Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) Archives

For autistic children government programs aren’t the only option

December 5, 2018

Many parents of autistic children are told about the EIBI program, and that it’s extremely important that their children receive it so they can have a good future. And they almost always accept this advice without question. But there are other options that are not based in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), and that are non-pathologizing, e.g. that do not assume that there is something fundamentally wrong with the child. Alex Kronstein takes a look at one such option.

Lives on welfare: Mother stands up for her kid, and wins!

September 25, 2018 2 Comments

Kate, a fearless mother who we have written about before, fights Community Services and gets the glasses (with warranty) her autistic son requires. It was hard and scary, and it looks like questions the NS Advocate was asking made a bit of a difference. This story has a happy ending, but you can’t help but wonder how many people would just have given up much earlier.

Offering Nova Scotia’s autistic children accommodation rather than interference

September 24, 2018 1 Comment

We need new ways of supporting autistic and other neurodivergent children in Nova Scotia, writes autism activist and frequent NS Advocate contributor Alex Kronstein. Approaches that are rooted in ideas of accommodation, articulated by actually autistic people.

Alex Kronstein: More fruit of the poisonous tree – “Treating” Autism and the so-called kinder, gentler ABA

July 23, 2018 2 Comments

Alex Kronstein continues his investigation of efforts to “cure” Autism, taking a closer look at practices in Nova Scotia. “They may not be so blatant about “building the person” today, but the idea that autistic ways of being are wrong is nonetheless still the foundation,” writes Alex.

How Canada’s mainstream autism organizations ignore non–speaking autistics

June 1, 2018

Oral speech may not be the best method of communication for the non-speaking autistic, writes Alex Kronstein. “Mainstream autism organizations are unwilling to admit that they are choosing to ignore non-speaking autistics. Non-speaking autistics have always been around, just like autistics who do use oral speech. And everyone – the medical and psychological professionals, the non-autistic parents, the mainstream media – needs to STOP pathologizing non-speaking autistics and using functioning labels.”