People with autism are lifelong learners

You probably know that guest blogger Laura Shumaker published a post here last week about our Easter Seals Bay Area Autism Community Forum. What you may not know is that Shumaker also wrote an article for the San Francisco Chronicle about the forum.

Laura Shumaker is the mother of a 23-year-old son living with autism and author of a book called “A Regular Guy: Growing Up with Autism.” In her article, Laura walks readers through the experience that she and her husband had in trying to get the best treatments available for their son Matthew when he was five years old.

That’s when we learned about the Lovaas Model of intensive behavior intervention, a highly structured program that used positive reinforcements to reward appropriate behavior. The treatment was administered five to seven days a week with one-on-one tutors. Each session lasted from five to seven hours, totaling an average of 35-40 hours per week — a huge commitment and very expensive. (The program has evolved into the more accessible ABA.)

We read that “a large minority” of children who received the treatment were able to achieve normal educational and intellectual functioning by 7 years of age.

“Matthew’s a little too old for this therapy,” we were told, “The ideal window for the Lovaas method is between the ages of 3 and 6.”

Enter Easter Seals, says Shumaker. She attended the Easter Seals Bay Area Autism Forum and was able to speak with both Patricia Wright and Matt McAlear about what is currently available for children and families affected by autism.

“Things sure have changed,” says Matt McAlear, Vice President and Chief Program Officer of Easter Seals Bay Area. “Now we know that people with autism of all ages are capable of making significant progress through personalized interventions and therapy. They are capable of leading fulfilling lives.”

It’s an article worth reading. I especially like the title: Autism: is there life beyond early intervention? Easter Seals says yes.


 

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