Autism Success Story: Four-Year-Old Leaves Behind Tantrums And Disruptive Behaviors
All Names Changed For Privacy
Four-year-old Li Chu was not doing well in preschool or at home. He struggled to focus, didn’t follow rules or directions, and had lots of tantrums.
Li was unable to stay on task for long periods of time. He would constantly get up from the dinner table, and it was hard to brush his teeth because he didn't want to stay on task.
Perhaps the most frightening issue Li had was his tendency to run off without warning- from the classroom, in the mall, at the grocery store. Sometimes he would run into the middle of the street. He had no awareness of safety.
Ultimately, there were no boundaries at home. Instead of Mr. and Mrs. Chu training Li to live with accountability and independence, Li was training his parents to meet all of his needs.
Mr. and Mrs. Chu felt like they were doing everything they could for Li… and getting nowhere. They were stuck. And frustrated.
Starting Therapy
On Friday, May 12, 2017, Li enrolled in ABA therapy with NESS Behavior Consulting, an ABA therapy organization serving Queens, Brooklynn, and Long Island.
We conducted a Functional Behavior Analysis to understand why Li engaged in the behaviors that were hurting his quality of life and ability to be in preschool.
We also established a relationship with Li’s school’s social worker to coordinate our work with his teacher and monitor progress.
We create a clear behavior plan to be followed both in school and at home, working toward both short and long term goals for Li’s development.
The Results
In the beginning, Li’s progress was most visible in school. He learned to sit for longer periods of time. Li became much more willing to follow directions in class and no longer disrupted other students. He started to have far fewer temper tantrums.
Soon enough, Li’s behavior started to change at home. Suddenly, family life was calmer. Mr. and Mrs. Chu could finally let go of the stress and anxiety that characterized so much of their lives.
Li was more independent and accountable for his behavior.
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The Secret to Li's Success
So, what was it that helped Li develop so quickly? How did he end up on a trajectory to live a much fuller and happier life?
One element is seeing each child as a holistic individual with their own strengths, weaknesses, and ways of communicating.
But the most important factor that helped Li is the fact that his parents took action and got the help their child needed.
They appreciated that the longer you wait to get help, the longer it takes to help your child. They decided that they didn’t want to stall or delay or look into it “someday.”
Now look where Li is.
The Cost of Autism
According to a study posed in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the lifetime cost of care for a person with autism is $1,400,000 to $2,400,000. That includes medical, nonmedical, and indirect costs.
Approximately 79% of those expenses are services like medical care, home health care, special education, and after-school care. A further 9% is due to wages that the parents give up in order to care for their child.
Home health care for adults with autism ranges from $18,080 to $36,161 yearly – double the cost of medical care.
That’s why one of our top goals is to help our clients develop the tools they need to be able to live and thrive independently as adults, so you don’t have to pay for home care.
And the sooner you get started, the greater an impact our services will have.
The parents who work with us feel they are making a great investment in their child. It turns out they are also making a great investment in their financial future.
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There's Hope For Every Child
Imagine train tracks that stretch all the way to the horizon. If you alter the course of those train tracks just a couple of degrees, they will end up miles away from where they point now.
ABA therapy is about helping your child change direction now, so they end up at a totally different destination in the future.
By helping children with autism learn the communication, social, and life skills they need, we can help them live more independently for the rest of their lives.
There is hope for every child.
Now It's Your Turn
Would you like to get help for your child? Our team of highly experienced professionals has many decades of combined experience helping kids with autism.
We can look at ways to address whatever is on your mind, including:
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Signs of autism
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Helping you set up a diagnostic evaluation
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Toileting issues
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Temper tantrums
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Social skills issues
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Difficulty performing routines
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Communication deficits
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Self-injurious behavior
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Eating difficulties
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Academic challenges
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And more…