AVA - as an unmistakable method of teaching children with autism
How many children with autism are there in Ukraine today? In our country, the diagnosis of autism is just developing, so there is no exact data yet. There is also a significant lack of educational institutions / centers to help such children.
However, things are not as bad as it may seem at first glance. Now training centers are gradually appearing in Ukraine, which will help your child acquire vital skills and prepare him as much as possible for an independent and full life. One of such centers will be discussed in this article. Olga Kalitkina and Olga Shchetinina, colleagues and friends, are currently working on opening their own ABA center for children with autism and other special educational needs. Applied behavior analysis (ABA ) is a scientific discipline that involves the use of modern behavioral theory of learning to develop a child’s various skills and eliminate unwanted behavior.
And so, AVA specialists Olga Kalitkina and Olga Shchetinina will tell us more about the advantages of this technique, the opening of the AVA center and the most important mistakes in the rehabilitation of a child with autism.
Olga, tell us, what do you do besides this? Who are you by profession?
Olga K: I am a journalist by my first education. About three years ago, my child Kirill was diagnosed with "childhood autism." Since then, my life, my profession - everything has changed dramatically. I enrolled in BCBA certified courses with J. Erz and completed a full distance program within 2 years. Now I also receive the second higher education on a specialty "oligophrenic pedagogy" in NPU it. N.P. Драгоманова.
At first I worked only with my child, but very soon I realized that I wanted to develop in the field of ABA and also began to work with other children.
Last year, I went to school as a tutor (child assistant). My job was to accompany the child to lessons, as well as to conduct individual lessons. At school I gained a tremendous experience and now I have the opportunity and desire to share this experience with others and open a center for children like my child.
Why did you want to help other children, not just yours?
Olga K:A lot of knowledge, experience, as I had to immerse myself in this profession with my head. In my family, ABA is a way of life. It often seems to me that these are all so obvious things and it is not clear why parents do not know what to do with their child. Although, at the beginning of the journey I was exactly the same. When my child was diagnosed with autism, he did not understand the speech at all, did not follow any instructions, did not say any sound, was not interested in toys, there was a lot of problematic and self-stimulating behavior, any visit, shop, cafe ended in a very long hysteria. rolling on the floor and screaming to the rales. It was impossible to cut the child’s nails, hair, wash his head. There was no contact with the children. Neither I nor anyone in my family could handle Kirill. And only AVA changed my child dramatically. Now he goes to the usual kindergarten, talks a lot, communicates with peers, actively catches up with all the lost. Yes, problems remain. Of course, we did not get rid of autism. I realize that there is still work to be done and that autism will last a lifetime. Now our primary goal is to go to a regular school and keep up with the program.
Why did I decide to work with other children? I have become too much in my child’s life. Olga Shchetinina, the curator of my child’s kindergarten, tells me: "Be a mother at least sometimes." I am already so used to turning any situation into a teaching one that sometimes I deprive a child of childhood. Now Kirill has a tutor who accompanies him in kindergarten and also deals with him individually. Therefore, I deal with it much less than before. Of course, the work continues in the natural environment always. But I’m glad that Kirill already has specialists who deal with him, and I still try to be his mother.
Will you still recruit people to your team?
Olga Shch:Yes of course. In our team, in addition to two curators, there are already 5 AVA therapists, a music therapist, a physical education teacher. Also, we are currently training people who may become our colleagues in the future.
When a child comes to your center, where does his training begin? What lessons and stages will he go through?
Olga K: Every child who comes to the center will first be tested. We look at the skill level and what the child knows. Then, together with the parents, we decide that first of all we develop, which will improve the quality of life of the child and his family here and now.
Olga Shch:Before testing, we establish cooperation with the child. Testing begins only when the child finally trusts us, when he can share with us his favorite toys, when he calmly comes to us, when he is happy to see his teacher. Only then can we start testing, because children very often, if there is no cooperation, do not show what they can do. It is necessary to look at the child, with what speed he admits to himself, what is interesting to him now. Our teachers know all the new toys, cartoons, everything that is interesting now. If the child likes animals, the teacher shows in different ways that he is interested in what is interesting to the child. In the first stages, the teacher always connects to the child, and only then gradually and smoothly moves on to classes,
What is the difference between ABA and other correction techniques?
