapists in Pittsburgh, PA. Please reply privately
to: thamrock@... Many Thanks!
Tamara

There are just 4 spaces left for this seminar! If you are thinking
about attending,
please call right away to reserve your spot. The seminar will be held
at the
Sea Crest Resort in Falmouth, MA (Cape Cod).
Dr. Carbone's associates Cherish Richards and Holly Smith are coming
To Falmouth, Mass next week (September 24 & 25) to lead a 2-day
workshop
Called Teaching Verbal Behavior for Tutors & Therapists (Dr. Carbone's
"Workshop #4).
The following information
can also be found on Dr. Carbone's website www.drcarbone.net :
Workshop #4: Teaching Verbal Behavior
Hands-on Training for Tutors & Therapists
Where: Seacrest Resort, Falmouth, MA
When: September 24 & 25, 2001
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Accommodations: Individual choice/Sea Crest Resort
To register: Contact Pat Antonellis at Children Making Strides by phone
508-759-6754.
Please contact CMS you are interested in attending this valuable
workshop!

Hi,
Perhaps your son requires an object schedule (just a thought) which takes him to
the next activity. Or perhaps if he enjoys volleyball and computer so much, and
those are his only hang ups.... his schedule can be changed so those things are
at the end of the day.
julie

Just a reminder about the Michigan FEAT parent meeting next Saturday
9/22!
Barb

Michelle - Way too often people think that just having a schedule will make
a child w/ autism transition. The schedule only builds structure and
provides knowledge of what is in the future. A schedule is not intended to
build compliance..it is only to make things predictable. And, the fact is,
if a child is moving from a preferred activity to a less preferred activity
they will probably resist the transition - schedule or not- ....as all kids
will. A typical kid will have difficukty switching from cartoons to cleaning
their room. Our kids are not as socially motivated, are not so interested in
doing something just because a person of authority ( a teacher ) told them
so, and are not intimidated by "authority figures"...so there have to be
other ways to motivate.
I would do an analysis of the situtation:
Are all transitions difficult? or is it only transitions off of certain
activities? or only transitions to certain tasks? This will help you decide
if it is an inability to shift sets ( a neurological issue) or an attempt to
keep a desired object/activity, or task avoidance ( the new task that is not
as desireable as the current task).
My son could not transition off the computer. IF staff turned it off he
would escalate into aggression and screaming. At home we would turn the
computer off w/ the command to sit and be quiet. The second he did this ( we
ignored any yelling or other negative behavior)we turned the computer on
(which reinforced being quiet and calm when the computer was off). Initially
we was required to sit calmly for a second and then we increased the
duration of the desired behavior. We might have turned the computer on and
off 10 times in a 20 minute priod - so in effect there were 10 trials. THis
taught him that turning the item off did not mean forever. It also taught
him yelling and screaming did not provide the desired object but that being
calm and completeing a demand (sit quietly)did get him what he wanted. Over
time we increased the time the computer was off, then added a request
related to a task. We then increased the duration of the tasks he had to
work on...always reinforcing w/ "great, now you can use the computer".
Eventaully, we were able to get Ian to turn the computer off himself. The
funny thing is he would always ask "Why? Why turn computer off?" -
Dpending on your child you might also have to pair the transition w/ another
desireable transition such as a cracker or m & m. The tangible is held up as
a "promise" - not a bribe. I would show the tangible and at the same time
say, Ian time to turn off the computer and come to the table. IF he grabbed
for the tangible I would avoid his grab and repeat the command. Notice we
did not say, if you come to the turn the computer off you get a cracker.
When he turned off the computer I would place the tangible on the table in
his work area and he would come over and get it. When this happened we also
were shure to pair a social reinforcer such as "nice turning off the
computer!". Again, in time you can fade the tangible.
The other thing you need to look at is the task he is being asked to do -
maybe it is too hard, too long, etc...it will be difficult to get any child
to willing transition to tasks that are very difficult and that they do not
understand or that they are no successful with.
In our case, we got very good results using this method, however, the school
folks refuse to utilize the same technique - (you know any thing associated
with ABA must mean Lovaas and the school refuses Lovaas - but they are
autism "experts"....sorry had to get my gripe in...) so they just give the
command, Ian ignores, they turn off the computer, Ian escalates, they
restrain..
Good luck

Hi everyone~
This is just a reminder of a verbal behavior workshop
we are having here in Greensboro in November. Please
feel free to email me with any questions.
Thanks,
Spencer
Sailorspe@...
Workshop # 4
TEACHING VERBAL BEHAVIOR:
HANDS ON TRAINING FOR TUTORS AND THERAPISTS
Conducted by:
Cherish Richards, BCABA
Holly Smith, BCABA
This 2-day workshop is designed to provide
tutors, therapists and parents who serve as their
childs primary therapist with guided practice in
implementing the methods described in Dr. Carbones
Introductory Verbal Behavior Workshop # 1. The
participants will spend most of their time practicing
the methods of effective instruction demonstrated in
videotape illustrations during the Introductory
Workshop. Participants will receive precise feedback
on their teaching methods. The participants will be
provided supervised practice in the areas of:
1. establishing instructional control with an
unwilling learner
2. manipulating establishing operations (E0) during
teaching opportunities to maintain learner attention
3. scoring the ABLLS and developing instructional
objectives
4. choosing an appropriate response form (sign, vocal,
pictures)
5. teaching the echoic repertoire and transitioning
from sign language to vocal verbal behavior
6. manipulating EOs to teach early to advanced
manding skills
7. teaching early to advanced receptive, visual
performance, motor imitation, tacting, and intraverbal
skills
8. teaching reciprocal conversation skills in
advanced learners
9. teaching verbal behavior across all settings
10. teaching social skills in early and advanced
learners
11. organizing your program materials and data
recording methods
Prerequisites: It is required that all participants
have attended Dr. Carbones Verbal Behavior
Introductory Workshop # 1 and have at least some
experience teaching children with autism within an
intensive teaching program. Participants should
bring an ABLLS manual with them to the course.
Cost: $395/person Date: November 7 & 8, 2001
Location: Group US Building, 7C Terrace Way,
Greensboro, NC
Time: 8:00-5:00 (hour lunch break on your own)
Hotels in area are Sheraton (800-242-6556), Red Roof
Inn (336-852-6560), Comfort Inn (336-294-6220)
(Audio taping is allowed---please refrain from
videotaping)
Mail Registration form and fee to: Dr. Vincent J.
Carbone, PO Box 350490, Jacksonville, Fl 32235 by
October 15, 2001.
Name:

Need some timps on transitioning from one activity to another. Teaher said my
son was having problems transitioning from one activity to another even with
the picture schedule. She said he would say "oh no!" when it was time to
leave the gym when playnig volleyball and using the computer. Any
suggestions?
Michelle

Postponed: Teaching Language to Children and Adults with Developmental
Disabilities, Including Autism
Workshop 1: Verbal Behavior Introductory Workshop. Presented by Colleen
Cornwall. Originally scheduled for September 14 & 15, 2001, this conference is
postponed until October 12 and 13. The conference will be held at the same
times as originally scheduled with a new location TBA. Please call Juliet at
(518) 295-7337 or email me at pentaburks@... if you have any questions.
Juliet Burk
pentaburks@...

