Stanislas and Béatrice:
A French Success Story… Despite the Obstacles
I am the mother of Stanislas, my name is Béatrice Bolling. Stan is five and a half. He has high functioning autism. He goes to an ordinary school with class-mates of his age. He starts reading, counts fantastically well, has great academic skills. Stan has even won the last “Diamond Heart” award at school for having helped with great patience and kindness another student. Stan plays judo wrestling, draws as no other child I know, and is fond of music just like any other Bolling family member.
Stan has been under ABA treatment for 3 years now, which we start fading. All that would be just very normal and current in the US, I assume.
It’s not in France.
Stan, our family, as all families supervised by Vinca Rivière are true exceptions. France is still stuck to middle aged Bettelheim theories about autism. “Autism Earth” is still flat in France. We have been told that Stan was schizophrenic…At the age of 2…By a famous Parisian pedopsychiatrician, not by the average doctor next door. Schizo ! Why not Alzheimer as well?!
Then we were told he had Peter Pan syndrome…What about me being Wendy?!
Each single step until now has been a battle:
- Getting the correct diagnosis (2 years…)
- Finding the right professionals to support us in a country where only one university delivers a master in ABA….
- Getting funds in a country where ABA is considered just like punishment, animal education, and torture.
- Getting Stan integrated at school with his therapists and a proper support in a country where nobody is allowed to get more support than anybody else, based on a very strange understanding of equality principles…
The list is long …
Stan has been under ABA treatment for 3 years now, which we start fading. All that would be just very normal and current in the US, I assume.
It’s not in France.
Stan, our family, as all families supervised by Vinca Rivière are true exceptions. France is still stuck to middle aged Bettelheim theories about autism. “Autism Earth” is still flat in France. We have been told that Stan was schizophrenic…At the age of 2…By a famous Parisian pedopsychiatrician, not by the average doctor next door. Schizo ! Why not Alzheimer as well?!
Then we were told he had Peter Pan syndrome…What about me being Wendy?!
Each single step until now has been a battle:
- Getting the correct diagnosis (2 years…)
- Finding the right professionals to support us in a country where only one university delivers a master in ABA….
- Getting funds in a country where ABA is considered just like punishment, animal education, and torture.
- Getting Stan integrated at school with his therapists and a proper support in a country where nobody is allowed to get more support than anybody else, based on a very strange understanding of equality principles…
The list is long …
I am the proud mother of a French autistic child, who can now express all the richness of his personality and offer it to a better world, thanks to ABA support, thanks to Vinca Rivière and her fantastic team and dedication. I very much hope his autistic mates will soon be freed from Lacan, (a famous French psychoanalyst) psychiatric care, neuroleptics, packing and all other French outrageous specialties.
Beatrice Bolling and her sons Stanislas and eleven year old Adrien live in Senlis (Oise) , between Lille and Paris, and is an international marketer. Among her avocations are blogging (autismeinfantile.com). The boys' grandfather is the famous jazz pianist, Claude Bolling. Vinca Riviere is an assistant professor at Charles DeGaullle University, Lille III, France. She was one of the founders of Step by Step Behavioral Support Services for Children and adult with Autism and The Federation of Associations for the development of behavioral science called "ABA-France" is a group of nonprofit organizations which helps to create awareness, and educational development of scientifically proven behavioral methods. Dr. Riviere is co-director of the only ABA masters degree and PhD degree training program in France.