ABA 3 days a week, weekly OT (including SI) , ST, PST, Acupuncture, Social Group, Attention Class, home training and playing in the park. These are what we provided to my daughter since she was 2 yr. 7 months. We consulted with our doctor from time to time to see if our training was on the right track.
She was a borderline ASD case at 2 yr. 7 months. It has been 1.5 years now, and she had great improvement. She goes to a normal kindergarten, but is little bit behind. So we still need to think of ways to reduce her gap between normal children.
In our case, the difference is obvious in the first few months, then the improvement becomes steady.
First 7 months at Baptist University, Dr. 尤傳香, twice weekly. In the first few months, my daughter had obvious improvement in awareness, response, interaction and pro-activeness. The treatment remained at 13 needles on the head all the time. The effect was not so noticeble in the last few months. Since Baptist is too far for me, I switched to Wanchai, Dr. Cheung (same as you).
At Dr. Cheung, she applies more needles, and my daughter improved a lot in the initial months again. It has been 4 months now. She does not need to go twice a week anymore. She only goes once a week, and I did not notice any regression. The improvement has been steady. Her interaction and social skills are much better.
Dr. Cheung - it has been 4 months now. She applies needles
Thanks reb818, comparing Dr 尤 & Dr Cheung, which one you think the improvement is much noticable?
Besides, how you think about ABA training? Your son attend 3 days but how many hrs for each section? Do u think it can much improve your son social skill & response? Other than 3 hrs a day intensive training at private "s" class, I am considering which give my son ABA training as well
Both doctors are good. For us Dr. 尤 gave my daughter a good start. At Dr. Cheung, the improvement comes faster. Maybe it's because my daughter turned 4 this Sept. At this age, expressive language and conversation exchange are much better.
ABA - 3 days each week, 3 hours each day. This is the minimum hours. As it is one-on-one teaching, the effectiveness is higher than group teaching. You will notice the improvement quickly. The program is also tailor-made for your child. First they train the child to follow instructions and to comply to the therapist (compliance). After this has been achieved, many things can be taught. Parents can use this method at home, and teaching will become easier. For teaching response, it is very effective.
For social skills, ABA has its limitations, as it is one-on-one training with an adult. If you go to the centre, they can arrange some programs to interact with other kids, but it is still limited. They will teach your child social language, which is what they need in playing with other kids.
The downside of ABA is if the child cannot generalize (應用) what was learned, it will become 死記. Also if the child's cognitive level is not high, improvement will be seen, but don't expect miracles to happen. ABA will break down the tasks in small steps and teach your child step by step. The child will learn much easier that way.
You can consult your OT. These are sensory integration related problems. Jumping on the trampoline helps.
I have gone through what you are going through now. I remember I felt very lost at first, too. Just consult all the therapists - OT, ST, PST. Ask them everything you don't understand and ask them the solution. Read lots of books, research on the Internet, attend seminars and talk to experienced parents.
I consult with a doctor from time to time, and she will evaluate if our training was on the right track. I think that helped me a lot mentally, as I knew I had a coach and that I am doing the right thing for my daughter.