Olga K:The difference is that first and foremost we improve the lives of the child and his family here and now. We do not adjust it to any age. If we are approached by a six-year-old child who walks in diapers, has a lot of undesirable behavior, does not speak, does not understand speech, and can not communicate, but at his age he needs to know letters and numbers, then no, we do not . We first teach him the skills he needs now, because knowing numbers will not improve his life at this stage, and neither will his parents. We remove unwanted behavior, we form the toilet, we form communication. And when all these points are filled, we can already strive for some academic skills. Our discipline covers absolutely all areas of a child’s life. It can be a toilet, and food, and social skills. If any of the skills are not formed and it prevents the child from living fully, while the quality of his life suffers, then we will do it. And we do not look at the fact that at the age of 6 a child should read and write.
Olga Shch: We use the unerring method of teaching, that is, that the child is always successful. We do not use negative motivation, fear of bad grades, fear of punishment, etc. We work differently. It is important for us to motivate the child to classes.
Specialists of our center emphasize the child’s attention to what he did well, where he succeeds.
In fact, it is a very important skill to notice the good, because we are all used to noticing the bad. Notice the bad in yourself, in others, in the behavior of your child. Here, for example: the child behaves well, we are all silent, but he did something bad, and my mother came up and scolded me. This is the way of life of all of us.
Are your views on education completely opposite to the methods used in schools and kindergartens?
Olga K:We work on applied behavior analysis. This is a discipline that is taught in universities in other countries, but in our country, unfortunately, such specialists are not trained, and ABA is not taught. Knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis would be very useful for professionals working with children with regulatory development (teachers, educators, teachers).
Who comes to this profession today? Are they people with pedagogical or medical education ?
Olga K: Mostly mothers of children with special needs come to this profession, regardless of education.
And what is the role of parents in the child’s education?
Olga K:Without parents, in fact, there will be no success. For example: if you go to classes 3 times a week, study and hope that sooner or later it will work - this is not the method. AVA therapy is a team effort, and if parents cannot and will not continue what has been started within the center, it is not that there will be no effect, but even harm. The child will have a behavioral contrast. Here he will behave one by one, at home differently, and skills will not be consolidated. In principle, there is even more negative than positive. And if parents are not ready to work at home, it is better not to start.
Olga Shch:I want to clarify. Work at home is not always work at the table: we sat for a couple of hours and that’s it. When we tell the parents, "we want you to have a team work - you do it at home, we are in the center", the parents answer "I do not have time to sit and spend 2 hours with him." Here it is very important for parents to convey that AVA is not just come, sit for 2 hours, work and go home. ABA begins when the child wakes up and ends when he falls asleep.
Olga K:Let me give you an example: if we introduce alternative communication to a child, for example, PECS (communication system), we give him this knowledge within the center, but the child communicates everywhere, and most of all, he does it at home in the family. If this is not maintained and developed in the family, then communication will not start in principle. Because, in this case, the child will communicate with the help of PECS cards only in our center, and this is not enough. We give the child this tool for life, and his life is outside our center. Here we are building an artificial environment. We are gaining the skills he needs there, outside the center. And if the family does not support and develop this, then all this information and skills will remain here, within our artificial world.
What is your goal?
Olga Shch: Our ultimate goal is for the child to gain knowledge here and apply it in life. Children are growing up, and we do not want to be visited before the age of 25. We want to work for the result, so that the child can go to kindergarten and school, so that he becomes as independent as possible - this is the result.
Will there be any creative activities with the children?
Olga Shch:Drawing, modeling is planned. We will also have music, logarithmics, dances, sports. What are the features of our center? The fact that all classes will be held on ABA, because, this method works in all directions. Very often, parents have a misconception about this method, they think it is a one-on-one work at the table. But no, these are principles of behavior that work in all walks of life. You can learn to draw with different methods, but there is one most effective way. Personally, we believe that ABA is the most effective way to acquire skills, and we will apply it in all areas.
Will your center be paid?
Olga K: Yes, parents will have to pay for education.
When do you plan to open your center? And do you plan to advertise your discovery?
Olga K: Yes, we plan to launch advertising on social networks, and the opening will be on September 8.
