Cillian’s Story

2. Professionals who were unable to offer practical advice to Cillian’s parents Cillian’s Story age 3 yrs 10 mths • Did not respond to hearing tests … • … hearing loss, possible brain damage, • and developmental delay Community Medical Officers Audiologists ENT specialists Speech Therapists Educational Psychologists Clinical Psychologists Paediatricians Occupational Therapist Physiotherapist Health Visitors

3. Cillian’s diagnosis Cillian’s Story age 3 yrs 10 mths • … Moderate learning difficulties • … Asperger’s Syndrome • … Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder … vocabulary of about 7/8 words … preferred solitary repetitive play … did not respond to his name, he slept little

4. Cillian’s Story Age 3 age 11 yrs

5. Cillian’s Story Age 3 Age 11 age 13 yrs Cillian, 2005 Welcome address to an ABA conference at Coleraine with a script he wrote himself!

6. age 13 yrs Cillian, 2005 Cillian’s Story Age 3 Age 11 A remarkable transformation by any standards

7. age 13 yrs Cillian, 2005 Cillian’s Story Age 3 Age 11 • Skills deficit in community to achieve what Cillian’s mum and I achieved together • Misinformation on Aplied Behaviour Analysis is rampant • Abuse of parents by some professionals who charge extortionate fees for their services

8. ABA is a Science It is NOT a therapy for autism Dillenburger, K., & Keenan, M. (2009). None of the As in ABA stand for autism: Dispelling the myths. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 34, 193–195. • Applied Behavior Analysis is the science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied systematically to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for behavior change. (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007 p. 20)

9. “Thirty years of research demonstrated the efficacy of applied behavioral methods in reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning, and appropriate social behavior.” New York State Department of Health Government agencies supporting the use of ABA-based procedures Surgeon General of the United States Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities ABA-based procedures are highly effective U.S. Dept. of Defense Comments on the effectiveness of ABA for helping children with autism American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities“highly recommended” (highest rating) National Institute of Mental Health The National Academies Press Association for Science in Autism Treatment Autism Speaks Organization For Autism Research Current Opinion in Psychiatry “Interventions based on applied behavior analysis have the strongest empirical basis, although there is some evidence that other therapies have promise.” (Sturmey, 2002) Pediatrics “The most efficacious psychosocial treatment for autism is applied behavior analysis...” (Lilienfeld, 2005) Supreme Court of British Colombia (2000) “…It is beyond debate that the appropriate treatment is ABA or early intensive behavioural intervention.”

10. Comments on the effectiveness of ABA for helping children with autism National Standards Project (2009) (http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/) 775 research studies - the largest number of studies ever reviewed. The overwhelming majority of these interventions were developed in the behavioral literature.” Autism Treatment Acceleration Act (2009) 17 States passed legislation that ABA is to be funded by medical insurance companies

11. Dept of Education in N. Ireland Freedom of Information Act Never mind the science,we’ll do it our way! Please supply a list of references from research published in peer-reviewed journal articles showing an eclectic approach to be equal to, or superior to ABA Admitted they didn’t have any!! ECLECTIC is the way to go

12. Never mind the science,we’ll do it our way! €20 Million Fighting parents

13. Dealing with Misrepresentation Medical professionals would not be excluded from reviews of medical research so why are proactive steps not taken to involve Behavioural professionals in reviews of behavioural research?

14. 1. Why such an oversight was made and why this was not noticed or corrected? 2. Who the members of the panel were? 3. What made their inclusion in the review an essential? 4. What is their specialist knowledge of ABA? 5. Were they any N. Ireland ABA specialists on the review panel? 6. Who actually wrote the BPS review? 7. Was the author of the review report a specialist in ABA?

15. Dealing with Misrepresentation

16. Conclusion A prejudice is a prejudgement: i.e., a preconceived belief, opinion, or judgment made without ascertaining the facts of a case. Institutional Discriminationrefers to unequal treatment that is entrenched in basic social institutions resulting in advantaging one group over another. Educational authorities in Ireland can easily deflect accusations of prejudice and discrimination by following the example of New Zealand Prejudice is best eliminated through education.........

17. Leonardo da Vinci programme Conclusion "Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light." Albert Schweitzer