We’ve been able to help with special tuition fees for a relative who is on the autistic spectrum. Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) involves one-to-one tuition and interactive sessions with a trained analyst. Sessions for young children often start with something simple – for instance improving the child’s understanding of the word ‘where’. In this situation, the analyst hides a treat and asks the child where it is.
The child then helps to search for it. This helps to teach children with autism the things that other children pick up naturally. ABA is based on motivating an individual child with praise and small rewards, which helps children to speak and interact. It’s like having a friend to come and play, as there’s lots of fun and laughter.
This tuition is expensive and in addition, teaching aids have to be bought and so often young parents can’t afford it. Our relative hardly spoke before ABA, but now aged 6, he has many friends and is a good reader and speller.
It’s wonderful the lasting good that many older people are doing these days with their time and their money.
Name withheld to preserve the child’s privacy, London
