7-Yr Old Son with Autism

Hi C., Do you mind telling me where you live...We recently had my son tested for Aspergers syndrome. This is also a form of high funtioning autism. He has seen a psychiatrist and counselor for years and I do believe it is very important. Each state is different in their laws and rights in schools but I do know that we have a lot more rights than we think. Also read as much as you can on high functioning autism. That is where I got most of my information. I also took a class in San Antonio to learn my rights as a parent of a child with a disability in the public school. Unfortunatly we have a very poor special education system in Texas. Hope this helps...

Our pediatrician has an autistic child. She has been a source of a lot of information for us as we look into adopting special needs children. i have found out that if you have a firm diagnosis of specturm disorder or autistic you can apply for and usually get SSI for your child. I was told that it is also good to have a pediatric psychologist that is well versed in the needs of autistic children for therapy, esp for socialization issues. Also, Easter Seals is a great source of information and a good place to start for a direction to look for info on any disabilities. hth

I have a son who has seizures , learning disability , and a developmental delay . We are from the Taylor area and the schools here are good on that stuff . Hunter is in a regular kindergarden class but takes special education and OT through the school here . He also takes speech,physical,and occupational therepy at the hospital as well . When you find the doctor you are happy with tell them about the problems you are dealing with with your son. Ask about certain therepy and if the doctor agrees they will give you a request to see another doctor or therepist. I wish you luck !

My heart goes out to you and your family as you work together to support your son's development. Contact the local NAMI (National Alliance for Mentally Ill)Chapter or go to www.nami.org They have a free educational program, "Visions for Tomorrow" for parents and caregivers of children with brain disorders. You will receive support from others who share your challenges, education, and guidance in working with the school system. Stay on top of the Special Education department and work coopertively with your son's teachers. They want to see him succeed too.

I too am the parent of a high functioning child with autism, he was diagnosed at 4 and is now 16 1/2. It wasn't until last year that we elected to have our son see a mental health professional. There are foundations that have been very helpful for me, I do consult CURE AUTISM NOW quite frequently. And no there are not many books or manuals out there for us to refer to, some say diet is a cure etc. Our school too is a battle, my son was very well taken care of until he reached high school my e mail address is ____@____.com if you would add me to your address book and as I collect information I will send it right to you as soon as possible. Just so you know I am the mother of 7 sons and two grandsons. If you also let me know what state and city you are in I can collect information just for you Thanks T.

Hi C.,

I have two children on the spectrum. For the longest time I just really thought they were both late bloomers! For the most part if I think of them as about 2/3 their age, then I don't panic so much. That might sounds silly, but it helps to realize this is a marathon, and definately NOT a sprint. Example: my son is 12, but he's got the maturity, social skills, and rationality of an 8yr old. Once he entered middle school, quirky things went from being cute and tolerated by others to him being all out bullied.

(We now homeschool and he just loves it! We meet with other moms/kids once a week to have our assignments checked & socialize-but I digress)

I have a 7yr old daughter with PDD-NOS (another form of autism on the spectrum). She didn't even hardly talk two years ago. This past Friday, she made a 100% on a spelling test that had eight 3 to 4 letter words! For her, diet was the answer! Pulling certain things (gluten & casein basically wheat, along with some other grains/all dairy) When she gets those things now, the autism is back really, really strong. So is that a cure? Not really, she still has it, she's just clear headed now to be able to focus on other things, like a spelling test!

I've done some supplements with each kids with lots of success. Unraveling the Mysteries of PDD by Karen Serousi is a wonderful, wonderful book. Start there, and surround yourself by mommies that are going though this, but only the positive ones!

I'm in Pearland, near Friendswood. We could meet at the park sometime to chat while the kids play! Just send me an e-mail.

S.

I recommend you check your area for Social Skill classes. It is ususally not covered in gen.ed. although they usually could benifit from it too. Also you don't want him to loose general ed time to cover this material. After school program works best with a trained person who knows what to look for. A good therapist will also contact the teacher to ask questions about things that may be happening in the classroom that the teacher isn't even aware of. How does he wait in line? Does he insist to be the line leader? How does he handle wining/loosing games? Does he know how to invite another child to play with him? and all the social cues that we learn naturally.

I teach children with Autism in a self contained classroom and frequently monitor general ed students with autism. I am however restricted in advice I can normally give parents because the district does not want to cover expenses. That is why the new autism supplement is great. Ask about classes in Summer and after school it should be covered when discussing Extended Educational Programing.

Hope this helps.

Hi!

I am not sure where you are, but if you are anywhere near Georgetown, you are more than welcome to join us-- We are a group of families that get together mostly socially (had a fun Spring-Easter party today)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FamilieswithAutism/

#1 thing you can do for your child is love him as is and make him feel appreciated for all of the wonderful things he is. Enjoy your life :)

I say this so often because I have to remind myself all of the time!

There are a thousand different ideas of what you should do for kids with autism. You cannot and should not try everything, just take a look at what your kid struggles with the most and take it from there.

Good luck!

J

Check out our latest post on Autism Awareness, part of our special Child Advocacy Month! http://sproutreviews.com/2010/04/13/child-advocacy-part-ii/

We are looking forward to our very first guest post this Thursday when Joanna from "The Story of Parenting a Child with Autism" gives us a real life look at family life with Autism.