Thursday, August 14, 2014

Week Six of ABA therapy

I drive Andy to therapy each morning, and he is happy in the van. As soon as I pull into the driveway of the therapy building, and park the car, Andy starts to have a huge temper tantrum. Every day he does this. It tells me that he isn't thrilled about going to this place.

They tell me that he usually calms down ten minutes after getting inside. I ask them to keep me informed if they can't console him, if he isn't eating, or if he's so sleepy, he can't stay awake. They don't usually call or text me, even though I ask them to. I usually have to bug them, by texting, asking for an update on Andy's behavior.

Sometimes, I randomly show up thirty minutes to an hour early to take him home. Sometimes, I find him there happy, and sometimes he is very sleepy. I still feel that five hours is too long of a day for him, and that I will be cutting down his kindergarten day to four hours. At least, for part of the school year. I should be able to tell when he is no longer napping for me, that maybe he could withstand a longer day.

For now, he is completely worn out and ready for a nap, when I get him home from therapy. He is also quite angry. He often fusses most of the way home, and is sometimes outraged and in full tantrum as we pull into our neighborhood. I lay him right in his bed after we walk in. He usually sleeps for an hour, sometimes two, if my daughter doesn't wake him up by being too loud in the house. She will soon be in school again, and this shouldn't be an issue at that time.

I just don't know what to think of this therapy. I can see Andy trying to point a little bit more, however, it is hard to tell whether it is helping him or not. I do feel that it is positive for him to be receiving this therapy, but I don't feel that I would like to fully replace his kindergarten experience with the ABA therapy. I would like to try to mix the two together, but I don't know how that will work just yet.

I'd like Andy to be in a solid routine of going to school every morning, and possibly going to ABA therapy a couple afternoons a week. Only after he's come home for a nap, and has had a snack. I'll have to run that by them, and see if that will be an option.

1 comment:

  1. I also have my two year old son that receives ABA at home for three hours a day, and his also to tired by the end if session. And I believe that we as parents have to remember that no matter what they're kids first! N they need that freedom! This is something my son's PT doctor always reminds me;)

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