Have you heard about "Autism 911?"
The way this miniseries is presented is, in essence, The Nanny on steroids. Here's a bit from the CNN article describing the show and its star, 13 year old Marissa Bilson. Marissa is autistic - and out of control:
...According to Bilson, Marissa and her tantrums rule the household. "I don't want to hear her screaming and tantruming, so we pretty much let her do what she wants," Bilson says. "We" means Mary, her husband, John, and their two other children, Brittany, 15, and 6-year-old Brendan.Actually, The Nanny did an episode very much like this one, featuring Lynn Koegel (a big name in pivotal training, a form of ABA). Like the Nanny herself, Koegel was able to come up with some specific, enforceable rules and opportunities that helped the family of a little boy with autism to turn chaos into sanity.Keeping the peace means that, when it comes to Marissa, the rules are different. She is allowed unlimited time on the one family computer. She is allowed access to her siblings' rooms and possessions. She is allowed to eat dinner at the computer instead of the family table....
Enter Autism Partnership, or AP. This group, founded in 1994, offers extensive therapeutic services to children and adults with the disorder. One of its most unique programs is an intensive one-on-one, at-home intervention service that is similar in scope to what happens on the television show "Nanny 911." It's not cheap -- about $2,500 per day, typically for a five-day period (with additional days on an "as needed" basis).
Most of AP's work is grounded in a behavior modification technique known as Applied Behavioral Analysis or ABA. Essentially, the method breaks down behavior patterns, rewarding proper behavior while being careful not to encourage improper responses.
And that is exactly how AP therapist Rick Schroeder hopes to reshape Marissa Bilson's worst behavior. The group, which met Marissa while working in her school, offered the Bilson family a free week-long intervention with the proviso that CNN be allowed to record the process.
The week started off with a day of observation -- a day with lots and lots of screaming and tantrums, that left Schroeder stunned. He had observed Marissa at school where, he says, she was much less demonstrative.
But Schroeder is still eager and ready to tackle the challenge.
"I think the family is starting to realize something needs to change, and that's very good," he says after his day of observation. "As far as Marissa's behavior goes -- and the level that she is capable of going to -- she's pretty much out of control, for sure."
To tell the truth, I really do enjoy The Nanny. It's true that, like most reality TV shows, this one does seem a bit exploitative - but since all reality shows seem to have that element in common, I can't get too worked up about it when it happens to relate to autism. And I'd be very surprised if the AP Team didn't come up with some useful, significant changes for Marissa and her family. In fact, I'm looking forward to seeing how all this works out.
How about you?
Comments
I agree with you on a couple thoughts - this type of intervention could probably help any family, but it does seem exploitive to me under the circumstances of autism. Families with autism need all sorts of services that many can’t afford, and to be put in a position of exposing your life on camera or going without, I don’t think there is much of a choice. What’s next, an ABA reality show cam? This story also reinforces some really unfortunate stereotypes from those like Savage and Leary. My best to the family. To CNN - you better come through for this family.
There are some tricks that autism families can learn from each other and from experts, but I’m not anxious to see a TV show about it just yet.
I also agree with you.
And by the way, I think you are incredible; very reasonable and conscientious, your writing is a real service for those interested, for any reasons, in the day to day issues relevant to autism.
Maybe shows like this (if balanced in views )will also help show the public what some families go through.It could be more useful than any public service add.
It could show how hard kids/families work, how much these kids CAN learn…and even the little things they learn DO matter.
Like most supportive therapies for young children (PT/OT/Speech), ABA is as much — no, it’s more — about teaching the parents as it is about the children. When the therapists leave, the parents need to know how to enforce the rules and maintain the positive behaviors. I hope these parents are learning.
We are trying to train our highly excitable golden retriever assistance dog for our 10 yr old AS son, and the message is the same both ways–it is up to us to set the right kinds of limits– sounds easy enough! In my dream world I would have the Dog Whisperer and Autism 911 do a collaborative week of training me and my husband for that calm, clear, consistent approach!
I would like to see this… ABA/behavior modification doesn’t work for all kids. Also, some kids behavior is due to seizures or co-occuring mental illness like Bipolar. How can they possibly deal with this with out an MD?
My son is a living example of major change. He went from a totally out of control kid, kicking holes in walls (while the school and we at home used behavior modification), to a calm relaxed kid once his Bipolar was diagnosed and once we got rid of the behavior modification and listened and responded to the communicative intent of his behavior.
No more holes in the wall!!! HOORAY!!
It didn’t take a week, it took longer but I don’t have to ever regret treating my son disrespectfully again.
A few reservations with this:
1) the term ” Autism 9-1-1″ is being used in many states (ie. NH) to identify a program for first responders to learn how to deal with emergent situations involving people with autism. “9-1-1″ is a term that most people associate with life threatening circumstances, and maybe should not be used as a catchy name for a consultative agency…there’s potential for confusion there, in my opinion.
2) As a family support specialist, it breaks my heart when families see programs or celebrities on TV that spout enormous success with a so and so program or intervention….but then that family cannot access that program or intervention because of funding and staffing issues. Who is going to pay for it ($2500. a DAY!!!!)? Who is going to provide it? Not insurance companies, not school districts, not average to low income families, and not either the mental health or deveopmental disability systems. This leaves families feeling dejected, frustrated, hopeless and guilty, and gives the greater public a very false sense of what is realistically available for autism services to our children and families.
Jan,
Our son is autistic and bipolar. What approaches seemed to work for your son?
Thanks,
Chris
What really breaks my heart working with Autism is how expensive it is to help kids and families. The financial burden as well as the emotional toll that autism extracts from families seem excessive. I can not imagine where I would get 2,500 dollars for the type of intervention let alone that times 7 for a week. I hope our new president can find a way to support families with autistic children.