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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

ABA

I want to feel hopeful about ABA, but so far I don't really. I know it's early in the process, but I feel like it's not really going to work, that is my gut feeling. Part of it is how rigid it is. Christina, the woman who does it, is great and it's not that she is rigid, but the whole set-up is. Janey has to sit, has to do trials 10 times, has to do just as she is supposed to, to get credit, and it's like pulling teeth. Janey has tremendous stamina to not do things she doesn't want to. She'll just sit there staring into space for ages instead of asking for an M&M like she is supposed to. Or she will sing a song instead of looking at the cards she is supposed to match, or she'll just toss the cards down any old way to shut everyone up. I think she could do many of the tasks just fine, but she won't on command. Christina said too she thinks Janey knows far more than she lets on, it's just getting it out of her. She hasn't thrown any real tantrums during the ABA yet (she has had it about 4 times now) but today she was not at all cooperative and I hope Christina wasn't discouraged. Janey will giggle and giggle to try to distract people, or will climb in their lap, or sing a song, or act very cute. I realize she's figured out all those ways to get out of having to do things. I think it works a great deal of the time at school, and probably at home too. It's just all so tiring. WHY is it so hard for her to say the words she knows, or to show the knowledge she has? What makes her not want to cooperate? What have I done wrong?