Figures support case for autism teaching method

A SPECIALIST pre-school operation has produced figures to support calls for Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) for all autistic children.

The Early Language Intervention (ELI) network runs five pre-schools in Dublin, Wicklow and Galway.

Yesterday, it released the results of assessments among its pupils who enrolled with speech and language difficulties.

These showed in some cases children advanced the equivalent of 11 months after just six months’ tuition.

The group’s speech and language pathologist Deirdre Muldoon said it was wrong of the Department of Education to decide all children with special needs can be catered for in ordinary schools.

“I have seen incredible gains that children can make using ABA as applied to the teaching of speech and language,” she said. The tests carried out on children are based on their ability to use and understand language.

In one case a three-year-old’s language ability increased by 48% in six months.

She said this method of testing is used to develop a long-term learning plan which can form the foundation for further development in primary school.

The ELI has opened schools in Bray, Monkstown, Stillorgan and Oranmore in Galway by adopting a teaching method practiced in the US.

Its managing director Joel Nudi said ABA had been underestimated.

“There has been so much coverage in recent weeks regarding ABA that I feel the true message has got lost. We decided to release these figures which show the phenomenal improvement children in the schools have made,” he said.

The recent controversy about ABA use emerged when a Wicklow couple, Cian and Yvonne Ó Cuanacháin, were left with a €2 million legal bill after they failed in a High Court bid to secure funding for ABA education for their six-year-old son, Sean.