bio
or ...the short story of how I came to be interested in Autism and Applied Behavior analysis as a treatment method for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Born in Bourges, I was raised in Vierzon in central France. At age 22 I spent a year abroad in a work study program in the US and then returned to France for a year. Having taken a liking to the US way of life during my initial stay, I decided to return. During my second stay there at age 25 I met my future husband, an American. After a time we married and settled in the suburbs of New York City. Married with children, jobs, social and family life - quite typical actually ...until. June 27,1997 changed all of that.
Our daughter Jennifer was our second child. As such, we witnessed the milestones in our first child's development and without giving it a second thought, anxiously and happily awaited her progression through the usual continuum. By February of 1997 when Jennifer had reached 15 months, we had our third child. We were given a child development guide by the hospital as is customary to all new parents. Contained within were age appropriate achievements. As we thumbed through this a light of sorts went on, hmm...... Jennifer does seem to be a bit behind. At about the same time, my husband was returning from a business trip and while changing flights picked up a copy of as mainstream weekly US magazine whose cover story was on Autism. No, not us, not Jennifer. Thank God, we won't be heading there, nothing a few months won't do - Jennifer will catch up. She didn't.
Autism was on the rise in the US and after what is the typical stage of parental denial we decided to confront our deepest fears. After consulting with our primary pediatrician, we were referred to a pediatric neurologist. For two weeks preceding the appointment, our stomachs were in a knot. The appointment, the evaluation, the crushing blow. "Have you heard about Autism Spectrum Disorder.....". The words uttered, the truth sinks in, your life is divided in half.
Fortunately, the same neurologist was strongly recommending a fairly recent, not at the time very well know treatment method, Applied Behavior Analysis that had shown some promising results with autistic children when applied, consistently in a controlled program. Through the devastating initial weekend, just knowing that something, anything was out there provided the seed of hope to which we could grasp onto. A book was suggested that had been written by a mother of an Austistic child, the now well known "Let me hear your voice", by Catherine Maurice. As luck would have it, Ms. Maurice was speaking at a convention in Tarrytown, New York some weeks later. We were fortunate enough to read the book and then attend the conference to see the author in person who by this time was speaking to recent developments in what was becoming a growing field. A frantic search of the Internet led us to perhaps the only resource we could find that was an authority on the subject in French, Dr. Sylvie Donais in Montreal. I found a phone number, I called. Dr. Donais's kindness in those first few days will never be forgotten. After a conversation lasting several hours, I felt comfortable enough to move forward. We were somewhat informed, very inspired and determined - to fight this with everything we had.
We soon joined a growing network of parents, advocates and providers both through internet communities like the ME-LIST (we are still members today) and good 'ol fashioned word of mouth. Not long after Jennifer's second birthday we had a fully funded 30 hour a week ABA program up and running. No small task ! Early intervention was the key we were told. So early we were - and as we would later see this is a huge advantage. Divine intervention brought us a fabulous consultant from the Lovaas replication site in New Jersey. The rest we would see, would be up to us.
Thus began my at first reluctant, then grateful evolution into therapist, lead therapist, team lead, hiring (and firing) manager of my child's program. Over the course of the next several years, I worked some weeks up to 25 hours as a therapist, alongside a wide range of therapists and multiple consultants. Having seen firsthand the results achieved with my own child, I was ready to leverage my acquired knowledge with the children of others. Eventually, a yearning to return along with the shocking realization that services in my native country were next to nonexistent inspired me to relocate to the south of France, where I reside today along with my family. Did I mention that this was the "story short".....
I look forward to adding my voice to those of others in France today to advance the issues relating to the rights, well being and treatment of Autistic children here.
disclaimer:
I do find it somewhat necessary to include a disclaimer of sorts. So much has been written pro and con about treatment methods including ABA. My husband and I believe in it's effectiveness because that is what we have seen first hand. Our child has benefited immensely from her inclusion in a structured, long running ABA / DTT program, started at an early age. There are many scientific studies, including those published by Dr. Lovaas himself, which attempt to do what scientists and researchers do - verify and validate. Our purpose is to sing it's praises from a personal perspective. Our child was not "cured" if one can even make such a claim, and and my goal is not to present therapy as such. What I do know for sure is that I have seen this method coupled with lots of long, hard work pay tangible dividends and give my child the fighting chance she would not have had without it.