Several people have asked about what I do with Kyan throughout the day...how I 'work' with him during our 'table time' and so forth. He has changed so much in the past three months that we've finally decided to start documenting with video as much as we can. I wish we would have started in the beginning, but hopefully in another few months his progress will be as remarkable and we'll be able to look back to these videos in amazement.
So I started the ABA therapy almost three months ago. I began with asking Kyan to imitate me putting a block into a bowl. It took several days just to get him to drop the block into the bowl on his own. I had to physically, hand over hand make him do it over and over again. For awhile with each new addition that's what I had to do...hand over hand help him imitate me. We work every day on motor imitation (like clapping, pointing, etc) and object imitation (like driving and crashing cars, feeding babies, and eating play food). I reward him with 'reinforcers' such as toys that he only gets to play with when he's 'working.'
So now we are working on receptive labeling (labeling objects and pictures by taking, giving, or pointing), colors, matching, and the big yes/no concept. It's amazing the things kids learn easily that autistic children have trouble grasping. If I ask him if he wants something like juice then he'll just repeat "juice" rather than saying yes or no.
This first video is me working with Kyan on saying "yes" instead of "more." I think he is starting to get it because yesterday I told him "No, I'm not opening that door right now" and he looked right at me and said "Yes." BTW he loves door stoppers so I'm using that along with throwing him on his couch as a reinforcer.
The second video is a short clip of our normal table time. We obviously cover a lot more in a session, but this is what it basically looks like everyday. I had him drop the block into the bowl just to show where we started and how hard it was to master the first skill. Imitation is still really hard for him, but he is definitely improving a lot with practice. He loves to work and even practices on his own at the table sometimes.
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2 comments:
That is AWESOME!!
Andrea, you are the best mother Kyan could ever have and we could ever ask for! You are doing a phenomenal job with him and he is doing so well because of your dedication and commitment to him. He is so blessed, as we all are. I thank God for you.
The videos are so great. Brings tears to my eyes to see how much progress he has made in such a short amount of time. Really. That is incredible! I'm just so proud of him! God bless you for the work you do with him EACH day, I know it's hard, but the rewards are huge. You are his best teacher! The eye contact he was doing was so good - even more than on the fourth of July!
James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
Wow, ditto, I also have teary eyes! I am so glad you did the video, it is so awesome to see it for myself. You can tell me but seeing it is so much better. Andrea thank you for your commitment. Kyan is a gift and so are you. You and Matt are both doing your part, you have different but equally important roles which you both take so seriously. Thanks again, Kyan is a blessing and blessed. I just wonder how God is going to use your experiences to help others out there who need help and encouragement. Time will tell.
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