When Autistic Jane Generic turned 18, she received a certificate of completion from her school district. Still, the district has her “enrolled” in their 12+ program. I advised the mother to write to the school district to request a closure notice.
Some of the problems:
- The school gets paid whether Jane attends or not.
- The enrollment status limits Jane’s options with adult services available at age 18.
- The goals have been the same since Jane began school as a child.
- The goals have a future date for meeting them, and do not contain objectives: HOW will Jane meet these goals?
… and the most infuriating part…
Jane is a non speaking fun loving young woman (I met her. She’s awesome). She is gifted in many areas, and focuses on her gifts to express herself. When put into the ABA box, she is burdened with making communication progress in the way that THEY deemed to be a goal for her. Jane does not agree to “initiate a short conversation”, primarily because she will be measured by observation on “data collection days”.
What fresh hell is this?”
“she does not always use appropriate topics, words or gestures.”
ABA clinicians have decided that inappropriate communication is a behavior problem, and their solution is “using appropriate language with at least 2 or more students/staff in 2 out of 3 opportunities, with one prompt.” This triggered me and I had a flashback to the time I was put back from the 5th grade to the 3rd grade for throwing an eraser at the teacher. She provoked me, but that is not the point I am making here. The principal brought me their worksheets every day at recess time, and picked them up the next day at recess time. After a few days of being the plumpy 5th grader squeezed into a 3rd grader’s chair-desk, I asked the principal,
“What do I need to get back into my 5th grade class?” and she asked, “Well, it depends. Are you behaving in this 3rd grade?”
“Yes”, I said meekly.
“Perfect. Then that is where you belong.”
ABA is a convoluted oppressive technique to push autistic and vulnerable people into a corner where they either surrender to adult prompting, or lash out. I was a lasher-outer. However, there is nothing that Jane can do to redeem herself with such a team of backward thinking, unless her parents write to the district to voluntarily disenroll from the ongoing grade 12+ programming. My experience resonates deeply with Jane’s current predicament.
| Primary Disability: | Autism | Secondary Disability: | Speech or Language Impairment |
| Progress sent: 6/14/2024 |
| Current Goals | Progress Reports |
1. CommunicationSpeech-Language Pathologist and General Ed TeacherBaseline: Jane Generic can ask and answer questions among her peers when prompted, but she does not always use appropriate topics, words or gestures.By 3/5/2025, Jane Generic will initiate a short conversation using appropriate language with at least 2 or more students/staff in 2 out of 3 opportunities, with one prompt, as measured by teacher/clinician observation on data collection days. | Progress sent 6/14/2024Accuracy: – – Consistency: –Comments: Student absences affected progress |
2. Social/Emotional Behavior(Social Communication )IEP TeamBaseline: Currently, on the school campus Jane Generic can use inappropriate touching during conversations which can make people feel uncomfortable.By 3/5/2025, on the school campus, with adult prompting, Jane Generic will not use inappropriate touching during conversations as measured by teacher recorded data on data collection days. | Progress sent 6/14/2024Accuracy: – – Consistency: –Comments: Student absences affected progress |
3. Transition to Adult Life(Employment: Basic Skills I-2)IEP TeamBaseline: Currently, Jane Generic has composed a letter of application using correct form, spelling, and grammar with multiple prompts.By 3/5/2025, in the classroom setting, when given access to a computer and information text (e.g. employment applications, recipes, shopping lists, and expenses/income) Jane Generic will type information using various tools (e.g. WORD document, E-mail, EXCEL document) with no more then 2 prompts in 4 out of 5 opportunities for two weeks as measured by work product. | Progress sent 6/14/2024Accuracy: – – Consistency: –Comments: Student absences affected progress |
4. Transition – Independent Living(Finances )IEP TeamBaseline: Currently, Jane Generic has not shown that when given a calculator as needed and a receipt from class expenditures (Vons, Smart n Final, etc.) she can record the receipt and add/subtract from totals with 90% accuracy to determine classroom budget.By 3/5/2025, In the classroom or community settings, when given a calculator as needed and receipt from class expenditures (Vons, Smart n Final, etc.) Jane Generic will record the receipt and add/subtract from totals with 90% accuracy to determine classroom budget with no more than 2 verbal prompts, in 4 out of 5 opportunities, as recorded by teacher observation and/or recorded data. | Progress sent 6/14/2024Accuracy: – – Consistency: –Comments: Student absences affected progress |
Henny Kupferstein 