Would someone post the VB teeaching procures:
a. For children with language (no sings)
b. modifcation witth sign lnguage
Either post it as a mesagge or upload to the web's files section and
post annoucment.
Thanks.
PC

Hi!
I have recently switched over our whole program to incorporate the
whole paring with reinforcer, contriving EO's and differential
reinforcement.
THis is a wonderful transistion for my son, who is EXTREMLY happy now..
and we find him wanting to ESCAPE or STIM much less, since the TABLE has
all the goodies at it! WHy leave!
:)
Anyway, my son just aged out of the EI program , and I have a somewhat
of a new flood of teachers rolling in.
What is the NICEST, GENTLEST way to explain this whole theory to these
STRICT, WORK THROUGH NON COMPLIANT BEHAVIOR GURU's that have had really
strict beahvioral training, who feel they must gain instructional
control, by working through behaviors , and simply do not seem to have a
sence of the importance of Paring themselves with reinforcement.?
Some of these teachers are exactly what I wouldve looked for a few
months back, they come from the top notch schools, trained by the "best
of the best "...
OR, is it going to be expected to that a child will "TRY OUT" to see
JUST how much he can get away with the new teachers?
How would be the best way to handle this (I already have copies made
from the VB workshop as well as prnted materials from several sites that
have wonderful information on Reinforcement and a GENTLER way of gaining
instructional control and compliance)
As well as telling them to KEEP THEIR HANDS OFF MY SONS FACE
to GAIN eye CONTACT .. I mean, this is what theve been trained to do..
Coming from mom, makes it seem like I am just DEFENDING my poor crying
son and that I am not letting him CRY IT OUT.
BELIEVE me you, I am a TRUE discipinarian.
I say something once, I expect it to be followed (this is a general rule
in my home for my daughter, my hisband..as WELL As my son)
So I really dont ADHERE to the strict methodologies of the VB style
where you tell a child to "go sit down" 20X's .. because he should WANT
to be at the table NOT be there cause "you said so"
But quite frankly.. my whole life growing up , when I asked MOM , "why"
the answer was "because I said so"
But in his case I make sure that the contrived EO is Promised back once
compliance is there..
It works well with my son..
I say "go sit down " 1x .. I go to the reinforcer that happened to
CATCH HIS EYE AT THAT MOMENT TO MAKE HIIM FLEE TO BEGIN WITH.I point to
the chair and pick up the reinforcer (if tangible).to the table and
return it to him when he comes back to the table..and we move on..
as opposed to the OLD School method of
"Go sit down" and physically TAKING The child, picking him up and
"slamming" him back into the chair kicking and screaming..
ANyway, I have managed to find what works well for MY NATURAL
ENVIORMENT.. and my son is NOT kicking and screaming any longer..
So I need some help with HOW to explain that "we dont do that any more"
or "this program is not run that way"
without really offending the teacher of there "expertise"
I will be showing a tape of how beautifully this "new style " (for us
atleast) works for other teachers..
So, knowing that a child will "TRY " the teacher.. how is the best way
to tell a new teacher to gain "his trust" yet, be firm enough to let him
know, that he CANT climb on the table, or the furniture.. or run aroud
like a little lunatic..just because he wants to .. but still remain
reinforcing since she CANT let him do whatever he wants to do..
PLease advise..
Nicole

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who responded regarding my post
on the importance of touch, point discrimination. Jennie and Cate, you
two as always gave great advice. I always learn so much from your
posts.
Ok, another question. Does anyone have any advice on a good attending
program? My son if he's paying attention does fairly well
discriminating but often he will be looking around and do a fleeting
grab without paying attention. I'm sure you'll probably say it's a
reinforcer issue but I wanted to know a specific way in which to attack
this problem.
Thanks again,
Penny

Hi,
I was trying to summarize what I have been feeling about our
programming and after taking a good look at it this summer I came to
realize how heavily we were focused on academics, and how we had almost
completely ignored the rest of life. No functional programming, no fun
stuff, just academics.
Making a long story short, I started looking at his programs in a different
light. Okay take Edmark can he read, yes, does he understand what he is
reading no. So he can read "the girl sits under the tree" but cannot
understand what that means but more importantly he cannot read functional
directions such as "Brush your teeth" "Get your backpack" or follow
it. So I said why are we working on girls sitting under trees, when he
cannot read a door sign that says PUSH and do the action or find a sign for
the men's room. He can tell you in drill format that you buy stamps at the
post office, but he doesn't know what a stamp is, a letter or what you do
with a mail box, hmmm, interesting. He can point to the legs on a table,
but he doesn't accurately label his own legs or tell you if he has hurt his
leg or that his legs walk and run. He can tell you the months of the year
and count to 45, but he cannot line up for school or wait quietly and
cannot pick his school bus #20 out of a line up. BUT he knows his numbers!
So, I could go on and on, but I thought I'd share some of this stuff with
those of you with younger kids. If your child is a child who is on the
fast track (for lack of a better term), a lot of stuff will come fairly
readily and he/she will learn, retain and move on. But for the kids like
mine who are auditorily/behaviorally and socially challenged in only the
ways kids with autism are, look at your programming and really make sure
that you are getting what you need and most importantly what your child
needs from it.
Academics are great but for the more severe kids, it falls far short of
preparing them for life on a day to day basis. Make sure you are not only
helping them academically but more importantly to fit in, to become
independent and to be able to join in with NT peers in a nondisruptive
manner. I think it will make for a happier child in the long run and I
think I'll sleep better at night knowing he can find his bus, the bathroom,
and know for instance that EXIT is a way to get out of a building.
cate

Greetings! We are looking for therapists and special education teachers in
the Philly/South Jersey area. We need therapists to do discrete trial and
shadowing. School and afterschool hours available. Good pay and Health
benefits available. Please contact Laura at 732-292-9233 if interested.
Thanks!

Penny,
In my opinion it is not so critical that he discriminate between "touch" and
"point" because you are touching when you're pointing and the "point"
response may be a fine motor issue rather than difficulty responding to the
receptive instruction. However, it is important that he discriminate
between "touch" and "give me". These are two very different response. Be
sure to look closely at your ABLLS because there are two separate objectives
addressing responding to a variety of receptive instructions. I don't have
one in front of me and I don't remember the numbers but the first objective
is that he touches in response to different instructions. In other words,
his response doesn't change (he just has to touch) but he touches in
response to many different sds (find the, touch, get the etc.) The
objective where he has to discriminate the Sd and use different response
forms is quite a bit later.
If he is only responding by giving you items, I'd target the "touch, find
the, where's the etc.." for two reasons. First, it's really going to slow
you down later if he's giving you everything. Second, you'll want to work
on receptive labels in the NET and there will be quite a few things you'll
want to teach him to identify that he won't be able to give you! (i.e. bed,
fridge, tree etc.) It would also be hard to work on receptives in a book!
If he won't respond to an imitative or physical prompt to touch, you may
have better luck using one of those "touch and feel" books to initially get
the response. Give him the sd as he's reaching his hand toward the book
then heavily reinforce after the response.
Hope this helps!
Tracy Vail,MS,CCC/SLP
Speech/Language Pathologist
VP Mariposa School
www.rtphome.org/mariposa

The Rockland County, NY ARC has developed a VB school called Prime Time. The
phone number is 845-639-2425. They are very successful and keep expanding to
meet need (according to my sources). They can be contacted via the Rockland
County ARC website. I don't have the link.
Several preschools in the Albany area of NY are currently developing VB
curriculum to add to their already successful programs (Including the following
preschool). We have one opening left in our Greenspan/Sensory Integration type
preschool environment. If anyone is interested, they can email
wppreschool@...
Reed and Juliet Burk
pentaburks@...
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence"

Try training up a clicker, that is much smaller and can be hidden in your
hand and will be less obvious to children. My son made the transfer from
token board to clicker very easily.
You can buy clickers (tally counters, whatever they're called) at Office
Depot or Staples.

I am currently shadowing a child at school, and we have himon a token board.
This works well, but is a big distraction for the other children,as they all
want to know what it is, and can they have one too. What is a better way to
handle this? It is no secret to any one at school, that this child gets
exactally help, so we are not trying to hide it, but I want this to work with
out distracting the others.
Teresa

My son receptively will give me whatever I ask but I can't get him to
touch or point. How critical is it to differentiate these receptive
sd's? Is it absolutely necessary if he can discriminate between
whatever I'm asking by giving it to me?
Thanks
Penny

I was asked to post the following on behalf of Children Making Strides.
Please direct all questions to Pat@... or call 508-759-6754.
Dr. Carbone's associates Cherish Richards and Holly Smith will be coming
to Massachusetts on September 24 & 25 to lead a 2-day workshop called
Teaching Verbal Behavior for Tutors & Therapists (Dr. Carbone's
"Workshop #4).
There is room for only a total of 20 participants. It will be held at
the
Sea Crest Resort in Falmouth, MA (Cape Cod). The following information
can also be found on Dr. Carbone's website www.drcarbone.net :
Workshop #4: Teaching Verbal Behavior
Hands-on Training for Tutors & Therapists
Where: Seacrest Resort, Falmouth, MA
When: September 24 & 25, 2001
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Accommodations: Individual choice/Sea Crest Resort
To register: Contact Pat Antonellis at Children Making Strides via email
at Pat@... or phone 508-759-6754.
A few spots are left but reservations will be closing next week.;
please contact CMS you are interested in attending this valuable
workshop!

