How is Alex doing now?
Playing Magic has helped Alex with his social interactions. He has learned the proper and socially acceptable responses that are required when interacting with others in a game situation. He has become much better at waiting for his turn, accepting loss, and moving from one activity to another (i.e. when recess ends and the game needs to be put away – Alex understands that by cleaning up quickly and getting ready for class again means that he will be allowed to play the game at the next recess as well).
Some concerns we still have about Alex and his future are:
What happens if Alex ever loses interest in this card game?
Obviously if this happens, it will be necessary to find a new activity/topic of interest that can be used to help teach Alex social skills. It is likely that his teachers will be able to use this game for the rest of his time at elementary school, but as he grows older his interests are likely to change and new strategies will have to be worked out.
There is also the chance that when Alex enters high school he will be able to fit in better as he will be taking more classes that are of specific interest (more course choices)to him with other students who share those some interests.
Is Alex just regurgitating the information he thinks the teacher wants to hear? (Is this okay if he is acting in a socially acceptable manner?)
There is definitely a chance that Alex will just be regurgitating the techniques that he has been taught through ABA. But, this means that he has understood the reasoning behind this type of behaviour training to be able to use it appropriately. Even if he is just responding in the way that he knows the teachers/resource teacher/parents want him to, he is still improving his ability to interact with others in a socially acceptable way.
How do we know that our partial Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) system has really worked for Alex?
The problem is that Alex is very smart. An initial concern was that Alex may be too high-functioning for an ABA type program to work. ABA involves learned responses for specific situations and Alex may refuse to react in the “expected way” or question everything about the response and situation. Even if this is the case, it is showing that ABA training has had some effect on Alex. Just by teaching Alex a socially acceptable response we are helping to train him. It is still his choice to use the appropriate response or not, but through his own experimentation he will learn which response give him positive results and which do not. So, when Alex really wants something, he will figure out the best way to act to help him to succeed.
Will Alex be able to bring the skills he has learned playing the game into other real-world situations?
It will probably take a while, but eventually Alex will start to see how the skills he has learned playing the card game help him to interact with others in an acceptable way. It will be a lot of trial and error on his part as he sees how others react to him and in turn how he reacts to them.
His classes at the Geneva Center will also be a great spot for him to practice his newly learned interaction skills (and they will able to provide him with plenty of feedback as well).
What sorts of transition assistance does the Geneva Centre provide for elementary to high school and high school to work force?
The website does not specify any transition information for elementary to high school, but it does run a program for students entering the work force. This program is called Steps for Success. There are also Adult evening groups which allow adults with ASD to socialize with peers through various activities or access social support as needed.
What happens if the other students in the class become bored of this card game and Alex still enjoys the game?
In order to keep the students interest in the game there may be modifications upgraded to this card game, techniques, rules and/or rewards. Developing changes to the game may spark in a peer discussion amongst the students and Alex which would also assist Alex with his social skills. This conversation between Alex and his peers could also assist the process of getting to know one another and finding similarities between them.
When asked, what is Alex’s first choice; to be placed in an inclusive setting or withdrawn from his regular classroom?
Depending on Alex’s initial feeling, it may have some effect on the different programming being put into place for him.
Is everyone, professionals, on board with Alex’s new program aware and/or educated prior to the recent date concerning Alex with the ABA program?
Again, depending on if the professionals have a clear understanding of what exactly implementing partial ABA looks like and means, may have an effect on how well Alex receives the program, long term.
The next few questions have been left unanswered. The purpose of the questions is to encourage discussion about Alex and the way that we have chosen to solve his dilemma.
How do you think Alex has changed after going through the ABA process? Are there any significant changes to his overall demeanor (personality/behaviour/emotions)?
Do you think Alex feels better about himself and his abilities to understand others after his involvement with ABA and the Geneva Centre?
If Alex and his parents were to go through this again, what do you think they would choose to do differently (i.e. starting ABA when Alex was much younger)?
Is the card game basically a bribe? Is this ethical?
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