ABA treatment, what is it?
The ABA behavioral approach (Applied behavior analysis) has proven its worth abroad, but it is still little known in France. Few children with autism can therefore benefit from it, due to a lack of recognition from the State and professional training.
The beginnings of ABA treatment, initiated by Ivar Lovaas, doctor of psychology, date back to the 60s.
Its principle? Allow autistic children to progress naturally in their learning thanks to the relationships they maintain with their environment. And this, by arranging their place of life so that they learn things while also adapting to what surrounds them. ABA treatment thus helps the child to manage his behavior so that he gradually becomes independent and later integrates into society.
Several studies show that approximately “47% of children who received intensive and early behavioral care are reintegrated into normal classes. “ |
Meeting with Vinca Rivière, doctor in psychology, who has been practicing the ABA method in Lille for more than 6 years.
« When parents have any doubts, they shouldn’t be swayed by people who tell them it’s okay., that it will pass. Even if you are not 100% sure at first about a child’s autism, starting ABA treatment with him is not a problem. It is also a help for parents. The earlier you start, the faster the results.
Concretely, the child is taken care of at home by psychologists or psychology students who act as educators. Parents must be ready to receive them, it takes an average of forty hours per week. It might sound like a lot, but it’s not really work. We teach the child the daily tasks and we go through the stages of his development (eating alone, getting clean, washing …). We move step by step with him through a realistic choice of activities to meet given objectives.
Recently, we took care of a little one who entered CP. Initially, his behavior problems were such that he needed to be supervised by two people. Gradually, things got better and the teachers were able to take over. We want to move towards this pattern. This is what we also teach parents so that they are then able to take over… ”
When to start ABA treatment?
“The ideal would be to start ABA treatment around 15-18 months when, in general, doubts set in. Unfortunately, children are often taken care of much later because of a late diagnosis or advice from professionals who relativize and push parents to wait for a possible improvement, often in vain … “
How much does ABA treatment cost?
“The ABA treatment is not recognized by the state. There is therefore no funding planned to put it in place. Some subsidies exist, but it is mainly up to families to take out their wallets. It is generally necessary to count 100 euros per year and per child, over three years. In Lille, the students trained are volunteers. ABA treatment is not offered as it should be because it is impossible to make parents bear such a sum. “
What future in France for the ABA method?
“For now, we are waiting. There is a real lack of information towards parents, but also from health professionals. There are no structures that take care of toddlers and there are few staff trained in ABA treatment. But it’s coming! We have a national network, with young psychologists who are starting to be trained. In Lille, we have created a care center for 6 autistic children, 32 hours a week, while volunteering. We want to show professionals and parents what behavior analysis can bring.
Parents can also be given a little training so that they can set up activities adapted to their child. In this case, we follow them and we review them every month to see the evolution.
But unfortunately, we also face a lot of lobbies which put pressure on the government against this method. There are many reservations, especially on the part of teachers in child psychiatry. Some parents even tell us that we make people dream. But not at all ! What we do is really concrete! There are professionals who see the children again after several years and who cannot believe the progress they have made… ”
For more information : http://www.aba-france.com/