Have studies been done with AVB and similiar results to ABA found? I
know there is probably volumes I could read on this (and I would
appreciate these referalls) but in a nutshell what is the
difference? I am going to start some dtt next week with my 2 yo who
has single word verbals (labels) and echolalia of a few 2-3 word
phrases and would like to get an idea about what ABA entails.
Thanks, Meggie

We are a motivated and hands-on family who have been working with our
3y11mo autistic son for 11 months doing 35 hours/week doing Lovass-
style DTT. It is not a good fit for him. We are looking for a
consultant with much experience working with autistic children, provide
training to our home-based program, set up a curriculum with a variety
of techniques: DTT, AVB, proper use of PES and ALS, PRT,etc., being
able to figure out what will teach our son. We prefer to have the
consultant on the West Coast...only because it is closer to Alaska,
obviously willing to travel. We need the consultant to initially come
to our home (via fly) and train ourselves (parents) and our team (6
people). We will need on-going support (every 8 weeks??) that I am sure
can be provided via distance delivery (phone calls, video tapes, email,
etc.). Please email as soon as possible! :)
Thanks,
Karen Sidell

My child is 5 years old, she's been doing ABA for 1 year now.
My daughter babbling alot I just don't know how to make my daughter ask for
what she wants in words.
In other words,
How can I motivate my daughter to speak?
How do we go from sounds to words?
Any help you have would be much appreciate.
Thanx.
Cindy

I have been working with children with autism for the past 9 years at
Variety Club Camp and Developmental Center. I have spent the last 3 years
working in home ABA programs. Due to the changing needs of some of the
families I work with, I have more hours available. I am looking for families
either near Alvernia College in Reading (where I am studying Occupational
Therapy) or families near Collegeville, Limerick, or Lansdale. Please e-mail
me if you are interested.
Thank you!
Amy McGinnis
Amy4382@...

Does anybody have any info on VB schools in NYS?
I was told that Dr.Carbone announced at his conference
that there is a school somewhere in upstate NY that does
VB, and that Dr.Carbone is consulting there.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Bill

Here are some web sites that might be helpful to people who are looking for
VB workshops.
Dr. Carbone: www.drcarbone.net
Dr. McGreevy: www.behaviorchange.com
Drs. Partington and Sundberg: www.behavioranalysts.com

Where can I find a list of workshops for verbal behavior - Carbone
and others???

Hi,
Here's my input on the Stanford-Binet test. We asked that this
evaluation be done by the school for very specific reasons. We applied
for Medicaid eligibility based on a MR Waiver, (the only way to get
reimbursed for services in Iowa), and we needed the test to be accepted
by WEAP for workshop services. Our school psycologist was very
reluctant to administer the test as it WOULD NOT accurately measure an
autistic child's intelligence or ability to learn. Neither she nor I
really wanted the results of this in his file, but since it was needed
for us to get services, we deemed it a necessary evil. We also are
sure that when the test is readministered yearly, the results will more
accurately reflect his ability as his programs improve his language and
cognitive abilities. I would not agree to this test unless the parents
are certain of the motives behind it. I would only agree to it as a
means to get DESIRED services. I feel it is suspect that the school
insists on this test without a reason. You are probably right in your
suspicion that they will use it to put the child in the TEACCH
classroom. As I stated, the score will not accurately reflect the
child's intelligence because of the language and social deficits of
autism.
Just my 2 cents.
Dawn

Please note: I'm just posting this advertisement--I didn't arrange
this seminar. Please don't e-mail me with questions, because all I
know is what's written below. Dr. McGreevy's website is
www.behaviorchange.com. Thanks!
- Becky B. (Indiana)
***********************************************************
Teaching Language and Appropriate Behavior to Children and Adults
with Developmental Disabilities, Including Autism
Workshop 1: An Introduction
November 3-4, 2001
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Omni Indianapolis North Hotel
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Presented by
Patrick McGreevy, Ph.D., BCBA and Associates
This 2-day workshop provides an introduction to the verbal behavior
approach to teaching language and appropriate behavior to vocal and
non-vocal children and adults with developmental disabilities,
including autism. This ABA approach, which is based on B.F. Skinner's
analysis of verbal behavior (i.e., expressive language) and the work
of Sundberg, Partington, Michael, Carbone, McGreevy and others,
begins with expressive language and includes specific teaching
procedures unfamiliar to most parents and professionals. This
workshop is designed for parents, teachers, speech-language
pathologists, curriculum coordinators, psychologists, behavior
analysts, in-home trainers, and other professionals and their
supervisors.
In contrast to other ABA approaches and cognitive models, this
approach (1) builds a behavioral relationship with the learner by
using noncontingent reinforcement, interspersed (rather than
repetitive) discrete trials, errorless teaching (rather than delayed
and corrective prompting), and a variable ratio schedule of
reinforcement, resulting in a cooperative learner who exhibits fewer
tantrums, (2) begins by teaching expressive language (rather than
teaching imitation, matching, and receptive language and waiting for
expressive language "to develop"), (3) builds language that is
spontaneous, natural (rather than scripted), fluent, and generalized
(i.e., occurs in many situations other than those in which it was
taught), and (4) provides an opportunity for older children and
adults, regardless of their handicap, to learn to express their needs
and wants for the first time. This approach, with these teaching
procedures, often results in children and adults who spontaneously
request and describe specific items and events, work cooperatively
and enthusiastically, and initiate and participate in conversations
which include a variety of questions and answers.
Participants will learn to initiate, implement and monitor a verbal
behavior program designed to improve language and appropriate
behavior. The registration fee includes a 300-page book written by
Drs. Mark Sundberg and Jim Partington, a set of guided notes written
by Dr. Patrick McGreevy, and refreshments. Twelve CEUs are available
for board certified behavior analysts who attend the entire workshop.
Follow-up, advanced workshops for parents and professionals will be
available at a later date.
Location and directions:
The Omni Indianapolis North Hotel is located at 8181 North Shadeland
Ave. in Indianapolis, Indiana. From the Indianapolis International
Airport, take I-70 East to I-465 North to I-69 North. From Chicago,
take I-65 South to I-465 East to I-69 North. Exit at 82nd and
Castleton (Exit 1) - at the end of the ramp (stop sign), proceed
straight; the hotel is on the left. Rooms are available at a
discounted rate of $89.00 per night. Call the Omni for reservations
(317/849-6668) and indicate you will be attending the Teaching
Language workshop. Reservations must be made by October 19, 2001, to
insure availability and room rate.
Early Registration (must be postmarked or paid by credit card online
by Oct. 19, 2001) is:
* Parent or professional - $215.00/person
* Additional members of family or in-home team (paid for by parents) -
$183.00/person
* Full-time students - $165.00/student
Late and On-Site Registration is $230.00/person.
If you already own the Sundberg and Partington book, subtract $30.00
from the appropriate registration fee.
Register online at www.behaviorchange.com

When I posted a question on Autism Friendly places to live- ( Madison, WI,
seems to be one of the best) I had a lot of people email me asking about the
original report I had read-here is the link for those who want to see it. It
was a government study so I assume everyone will be able to open the link, if
not I apologize.
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vernmentguide.com/ams/clickThruRedirect.adp%3F55076483%2C16920155%2Chttp%3A//www\
.kidfriendlycities.org/2001/majorcities.html"
http://www.governmentguide.com/ams/clickThruRedirect.adp?55076483,16920155,htt
p://www.kidfriendl</A

To All,
I am looking for a Board Certified VB consultant for an 8 year old
child with ASD- severe- in the UK. If you are interested, please
contact me ASAP.
Child has been doing ABA for the last 3 years. The projectis LEA
funded. Funding is secure for the next 2 years.
I will require Board Certification Number, and must have supervised
at least 4 children. Testimonals required.
Anyone who is working for WEAP need not apply.
Sheena.

Sorry to cross-post, but I have an evaluation question.
A child I worked with last year is in mediation. Their child has Fragile
X/Autism----he's severely affected with Fragile X and his autism is severe.
The school wants to evaluate him using the Stanford Binet IV. I do not know
much about this instrument. Is anyone familiar with it? Have any of you had
this test done on your child? Is it appropriate for an autistic child??
This mother desperately wants your input.
Thanks!
Shauna
PS- you can send all email to me and I will forward it on. Aurugby1@...

Hi Susan,
There will be a VB consultant in Alberta in early Sept. Feel free to
call me for info, space is limited.
sam
(403)660-4554

NEEDED ABA therapist for home-based program in Boston area. Delightful 10 yr.
old. Prior experience helpful but not required. Intensive training provided.
One yr.
commitment minimum. $20-$25/hr. 12-20 hrs./wk. Following ABLLS assessment/
Carbone teachings. Send resume and letter of interest to 6 Clayton St.
Medfield,MA
02052.