Olga Shch: But enough people already know that we are opening up. In our environment, it’s like a sundress radio. There are very few specialists in Kyiv, so everyone knows each other, and information spreads very quickly.
However, things are not as bad as it may seem at first glance. Now training centers are gradually appearing in Ukraine, which will help your child acquire vital skills and prepare him as much as possible for an independent and full life. One of such centers will be discussed in this article. Olga Kalitkina and Olga Shchetinina, colleagues and friends, are currently working on opening their own ABA center for children with autism and other special educational needs. Applied behavior analysis (ABA ) is a scientific discipline that involves the use of modern behavioral theory of learning to develop a child’s various skills and eliminate unwanted behavior.
And so, AVA specialists Olga Kalitkina and Olga Shchetinina will tell us more about the advantages of this technique, the opening of the AVA center and the most important mistakes in the rehabilitation of a child with autism.
Olga, tell us, what do you do besides this? Who are you by profession?
Olga K: I am a journalist by my first education. About three years ago, my child Kirill was diagnosed with "childhood autism." Since then, my life, my profession - everything has changed dramatically. I enrolled in BCBA certified courses with J. Erz and completed a full distance program within 2 years. Now I also receive the second higher education on a specialty "oligophrenic pedagogy" in NPU it. N.P. Драгоманова.
At first I worked only with my child, but very soon I realized that I wanted to develop in the field of ABA and also began to work with other children.
Last year, I went to school as a tutor (child assistant). My job was to accompany the child to lessons, as well as to conduct individual lessons. At school I gained a tremendous experience and now I have the opportunity and desire to share this experience with others and open a center for children like my child.
Why did you want to help other children, not just yours? Olga K:A lot of knowledge, experience, as I had to immerse myself in this profession with my head. In my family, ABA is a way of life. It often seems to me that these are all so obvious things and it is not clear why parents do not know what to do with their child. Although, at the beginning of the journey I was exactly the same. When my child was diagnosed with autism, he did not understand the speech at all, did not follow any instructions, did not say any sound, was not interested in toys, there was a lot of problematic and self-stimulating behavior, any visit, shop, cafe ended in a very long hysteria. rolling on the floor and screaming to the rales. It was impossible to cut the child’s nails, hair, wash his head. There was no contact with the children. Neither I nor anyone in my family could handle Kirill. And only AVA changed my child dramatically. Now he goes to the usual kindergarten, talks a lot, communicates with peers, actively catches up with all the lost. Yes, problems remain. Of course, we did not get rid of autism. I realize that there is still work to be done and that autism will last a lifetime. Now our primary goal is to go to a regular school and keep up with the program.
Why did I decide to work with other children? I have become too much in my child’s life. Olga Shchetinina, the curator of my child’s kindergarten, tells me: "Be a mother at least sometimes." I am already so used to turning any situation into a teaching one that sometimes I deprive a child of childhood. Now Kirill has a tutor who accompanies him in kindergarten and also deals with him individually. Therefore, I deal with it much less than before. Of course, the work continues in the natural environment always. But I’m glad that Kirill already has specialists who deal with him, and I still try to be his mother.
Will you still recruit people to your team?
Olga Shch:Yes of course. In our team, in addition to two curators, there are already 5 AVA therapists, a music therapist, a physical education teacher. Also, we are currently training people who may become our colleagues in the future.
When a child comes to your center, where does his training begin? What lessons and stages will he go through? Olga K: Every child who comes to the center will first be tested. We look at the skill level and what the child knows. Then, together with the parents, we decide that first of all we develop, which will improve the quality of life of the child and his family here and now.
Olga Shch:Before testing, we establish cooperation with the child. Testing begins only when the child finally trusts us, when he can share with us his favorite toys, when he calmly comes to us, when he is happy to see his teacher. Only then can we start testing, because children very often, if there is no cooperation, do not show what they can do. It is necessary to look at the child, with what speed he admits to himself, what is interesting to him now. Our teachers know all the new toys, cartoons, everything that is interesting now. If the child likes animals, the teacher shows in different ways that he is interested in what is interesting to the child. In the first stages, the teacher always connects to the child, and only then gradually and smoothly moves on to classes,
What is the difference between ABA and other correction techniques?
