One the nice things about blogging is that with the right tools, you can see how people ended up on your blog. Most non-regular readers come from Google, and it is interesting to see what they searched for to get them here. In this entry, I will share some of that, plus perhaps try to get some more relevant information to the searcher, should they ever come back.
Search term: autism and two months old and staring at trees; staring at trees autism; autistic people hate certain textures.
Entry hit: Sensory Processing and the Autistic Child
This entry is probably the most popular one on this blog; it gets hit all the time, probably because sensory issues are very common with autism and they are hard to understand.
As for the particular searches I am guessing these people were looking for...
Alanna did stare at things for way too long when she was younger and this was a huge red flag for us. As for a two month old - some people claim children can now be diagnosed or at least considered "at risk" this young, but I don't think very many people can do this. Looking back, Alanna had signs at two months but they were very subtle.
On textures - yes, this is true. Many children with autism hate certain textures in their mouths, on their hands, on their bodies. Sensory integration is a therapy that can be used to give these kids more or less sensory input as they need it.
Search Term: ibi ontario 5 year old cutoff
Entry hit: You Reap What You Sow
If the person searching for this was looking for information on cutoffs, let me say this: the age cap has been gone for years. It used to be true that children were discharged from early intervention when they turned six, but that is not true any longer. The government of Ontario fought this in court (Wynberg v. Ontario), and even won, but then decided to remove the cap.
Search Term: autism ontario services best place to live
Entry hit: None
I think this person was looking for where they could live to get the best services. This depends on what you are looking for. If you want the largest variety of services, then go to Greater Toronto. However, most of these require a lot of money. If you are looking for the shortest waiting list for IBI in Ontario, then move to the Southwest region (London, Chatham, Windsor).
Search Term: RDI toy ideas
Entry hit: I Don't Get RDI
Another popular entry. People are looking for more information on RDI probably because you have to pay money to get more information on RDI. I am no expert on this topic, but based on what I know from other families, any and all toys can be used with RDI and the activity is based on your regular family routine. Your RDI consultant would tell you what to do (note: you have to pay for this consultant).
Search Term: why is ibi so expensive
Entry hit: I Really Hope IBI Works
This is a great question. Short answer: IBI is intensive ABA and is a term almost exclusively used in Ontario. It's expensive because to do it right, you need 30-40 hours of intervention per week. Some quick math:
30 hours a week x $25/hour for a therapist x 52 weeks - $39,000
3 hours a week x $75/hour for a senior therapist or BCBA x 52 weeks = $11,700
3 hours a month x $175/hour for a psychologist to supervise x 12 months = $6300
Total cost = about $57,000 per year. That's why.
One of my most popular posts on a search is the one where I described how my neighbor converted a denim jacket into a homemade weighted vest for me. Another search that finds me is "chicken catcher". That cracks me up.
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