Please refer to the DTT-NET calendar for information on two workshops
in the Washington, D.C. area that may be of interest:
Strategies to Encourage Spontaneous Communication in the Home, School
and Community - September 13th in Bethesda, Maryland featuring speach
therapist, Cynthia McKenna.
Behavioral Intervetions in the Home: Visual and Practical Approaches -
October 27th in Vienna, Virgnia featuring Dr. Robin Allen, behaivor
specialist.
Both workshops are sponsored by STEP Seminars, founded by the parent
of a young boy with autism who is currently implementing a verbal
behavior program in her home.
Details are provided on the calendar listings. For more information
contact: stepseminars@... or call 301-495-8824,

Hello,
I am a teacher of several children with autism at a charter school in Ohio. The
trouble that has come up time and time again is difficulty with randomizing.
We are currently following the general format of mass trialing, increasing
distractors and then randomizing all mastered items.
The trouble lies in randomizing....the student's seem to memorizing the correct
answer and not learning anything that they can prove they know when it counts.
I would greatly appreciate ANY input on this problem.
thanks,
julie

Our 2 1/2 year old son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS 3 months ago. We
started an in home ABA program immediately and have a great team.
However, 2 of our therapists are school teachers and will only be
available in the afternoons starting in September. We are now
looking for a morning therapist/s.
My son is starting to imitate some sounds and words and he is making
a lot of progress. He is adorable, sweet, mild-mannered and fun! He
absolutely loves to learn!
Please e-mail me at ctso21@... if you are interested in joining
our wonderful team of therapist for morning hours (Monday through
Friday). If you are only available a few days a week, please contact
me anyway.

Sorry for cross posting but I am trying to gather as much info on I can on
suggested ways to stop stimming.
We brush etc. but we still have a lot of stimming of ALL kinds, especially
late at night and out in public.
Appreciate your thoughts on how to stop this.
Peggy

Margaret wrote:
"DD has reached the point where she is (at last) using her voice to request
things.
How do we go from (for instance) "dee" to "up". In other words, how do we
go
from sounds to words?"
One of the ways I have found successful in teaching children to learn to
echo specific speech sounds is to pair the sounds with finger cues and
music. I use the alphabet song from, "Sounds like Fun", from Discovery Toys
and the finger cues from "Easy Does It For Apraxia" by Lingua Systems. It
has worked very well for children who enjoy music. First I have the parents
play the song frequently and just sing along while doing the finger cues.
This can be done while playing, riding in the car or while dancing around
with the child but no response is initially required of the child. As soon
as the child starts trying to sing along, I stop the tape between verses and
get an echoic response. If the child has a strong EO for the song, the
continuation of the tape can serve as a reinforcer for the echoic trial. A
full explanation can be found in an article I wrote for the Apraxia Kids
website.
Tracy Vail,MS,CCC/SLP
VP Mariposa School for Children with Autism

My son is five. He's been doing ABA/VB for over two years now. We took
the summer off to just do excessive manding and pairing ourselves with
reinforcers. My son has the ability to echo words fine. He has a few
spontaneous mands but with the exception of those very few mands, he
never speaks. I just don't how to make language interesting enough for
him to speak. I am pretty diligent about making him use language for
request. Has anyone else had a child that for a long time this was all
the speaking they did and then they finally began using language? When
a year ago he spoke his first word, I thought for sure we were on our
way. Now I'm not. Any suggestions, advice or support would be
appreciated.
Thanks
Penny

Hi
OK - more questions! Hope you don't get tired of me!!! ;-)
DD has reached the point where she is (at last) using her voice to request
things.
How do we go from (for instance) "dee" to "up". In other words, how do we go
from sounds to words?
Thanks
Margaret

I did not buy into the activity schedule thing for along time, although had
calendar visuals to show what was happening in Michael's day for years.
Recently (last 8 months) we have went heavily to the activity schedule
method and it is a life saver. Michael (12) can now look at a board with
18+ activities on it and do them almost independently. We have
incorporated
his very favorite, obsessive things like watching T.V and his latest
learned
task of shooting basket balls. Michael is so obsessive with "his" things
he
wants to do, which are very limited, that he has no time or desire to learn
that anything else in life can be fun. This is where, once you have taught
a skill, it can then be incorporated into a schedule. Although. throwing a
basket ball was not a preferred activity for him in the beginning, we have
seen it grow from one basket to 10 baskets to on occasional throwing of
the ball with out a schedule. What we have done is taught him that there
are other things in life besides, looking at his pictures books, listening
to his music and watching his T.V. all in a stimmy fashion. If I lay out
writing activities (tracing at this point) or cutting activities he will
choose to go do those activities over his obsessive activities. I would of
never believe it.
I am a firm believer in scheduled activities now. I feel that Michael
needs
to see what is required of him. Left to his own, he will stim on these
obsessions to the point of aggression. I think schedules help him manage
his time and organize and calm his brain.
Cindy

I did not buy into the activity schedule thing for along time, although had
calendar visuals to show what was happening in Michael's day for years.
Recently (last 8 months) we have went heavily to the activity schedule
method and it is a life saver. Michael (12) can now look at a board with
18+ activities on it and do them almost independently. We have incorporated
his very favorite, obsessive things like watching T.V and his latest learned
task of shooting basket balls. Michael is so obsessive with "his" things he
wants to do, which are very limited, that he has no time or desire to learn
that anything else in life can be fun. This is where, once you have taught
a skill, it can then be incorporated into a schedule. Although. throwing a
basket ball was not a preferred activity for him in the beginning, we have
seen it grow from one basket to 10 baskets to on occasional throwing of
the ball with out a schedule. What we have done is taught him that there
are other things in life besides, looking at his pictures books, listening
to his music and watching his T.V. all in a stimmy fashion. If I lay out
writing activities (tracing at this point) or cutting activities he will
choose to go do those activities over his obsessive activities. I would of
never believe it.
I am a firm believer in scheduled activities now. I feel that Michael needs
to see what is required of him. Left to his own, he will stim on these
obsessions to the point of aggression. I think schedules help him manage
his time and organize and calm his brain.
Cindy
From: Geoff <G.KUROWSKY@...
Subject: activity schedules
Hi,
I've been reading and re-reading the teaching activity schedules from the
PCDI group, and while I always have a personal problem using activities or
items that seem contrived and make me feel that my child is more disabled
than he is after reading this book with some trepidation, I think it can be
useful and helpful for more disabled kids like my own. As one post
commented, "wouldn't it be better to set up the blocks and play 1:1"
etc. Yes, absolutely, you and your child together commenting is terrific,
and should be activities you do together, but I think of these schedules
more for the kids like mine who have no idea what to do NEXT and will
engage in inappropriate activities and engage in NOTHING at all if
allowed. For these types of children, setting up activity schedules is a
precursor for them to learn independence, and that is key independence, and
self respect and respect from others. IF my son can learn to use a written
schedule eventually he will be less dependent on the help of others, more
able to care for himself, and less dependent on other people to do things
for him.
That might mean he has a schedule to help him start his day and end his
day. He can feel good that he has accomplished things independently
without someone standing over him telling him what to do and how to do
it. For most of us with the more critically disabled children, knowing
that we won't be here forever to guide and care for them, knowing that they
can accomplish a lot of things independently makes me feel more secure
about his ability in the future.
So, even though the initial schedule set ups seem initially like things you
should be doing TOGETHER and why have a schedule, when you look at the big
picture, having your child independently go to a schedule book after
school, hang up a back pack, take out homework, wash their hands, and then
perhaps watch a favorite video or look at a book would make both child and
parent feel good. My child could never remember to do all of those things
without direct supervision, and or/physical or verbal prompting, and that
doesn't help him in the long run achieve the independence I so want for him.
Just my thoughts.
cate

To all those that replied to my post about wiping after a BM......
Wiping is going very well. Our son is wiping all by himself but needs very
little encouragement and reminder that he CAN do it by himself. First wipe
is with a flushable wipe. The rest of the "wipes" are done with tp. When
he gets tp we count 1-2-3 so he knows that at "3" he stops pulling the tp.
He knows to stop wiping when he sees "clean" on the tp. I taught him how to
"hide" the bm on the tp to reuse the "wad" he still has. It's going very
well. I think all that's left is reinforcing what he's doing and reminding
him that he can be independent AND how others do things in the bathroom at
school. I think that that task will be better taught at school during the
moment.
Thanks again to everyone who took time to reply to my post. EVERYONE's
input helped me focus on a plan.
Rose in Wisconsin

Once again we are searching for a person to replace our current therapist
who will be moving out of state next month. WE are looking for someone
that would like to work between 6-21 hours per week. We are located
north of Boston. Our son is 6 and loves to work.
Phyllis
PMRSkizner@...