Olga K:The difference is that first and foremost we improve the lives of the child and his family here and now. We do not adjust it to any age. If we are approached by a six-year-old child who walks in diapers, has a lot of undesirable behavior, does not speak, does not understand speech, and can not communicate, but at his age he needs to know letters and numbers, then no, we do not . We first teach him the skills he needs now, because knowing numbers will not improve his life at this stage, and neither will his parents. We remove unwanted behavior, we form the toilet, we form communication. And when all these points are filled, we can already strive for some academic skills. Our discipline covers absolutely all areas of a child’s life. It can be a toilet, and food, and social skills. If any of the skills are not formed and it prevents the child from living fully, while the quality of his life suffers, then we will do it. And we do not look at the fact that at the age of 6 a child should read and write.
Olga Shch: We use the unerring method of teaching, that is, that the child is always successful. We do not use negative motivation, fear of bad grades, fear of punishment, etc. We work differently. It is important for us to motivate the child to classes. Specialists of our center emphasize the child’s attention to what he did well, where he succeeds.
In fact, it is a very important skill to notice the good, because we are all used to noticing the bad. Notice the bad in yourself, in others, in the behavior of your child. Here, for example: the child behaves well, we are all silent, but he did something bad, and my mother came up and scolded me. This is the way of life of all of us.
Are your views on education completely opposite to the methods used in schools and kindergartens?
Olga K:We work on applied behavior analysis. This is a discipline that is taught in universities in other countries, but in our country, unfortunately, such specialists are not trained, and ABA is not taught. Knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis would be very useful for professionals working with children with regulatory development (teachers, educators, teachers).
Who comes to this profession today? Are they people with pedagogical or medical education ?
Olga K: Mostly mothers of children with special needs come to this profession, regardless of education.
And what is the role of parents in the child’s education?
Olga K:Without parents, in fact, there will be no success. For example: if you go to classes 3 times a week, study and hope that sooner or later it will work - this is not the method. AVA therapy is a team effort, and if parents cannot and will not continue what has been started within the center, it is not that there will be no effect, but even harm. The child will have a behavioral contrast. Here he will behave one by one, at home differently, and skills will not be consolidated. In principle, there is even more negative than positive. And if parents are not ready to work at home, it is better not to start.
Olga Shch:I want to clarify. Work at home is not always work at the table: we sat for a couple of hours and that’s it. When we tell the parents, "we want you to have a team work - you do it at home, we are in the center", the parents answer "I do not have time to sit and spend 2 hours with him." Here it is very important for parents to convey that AVA is not just come, sit for 2 hours, work and go home. ABA begins when the child wakes up and ends when he falls asleep.
Olga K:Let me give you an example: if we introduce alternative communication to a child, for example, PECS (communication system), we give him this knowledge within the center, but the child communicates everywhere, and most of all, he does it at home in the family. If this is not maintained and developed in the family, then communication will not start in principle. Because, in this case, the child will communicate with the help of PECS cards only in our center, and this is not enough. We give the child this tool for life, and his life is outside our center. Here we are building an artificial environment. We are gaining the skills he needs there, outside the center. And if the family does not support and develop this, then all this information and skills will remain here, within our artificial world. What is your goal?
Olga Shch: Our ultimate goal is for the child to gain knowledge here and apply it in life. Children are growing up, and we do not want to be visited before the age of 25. We want to work for the result, so that the child can go to kindergarten and school, so that he becomes as independent as possible - this is the result.
Will there be any creative activities with the children?
Olga Shch:Drawing, modeling is planned. We will also have music, logarithmics, dances, sports. What are the features of our center? The fact that all classes will be held on ABA, because, this method works in all directions. Very often, parents have a misconception about this method, they think it is a one-on-one work at the table. But no, these are principles of behavior that work in all walks of life. You can learn to draw with different methods, but there is one most effective way. Personally, we believe that ABA is the most effective way to acquire skills, and we will apply it in all areas.
Will your center be paid?
Olga K: Yes, parents will have to pay for education.
When do you plan to open your center? And do you plan to advertise your discovery?
Olga K: Yes, we plan to launch advertising on social networks, and the opening will be on September 8.
Olga Shch: But enough people already know that we are opening up. In our environment, it’s like a sundress radio. There are very few specialists in Kyiv, so everyone knows each other, and information spreads very quickly.