TAMPA, Fla. — Tamara Perez said her son Grayson is light years ahead of where he’d be, thanks to a therapist named Morgan.
“I attribute most of his success to ABA. He is like a different kid," said Perez.
ABA stands for applied behavior analysis, in which therapists work side-by-side in the classroom with special needs students to help them with anything they need to succeed.
“When you are in pre-school, it’s helping him participate in circle time, so he could be a part of that. And then when you get to public school, it’s on the playground and making sure he’s not left out on the sidelines. How to play appropriately. Being involved in the class. Raising your hand. All those things," said Perez.
Jessica Silber also has a son with autism.
She also advocates for special needs parents with her company, Elevate Advocate, and has watched ABAs help her son in pre-K.
“They were specifically working on social skills and interaction with peers and how to speak up for himself and how to use his words to get his needs met.”
But these parents we talked with said they are worried that restrictions on ABAs will keep their kids from getting the help they need.
They said Pasco County updated its policy to only allow private instruction personnel, or PIP, for 30 minutes a day, and it must be outside of the classroom.
The Pasco school district said they work to accommodate as much as they can.
This year they said they’ve had more than 600 requests for PIP and try to accommodate as many cases as they can.
There is concern that too many people in the classroom can cause disruptions.
But these parents said therapists help limit those disruptions.
Tamara, whose son goes to school in Hillsborough County, said her son’s principal was very cooperative, but when a new principal came in, things changed.
“There was definitely pushback, and that’s how the whole project, ABA Rights Group started,” said Perez.
“One school could say, 'Yes, you can have your ABA Therapist here,' and you have full-time ABA therapy, but then if you move to another school zone, that new principal can say, 'Nope. No ABA Therapy,' and now your child has lost all those services," said Silber.
The Project ABA Rights Facebook group has more than 500 members.
Their goal is to push lawmakers to ensure that these in-classroom therapists, who are often prescribed by doctors, are able to continue helping students.
As Grayson has progressed, his therapist now comes three days a week instead of five.
His mother said she doesn’t know where he’d be without Morgan.
“Just his confidence. His confidence in school. Hearing reports back from the teacher. I know it would be night and day if he didn’t have that support," said Perez.
The state policy says while PIPs must be permitted to observe the student, it also says the teacher and principal have to consent to the time and place.
All private instructional personnel must pass background screenings.