We are having a hard time breaking into my son's motivators during playtime. He
is really motivated by trains and tends to ignore most attempts to break into
his train play. Does anybody have a similar situation? I could use ideas on
educational themes related to trains, Thomas the Tank Engine in particular.
Also, has anyone used English as a Second Language videos with any success? My
son generalizes language well from videos, so any really smart, language driven
videos would be helpful if anyone could recommend a particular series. Thanks.
Juliet Burk
pentaburks@...
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence"

Vince,
Thanks for your post to support the wonderful work
people have done in teaching verbal behavior and to
help others understand our science. No one could have
said it better.
Jing Zhou, M.S.
Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Listmates:
I had two equally strong, but opposite, reactions in reading the Sallows letter
posted earlier today.
My first reaction was a flashback to 3 1/2 years ago when our son Aaron was 5
1/2, and having newly discovered ABA after a misdiagnosis and several wrong
turns, we were upset to read several authoritative sources warning that there
wasn't any scientific evidence that ABA worked for children older than 5. There
are few feelings in life as horrible as feeling that the last ship your child
will ever get to sail on in his life is leaving the dock just as your car pulls
up. We looked at our son. We didn't look that different at 5 1/2 than he did
at 5. Then we looked into it further and concluded that the "lack of evidence"
could have resulted as much from a lack of investigation as from tests on older
kids that had been discouraging. So we did ABA anyway. It definitely helped
our son make a good start. Then, about a year later, the Eikeseth study came to
our attention, showing the benefits of ABA to children aged 5 to 7. (Of course,
our son was almost 7 when the study came o!
ut, so if we had waited for the
study he probably would have become too old for us to try ABA again;the same
logic would then have us wait for a study of 7 to 9 year olds.) So my first
reaction to Dr. Sallows's letter was to feel the same anger that I felt when
that 5-year-old age limit seemed to be thrown into our faces three years ago, at
every turn.
But then I thought about my son, and about the leaps in progress he has been
making since we begain switching to a verbal behavior program at the beginning
of this year, how I feel now when he mands for me to come upstairs from a floor
away and help him with something, comments spontaneously about things because it
gives him pleasure now to do so, and willingly sits at a teaching table where
it's often fun and satisfying to learn, instead of the home of the dreaded mass
trial. Unlike 3 1/2 years ago, we are already using verbal behavior and we
already know it is working. It makes waiting for the studies to come out a
little easier to take.
When I read Dr. Sallows's outrageous insinuation that Drs. Carbone, Sundberg and
Partington are trying to cloak themselves with Skinner's reputation when his
work had nothing to do with theirs, something was not right. Every time I have
ever heard these fine professionals or their staff speak (e.g.,Dr. Carbone's
superb Introductory Seminar #1; online course offered by Sundberg and
Partington's Behavior Analysts, Inc.; Sundberg-Partington manual; Dr.Carbone's
guided notes),they NEVER claimed more than the fact that they were APPLYING
Skinner's verbal behavior theories and classification of verbal operants to
autism through the use of effective teaching techniques. I don't know which
version of the materials Dr.Sallows obtained, but my copy is replete with
references to authorities for virtually every element of the program--from
keeping the pace, mixing and varying, and errorless learning to keeping demands
and reinforcement in balance. (Mark Sundberg's editorial at 14 Analy!
sis of Verbal Behavior 1-3 (1997
) explains the evolution of applying the verbal behavior approach to teaching
children with autism in greater detail.) 7
How outlandish are the conclusions of which Dr. Sallows is so critical? Should
it really be such a surprise that children who enjoy what they are doing learn
and retain information better? Or that knowing something cold (fluency) is a
legitimate test of mastery? Or that learning and remembering things is easier
when the subject matter is mixed and varied because you have to be on your toes
more when you don't know what is coming next? Or that a learner worries less
about getting answers wrong,and is a more relaxed and better learner, when 80%
of the time he is getting things right? Or that self-confident children learn
better? Or that trying to learn while your teacher writes something down after
every response you give the entire time you are with him or her (instead of
simply probing periodically) is annoying, distracting, and counterproductive?
Or that something that becomes effective and enjoyable for you (i.e.,talking) is
likely to do be something that you want to !
do more of? Apart from the scho
larly support for these techniques,there is also the more basic point that EVERY
ONE of these techniques is widely and maybe even universally acknowledged as an
effective teaching technique for NT individuals. Are we not supposed to use
them on our children just because they have autism?
Some of the greatest accomplishments in the history of civilization involved
understanding how already developed ideas and concepts could be blended together
in a new way, or applied in a new circumtance. If in the final analysis, Drs.
Carbone, Sundberg and Partington are found guilty of "SIMPLY" (!) figuring out a
way to blend Skinner's brilliant analysis of language with intelligent,
effective teaching techniques to help alleviate a horrendous disability, I
somehow don't think history's going to judge them too harshly.
Steve Kieselstein

Ok gang, so I tried to take it easy this summer with Kenzie. Lot's of
manding and a little sprinting. We got to the point where he didn't
even want to do shake fluency sprints, let alone any verbal behavior.
Receptively, he seems to be doing quite well. With fall and the new
school year coming around, I'm really ready to crack down again.
Nothing I try seems to click whether it's fun or work, so I might as
well try to make him work. I'm wondering if any of you have used
activity schedules to break down your DTT. I just started a few days
ago using an activity schedule much like a TEACCH format. I made it
EXTREMELY EASY AND BASIC. I only used three pictures for any kind of
work. He's doing pretty well with it but there's no verbal behavior.
I'm using it to try to teach some independent activities. I'm going
from "Activity Schedules for Children with Autism". Anyhow, how could
you show an example of the various verbal behaviors with pictures? I can
see how you could do matching and maybe tacting and imitation but how
would you do receptive, IV, etc? Has anyone tried this and has it
proven successful and easier for the child to prepare and focus? I still
have constant problems with his verbal stimming and tuning me out.
As always I would appreciate any suggestions. I need to get motivated
to get a real program going again. I'm on my own for a while. My
consultant just had her first child a week ago.
Thanks
Penny

One of our ABA therapists is looking for additional hours in the
central/southern New Jersey area. She is EXCELLENT and comes highly
recommended. We love her!! She is available M-W-F mornings until
2:00ish depending on the location. If interested, she can be reached
at 609-723-2737 or e-mail at jasonmarcia3845@....

I find this post VERY interesting, as I happen to know that Glen
Sallows has personally seen the very positive results that occurred
with at least one child that Vince worked with.
In this particular instance, it was an older child who had not made
much progress with the standard Lovaas-style program. A year after
they began VB, the child was completely different, and VERY
successful. Without going into too many details, I can say without
qualification that VB was what made the difference. (I have talked
with the mother, so I know this for a fact.)
And to say that VB was not well researched ....?!! I really don't
know where that is coming from, because there are plenty of research
papers out there on VB for anybody to read.
I think this does bring up a very important point though. As a
parent, my agenda is going to be a LOT different from that of a
professional. (And I think it's important for all of us parents to
keep the following in mind.) We are NOT dealing in the abstract here,
but with our children's lives and futures. We CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT
FOR THE YEARS OF PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH PAPERS.
Just because there has not been a lot of "scientific research" to back
this up (and that's a questionable statement at best, because I
believe there is ample research if you look) does not mean you should
not use a particular treatment method. And, I know I will probably
anger some folks here, but I strongly believe this applies not only to
education methodologies, but to the other treatments out there for
children with autism. It is our responsibility as parents to look
into and find the best COMBINATION of therapies to help each of our
children.
As a simple example, we know that the earth is round. But many years
ago, people did not know this. The fact that they didn't have any
proof that it was round, didn't change the fact that it WAS round.
While having "scientific proof" can be a wonderful thing (and perhaps
lend you more confidence), it's not a necessity. I don't need to have
a stack of papers piled up beside my desk to evaluate whether VB is an
appropriate methodology for my son. I can see that it is working.
That is all the proof I need. To look at it another way, there is a
study out there which states that close to 47% of children who follow
the Lovaas program will "recover". I can tell you that we did
EVERYTHING by the book, and my son did NOT recover, or even make
substantial progress with the Lovaas program. I'm very glad that 47%
of the kids in that study DID recover, but it really means nothing to
me if it's not an effective treatment for MY son.
My criteria for choosing what to do for my son is primarily based on
my own observations, in addition to reading literature or studies.
Certainly it is critical to research something as best you can, but
careful OBSERVATIONS OF THE EFFECTS OF A PARTICULAR TREATMENT are a
whole lot more meaningful for me. And yes, I look for input from
other parents as to what worked best for their child. And I will
weigh more heavily the results of a parent whose child presents with
similar symptoms to my child, than I will to a parent whose child is
very different from mine.
I really wish that we could all work more as a cohesive team to try to
come up with answers for these kids, instead of putting blinders on.
I've heard many of the pure behaviorists actually state that there is
no proof that any of these kids have a medical problem, and that those
of us who chose to pursue biomedical treatments in addition to
educational therapies are "wasting our money". I wonder how somebody
can say something like this without knowing all the details of my
particular child. Similarly, I've heard people talk about the
"uselessness" of occupational therapy or sensory integration. This
seems very close minded to me.
As a parent, I need to (and have a responsibility to) consider ALL of
the alternatives. I have to put together all of the pieces, and look
at the BIG picture.
My dream is to see professionals in all areas of autism research and
treatment put aside their egos and WORK TOGETHER to help the children
be all that they can be, rather than wasting our time trying to tell
us why their method is better and all others should be ignored.
P.S. In my "former life" as a professional in the computer industry,
one of the jobs I held was to review competitive products and write
papers stating why our product was superior to that of the
competition. I was often called in by the sales reps to help "close"
deals, by pointing out to the customer why we were better than the
other guy. (Believe me, you can ALWAYS find reasons to prove you are
better.) But the OTHER part of my job was to be a "spy" of sorts.
That is, when I saw great features in the other products, I passed
those ideas on to our development team so they could turn around and
incorporate them into ours as well.
The bottom line is, the more you learn from others, the STRONGER you
become.
Cindy (Cary, NC)
persistentC@...
http://www.rtphome.org/mariposa/

Hi,
I normally do not post but we started using verbal behavior with my 9
year old child this summer. We went to see a specialist on May 4
before starting the program and she put him on medication that did
not work. We went back on June 30 after starting his program and she
will not recommend any meds now because of the change in his
behavior. He has never talked until this summer and now his
vocabulary is becoming unlimited and he is a very happy young man. We
are using the signs with him and they are only a prompt now.
Linda

One of my son's therapist is going back to college, and will be available to do
therapy in the Durant, Ok area. she is also willing to drive to the
Sherman/Denison, Tx area.
If anyone is interested, please respond to this post, and I will put you in
contact with her.
Teresa Waters

Sounds like to me that Glenn Sallows is just trying to make sure that his
million dollar company continues to make money!! I have addressed some of
his concerns in this email. Know that I am just a mom who needs no more
research on effective treatments because I see if everyday with my own eyes!
My son now comes to me to ask me for things, answers my questions and no
longer screams his way thru therapy. This was something that our other big
named well known consultant was not able to do and he is a replication site
consultant with outcome data but could not get my child to talk or stop
tantruming!!
What consultants who use VB did do is take Skinner's work and apply that to
children with autism. If one does not look at Skinner's work in the book
Verbal Behavior you would not be able to classify language accurately and
there forth would have children with very splintered skills. What the
professionals do that use verbal behavior, is take the science and apply
that to children with autism. They use Skinner 's work along with the
research that has been published in JABA as well as AVB that support certain
teaching procedures, such as pairing, errorless teaching, mix and vary,
teaching to fluecny.etc. There are many studies that proved all these
teaching methods!!
If you look in The Me book, Dr. Lovaas says to teach eye contact which I now
believe he has retracted. Science evolves over time. I am sure that Dr.
Lovaas also said things 10 years ago (using aversives is another one) that
he now would not recommend. If he did not then he would not be a good
scientist or an ethical one.
I suggest getting The collection of Reprints that Sundberg and Michael put
together and read over the many articles and you will be able to see the
science behind their so called "non researched methods".
Seems like to me that 87 Lovaas study was a little shakey at best!!
I urge you to not make your mind up over one newsletter but to go see a good
verbal behavior consultant give a workshop first.
Sally

The rivets I put my white board up with were very easy. They were white plastic
so are invisible against the board. You can easily apply them to any type of
plaster/drywall without worrying about finding a stud. I simply drilled a 1/4 "
depth hole through the plaster and pushed them in. They spread out on the other
side of the plaster to lock the board in place. I suppose they require a
surface with empty space behind it within an inch or so. So a really thick
concrete wall would be out. Thanks for all the great ideas.
My son's new preschool is looking to set up a center based VB program for him
and about 4 other kids. I am trying to figure out ideal daily programming
(scheduling, etc) and curriculum tracking. Has anyone done a VB center based
program and had success with notebooks v. white boards or some combination of
those? I could use some ideas. I have a pretty free hand in designing the
program. The preschool is wonderful--50% integrated with a strong
Greenspan/SI/OT foundation. Some of their kids have been declassified with just
the Greenspan approach alone, but the director sees the need for the VB
component. I would welcome any suggestions on starting up a VB group within a
integrated special needs preschool. We have access to a separate room for
pulling kids out if necessary or as needed. Email me directly with your
experience and advice.
Juliet Burk
pentaburks@...
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence"

My earlier post did not indicate where we live, sorry. We are in
Bucks County, PA. As previously stated. We are going to begin our
sons program - AVB - in September and we are looking for therapists.
If interested please email me at salame3955@... for more
information. Thanks.

Hi. Our son was diagnosed with ASD about 1 month ago. We are
scheduled to begin ABA/AVB therapy the second week in September. We
are currently searching for therapists. Anyone interested or know of
anyone who might be interested in working with our son - please email
me - the email above is incorrect, please use the following:
salame3955@....
Thank you!

Dear list,
Would appreciate any recommendations for tutor you bright loving child with
autism. Immediate opening for intensive 1:1 instruction and/or shadow in
northern NJ. Experience with DTT/NET/Verbal behavior a plus. Must be
dedicated and reliable. Excellent pay. Flexible hours. TOH certification a
plus, but not required.
All replies confidential. Call 201-489-8606 or email Kimmunley@...

In a message dated 8/8/2001 4:19:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

In a message dated 8/7/2001 3:41:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

Hi
I've been on the list a few weeks now, and I notice mails saying that children
have gone from being almost totally non-verbal, to having more than 200 words
in less than a year. HOW DO YOU DO THIS?????
My daughter is four, and has maybe five or six words. She won't use them
unless
she actually wants the item. She doesn't echo, or not consistently. How do
I take her from this, to using language because she wants to, not only because
she wants something?
Thanks for any advice.
Margaret
San Jose

Sorry for such a private subject but I have to ask others that hopefully can
tell me a "magical" answer.
Our son is 6 diagnosed with PDD-NOS and will be going to kindergarten in a
couple weeks (AHHHH!!!). We have always wiped him after he has a BM. I
just never felt comfortable letting him do it on his own and he has never
expressed an interest in doing it himself either. Does anyone have any
suggestions on how to teach him? It will be messy I fear but there's no
"typical" way around that issue. He's a quick learner so we should be able
to teach him before school starts...that's the goal anyway.
Thanks,
Rose

Hi, all. I'm forwarding this for someone else. I haven't worked with
her, so if you're interested, please check references, etc. Please reply
directly to her at Shmoopie89@....
Best,
Christina
Christina Burk, M.A.
Consulting Behavior Analyst (AVB specialization)
www.ChristinaBurkABA.com
ChristinaBurkABA@...

Hi, all. Just wanted to let you know that www.ChristinaBurkABA.com is
back up and running. You can now access it at both that address and at
www.ChristinaBurk.com. Thanks for your patience and for letting me know it
was missed!
Best,
Christina
Christina Burk, M.A.
Consulting Behavior Analyst (AVB specialization)
www.ChristinaBurkABA.com
ChristinaBurkABA@...

Hi
Any ideas out there on how to teach my 4yo dd to discriminate consistently
with the PECS icons? When she pays attention and is focussed, she's able
to do it fairly well, but that happens so rarely!!!
Thanks
Margaret

I was asked to post the following on behalf of Children Making Strides.
Please direct all questions to Pat@... or call 508-759-6754:
Dr. Carbone's associates Cherish Richards and Holly Smith will be coming
to Massachusetts this fall to lead workshops in Teaching Verbal Behavior
for Tutors & Therapists (Dr. Carbone's "Workshop #4). There are 3
2-day workshops scheduled, with room for only 20 participants in each
session. The first 2-day workshop will be held on the Cape. Locations
for the other dates are pending. The following information can also be
found on Dr. Carbone's website www.drcarbone.net
Workshop #4: Teaching Verbal Behavior
Hands-on Training for Tutors & Therapists
Where: Massachussetts
When: September 24 & 25, 2001; October 1 & 2, 2001; and October 3 & 4,
2001
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Accommodations: Individual choice
To register: Contact Pat Antonellis at Children Making Strides via email
at Pat@... or phone 508-759-6754.
Cherish Richards, BA
Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst
Ms. Richards graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the
University of Central Florida. She began her career as a teacher at a
private school for children with autism in Orlando, Florida. While
pursuing her certificate in behavior analysis, she worked as the
behavior specialist at the school. After receiving her certification,
she began working with Intervention Services in Orlando as a behavior
analyst. She was responsible for providing in home services for parents
with children who had severe behavior problems. In addition, she has
provided tutor/therapist ABA services, as well as consultation services
under Dr. Carbones supervision. She has provided these services in
homes as well as school settings. Ms. Richardss affiliation with Dr.
Carbone has included many hours of direct clinical supervision of her
teaching of children with autism. In addition, she has served as
consultant to many families and children under Dr. Carbones
supervision. Her academic preparation has included workshop training and
graduate work in Verbal Behavior. Ms. Richards assists in the
presentation of information at many of Dr. Carbones workshops. She will
soon be a co-presenter of a workshop designed specifically for
tutor/therapists and teachers.
Holly Smith, BA
Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst
Ms. Smith holds as Bachelors degree in Psychology and will soon receive
her M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of
Technology in Melbourne, Florida. Her professional positions included
teaching at a pre-school for children with autism and serving as a
behavior analyst for an ABA service provider. In this capacity she was
responsible for providing in-home services for parents with children who
had severe behavior disorders. She has also served as a tutor/therapist
for children with autism and as a program consultant under Dr. Carbones
supervision. She has many hours of direct clinical supervision by Dr.
Carbone including graduate practicum experience. She was a graduate
student of Dr. Carbone in his Verbal Behavior course at Florida
Institute of Technology. Ms. Smith assists in the presentation of
information at many of Dr. Carbones workshops. She will soon be a
co-presenter of a workshop designed specifically for therapists and
teachers.
Again, please direct all questions to Children Making Strides at
Pat@... or call 508-759-6754. Thanks.

Hi, all. Sorry for the crossposting, but I've gotten a lot of emails
from folks asking what's going on with my site. www.ChristinaBurkABA.com is
temporarily down due to a mixup with my domain host, but it should be back up
within the next few days. In the meantime, you can reach the site through
www.ChristinaBurk.com. Thanks for your patience and sorry for any
inconvenience.
Best,
Christina
Christina Burk, M.A.
Consulting Behavior Analyst (AVB specialization)
www.ChristinaBurkABA.com
ChristinaBurkABA@...

This sircam virus is spreading...
Here is the scoop!
And here is a link that will help you remove it if you dont know if you
have it or not..
http://antivirus.about.com/library/weekly/aa072301b.htm?rnk=r1&terms=sircam+viru\
s
http://antivirus.about.com/library/weekly/aa072301b.htm

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 23:09:03 +1000
From: "Rogerson" <nrogerso@...
Subject: Possible Virus
Just a word of warning, I keep getting an email from someone called Brenda
with an attachment entitled 'Therapy notes' and a message that she is
looking for advice. I emailed back to ask if she had sent it to the right
person, but no response. I don't like opening attachments from unknown
people, in case of virus. I have recieved this message 3 times, but with no
other reposnse, so maybe there could be a virus around our group.
Nicole
-============= YES! it's a virus. look for the following in the text:
Hi! How are you?
I send you this file in order to have your advice
See you later. Thanks
--there are other text lines, but that one is the most common.
hi there,
just wanted to forward some information on a virus that may affect you. i
received an e-mail that contained the virus. however, since it raised a few
red flags (didn't know the sender, extention wasn't only ".doc", etc) i did
not open it. after checking with Semantic i found the following information
Subject: The subject of the email will be random, and will be the same
as the file name of the email attachment.
Attachment: The attachment is a file taken from the
sender's computer and will have the extension .bat, .com, .lnk or .pif added
to it.
Message: The message body will be semi-random, but will
always
contain one of the following two lines (either English or
Spanish) as the first and last sentences of the message.
English Version:
First line: Hi! How are you?
Last line: See you later. Thanks
if you are not sure if you have the virus, i would still run the fix tool. it
will let you know if you had it when it's done running.
to run the fix tool:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sircam.worm@mm.removal.tool.htm
l

To obtain and run the tool:
1. Go to http://www.sarc.com/avcenter/FixSirc.com
2. Download the Fixsirc.com file to the a convenient
location, such as your download folder or the Windows desktop.
3. then just open the file and click to start.
DELETE the e-mail immediately and forward the information to everyone on your
address book. the virus attaches to your address book. so, LOOK OUT for the
same virus as attachments from people you know.
Selma Martinez
ABA/VB Consultant
Chicagoland, USA

I was gonna stay out of this , but I do feel pretty strongly about
this....being a mother of a child who suffered from SEVERE oral motor
apraxia...
a few years ago I was contacted by the Head of the Speech Pathology
Association for Ontario...
in our discussion the statement- we know that Hannen is completely
ineffective for children with Autism , came up.
Hannen is OFTEN PUSHED upon parents ( at least in my province) because
frankly the SLP's are NOT trained in ABA methods or DTT or frankly how to
tackle SEVERE to Moderate apraxia. It would require complete retraining, and
I am also not convinced that ego is not at play in some cases where " the
best interest of the child" is in question.
If I had relied on the Hannen Program to produce a speaking child, I assure
you in my case I would STILL be waiting....
I do feel Hannen could/can be effective in cases where there is already
speech , behaviors are already extinct or manageable and that NO other
speech disorder is present eg. apraxia/ dental abnormalities etc..
to me from what I have seen....its like " floortime" " play".....
This opinion in no way implies that speech paths or CDA's would diliberately
use an ineffective tool in the treatment of autism and or apraxia.
norrah
fight4aba@...
aba4u@...

If any of you have received an email from this account with an attachment,
then please delete it immediately. It is a virus.
Sincerely,
Brian

Hi,
I hope I'm not being too boring with my IEP and school issues, but I hope
that it's helpful for someone else trying to implement inclusion in a
regular school setting with a fairly involved child.
What I have run into thus far is surprising-- the easy part is implementing
the D.T. The consultant I use has been to Carbone seminars etc. and had
been using Lovaas style programming three years ago when we started. She
is now running a verbal behavior type of program, not an exact replica but
close enough to get a lot of the good points of verbal behavior style. We
have changed it over slowly over the course of the last year. The problem
I have is that the functional/social, life skills/ community skills are not
being addressed or planned for by this one provider. This was the problem
we had last year and this is the problem for this year.
Teaching things like using the bathroom independently, using the cafeteria,
finding areas in the school, approaching, and tolerating other children,
initiation of requests to teachers etc. so many things of that nature are
not addressed and have not been addressed. So, I am considering having a
two pronged approach, leaving the curriculum in place as is, since it is
working, and having someone skilled in the functional/social training do
staff training, and writing goals and objectives for these areas.
Without someone skilled in the functional/social areas, he will never learn
to use the boys bathroom independently (my school's idea is not to teach it
at all, but to send him to the nurses' bathroom), never use the cafeteria
or learn to use money, select food, carry a tray, find a table etc. and
many other skills). So, its interesting to see when you get into the
school setting how important it is for the consultant to be well versed in
all of these areas. This has surprised me as one of our greatest pitfalls,
and one I did not expect. the home program ran fine, but I did not have
all of these extra requirements at that time. So, for those of you with
young children if you have to choose a consultant think ahead to the future
and try to find a consultant that can put a cohesive program together
for you. Ask them about their expertise in the social/functional/behavior
areas. With the onset of more people becoming certified behavior analysts
I hope this will help raise the bar a bit.
To have someone who can write curriculum and implement this is great and
initially may be enough for home programming, but later on, you need
someone will be savvy in behavior management systems, visual programming,
teaching life skills, functional skills, social integration, and million
other things. When my son was age 3 I didn't even think of these things,
but at age 7 Wow it smacked me right in the face, cannot ignore it.
It might help to be aware of all of this so you don't have to regroup like
I am doing so late in the game.
Cate

Try making a poster that looks like a target with concentric circles. The
center would be his family who he can hug, kiss and receive gifts from. The
next circle is other people he loves who he may also hug, kiss and receive
gifts from. The third circle would be friends and neighbors whom he might
wave to and receive a gift/food if he was accompanied by someone in the
first 2 circles. The next circle woud be safe public figures like his
doctor, minister, a policeman, etc. The outside circle would be strangers
or people that he should not have physical contact with. Of course this can
be adpated to his particular needs.
We have not done this yet, but our district autism specialist recommended it
and it makes a lot of sense to me. We are going to try this after my son
returns from camp.

I am still on my search for a great therapist to help with my son's
ABA/DTT program after school. We are located north of Boston. The
program is funded by the school system and the pay is good.
Phyllis

Hi everyone.
I was wondering if anyone has any advice for me. I am a therapist for a
9-year-old boy ,with a PDD dx, and we are working on stranger awareness (not
talking to strangers, not accepting things from strangers, etc.). I was
wondering if anyone has any suggestions for videos or other materials they
may have used to teach this topic, or just any other suggestions in this
area. This topic is extremely important for our kids to learn to keep them
safe, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Alisa
alisam27@...

Hi, everybody!
We are working with my 5 year old son in the use of What, Where.... etc. but
seems unresponsive and he is confused. We have tried modeling, giving him a
script and prompting the whole answer but no results so far, he is refusing to
answer at all. I will like to hear suggestions.
thank you
maricela

Speaking as an educator who has collected data in both ways I must say that for
quality teaching probe data is much better. If the data sheets used are well
thought out it is easy to tell what the child worked on each day. In the home
program that I am running now, we have a drill list at the front on the book and
probe sheets that have each target written out and sectioned together
corresponding to the letter and number of the drill in the ABLLS. Each
therapist looks at the front drill list sheet at the beginning of each session
and writes down five drills on a small dry erase board that were not completed
in the last session (or all that were not completed if less than five). Once
making sure those drills our completed they are asked to do the drills that they
had not done in their last session... This help assure that all material is
covered and that therapists are not doing only their "favorite" drills.
If you ask therapists to take trial by trial data I can guarantee that the
teaching that your child receives will be of a lesser quality and quantity.
Even the best therapist can not take trial by trial data and not loose some of
the spontaneity and naturalness that is so much a part of the VB method. For
specific anecdotal information always have a general notes section at the front
of the book this way any unusual behavior exhibited during drills can be written
there.
Shana

I received this posting and thought I would pass it along.
Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Educational Institute, Inc.
Presents...
Teaching Advanced Language Skills to Children with Autism and Other
Developmental Disabilities
MARK L. SUNDBERG, Ph.D.
11 CE Credits for Psychologists
11 ABA Credits for Applied Behavior Analysts
11 Credits for School Personnel (Act 48 PA Dept. of Education)
About Dr. Sundberg Dr. Sundberg is a licensed psychologist and a board certified
Behavior Analyst who has been conducting language research with children with
autism and other developmental disabilities for over 25 years. He has published
over 35 papers, manuals, and book chapters, given over 300 conference
presentations and workshops, and has taught over 80 college courses.
About the seminar This is a two-day seminar. The first day will serve as an
introductory presentation covering the basic elements of B.F. Skinner's analysis
of language, language assessment, and beginning a language intervention program.
The second day will be in a discussion-type format. The audience will be
involved by preparing questions, topics of interest, and sharing experiences
directly related to their clients which will be analyzed by Dr. Sundberg. Feel
free to bring video tapes of your case studies.
Who should attend? Behavior Analysts, psychologists, speech language
pathologists, special education teachers, parents, and other human service
professionals.
When and where? Thursday October 18th, 2001 & Friday October 19th, 2001.
8 A.M.- 4P.M. (both days)
Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Center
136 East Avenue, Erie Pa 16507
How to register/ Call the Barber Center at 814/453-7661, ext. 279-Ask for
Dianne Allaire
Questions? Fax us at: 814/454-2771 or E-Mail diannea@...
What does it cost? $125.00 for professionals per day (Buffet lunch included)
$75.00 for families and students per day (Buffet lunch included)
Call to find out about special group rates/discounts
Why should You attend? Dr. Sundberg is an internationally recognized expert in
language and other developmental disabilities. You have an opportunity to
witness his long-awaited first appearance in the Northeastern part of the
country.
The Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Educational Institute, Inc. is approved by the
American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for
psychologists. The Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Educational Institute maintains
responsibility for the program.

I just wanted to add to my original post that part of my reluctance
to teach signs for items he doesn't get often ( but *loves* and finds
very reinforcing) is that we would be pushing alot of new signs on
him and possibly confusing him (along with very few practice
opportunities). As I said though, I hate to just hand him things and
not use all the opportunities for learning he/we have.
Thanks for any thoughts you all might have.
Eileen

Hello my Listmates,
Here's something I've been wondering about; How do you all go about
teaching mands for items that your child *loves* and finds *very*
reinforcing, but doesn't get very often. In other words, he/she
would *not* have alot of practice opportunities (which my son needs
in order to learn). For an example, my son brought home some rice
crispie treats they made in school, and is loving them! However,
rice crispie treats are not something we have often (probably less
than monthly). We could try to teach him the sign today, but would
it have any meaning when he gets them again? We come up against this
situation pretty often, and I figure many of you must too. How do
you handle it? Go ahead and teach the sign anyway? Or try a more
general sign, (I know Dr. Carbone is against more general signs, and
probably many of you too).
Along the same lines; what do you do if you are away from home, and
have no way of looking up a sign for an item your child is loving?
Would you use a more general sign (i.e., "eat", or "give me" as two
examples), so at least the child has to ask for the item?
I hate just to hand things to my son, especially things he finds very
reinforcing. I feel like we squander learning opportunities in these
situations, but not sure what the best way to handle these times is.
How do you all handle situations like these?
Thanks for any thoughts,
Eileen

We are looking for a junior or senior therapist to join our home ABA team.
We have a well organized Verbal Behaviour program for our 3 1/2 year old son
and are centrally located in Toronto (5 minute walk from St Clair West
subway stop). If anyone knows of someone looking for more hours, please have
them contact us via email or phone.
Thanks, Helena
Email: dd2034@...
Phone: 416-927-1407

Imitation skills can be difficult for many children with autism Some
of the factors that make it more likely that a person would imitate a
model are:
-Similarity of the model to the potential imitator
-The prestige or attractiveness of the model
-Emphasizing critical aspects of the modeled stimuli
-Whether or not the imitated behavior is reinforced
-Attention to the model, and
-Difficulty of the modeled behavior
One strategy used in the field of behavior analysis to teach
imitation skills is called video modeling. This involves capturing
some interaction on videotape, playing it for the potential imitator,
arranging a similar, "live" scenario, and testing for imitation.
A few years ago I had a seven-year-old student with autism who had a
fair amount of language skills. He was integrated in a public
Kindergarten. He displayed functional expressive and receptive
communication skills, but lacked reciprocal conversational turn
taking beyond one turn. He often initiated conversation with adults
and peers, but his conversations typically related to topics on which
he perseverated, e.g., hair, movies, t.v. programs. He also often
responded to statements with inappropriate questions or irrelevant
utterances. He displayed various motor and verbal stereotypic
behaviors such as rapid hand and finger movements in front of his
face, humming, and self-talk.
The student's mother had talked about wanting her son to learn some
more play skills that were age appropriate, and to be able to comment
appropriately about the play. The boy's peers were observed
pretending to drive things, build things, and crash things. Crashing
was very fun for these boys. Scripts and scenarios were developed
based on some of my observations and based on the mean number of
words spoken in a sentence by the student.
One of the play situations was with toy vehicles, another with
blocks, and another with stamps. With each scenario, I videotaped
myself and another adult with whom the student was familiar and had a
good relationship, playing and commenting on these various themes.
We each had 3 lines to say (e.g., "My car's going to crash....Look
out...that was cool). After the tapes were made to our liking, I had
the student come to a room and watch one of the scenarios. He
watched it a few times; I turned off the video, and had him go over
to a set of identical materials (identical to those in the video), to
attempt to replicate what he had just seen. If he didn't imitate,
then I just stopped what we were doing and had him watch the video
again. The requirement for this stu