Hello Mamas, I need some help from all of you moms (or teachers) of children with autism. I'm looking for advice, good books to read, groups to connect with (I'm in the Kalamazoo area) anything that you found super helpful when your child was first "diagnosed." My daughter is 3 and attends a preschool specifically designed to meet her needs. She receives speech and OT within her school day (morning). Thanks for all your help!!
I am a pediatric RN....and by far the BEST treatment I have seen with outstanding results is "Theraputic Horsemanship Programs". Google for one in your area! (Alot of times, insurance will pay for these programs!)
Hang in there, E.. I think it can be overwhelming when you're facing so much new information about your child. My husband has been teaching children with autism for over 20 years, and I have been volunteering in his classroom for the past seven years. I know that there is an enormous range of interventions that work for some kids, but not for others. If you're going to try to implement any dietary changes (like GF/CF diet), I write a blog that has recipes, product reviews that are all gluten-free, allergen-free and vegan. It could be a free resource if you want to give it a try.
The address is www.welcomingkitchen.blogspot.com. Good luck! K.
Can I suggest a website it talks about diferent kinds of child illnesses including autism, allergies, asthma and so on but it is very informational but its all done on a webcast and only by appointment so if your interested in seeing this webcast visit http://www.betterhealthinfo.net/green4us I hope this info. helps you
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Hi E.,
My son will be 7 in April and he's on the autism spectrum. He was first diagnosed at 18-months and, at that time, I was told and read a lot about what he couldn't or would not be able to do. Well, he's doing a lot of what he shouldn't be doing right now like talking and attending a general ed 1st grade class right now (with special ed support, ST and OT, of course). He still has issues with social and communication delays and his focus and handwriting are a work in progress but, if I had listened to all of the naysayers and took the worst case scenarior and applied it to my son, he probably wouldn't be where he is now.
My saying has always been, "My son is not a rock," meaning that he is an ever evolving human being and what he is like now is not what he is going to be like next year. If you give your daughter the supports she needs and teach her in a way that is meaningful to her, you will see progress. It will take time and a lot of work, but you will see progress.
I know that you didn't ask for this type of advise but I just wanted to tell you that you shouldn't rely entirely on what other people say or what the books say as fact. There are certain truths about autism, like how sensory processing disorder, auditory processing disorder and the like may play into the symptoms we know as autism, so deal with reality but never allow other people's low expectations or what you read in books curb your optimism for your daughter. I just had to say that because I really wish that someone had gave me this piece of advice when I first started down this road.
Anyway, onto the book suggestions. There are a lot of autism books out there and it's very easy and very natural to want to read them all at once but try not too overwhelm yourself too much right now. You have a lot on your plate so just one or two books to focus on and then move on to the next. Here are the books that I think are good to read when you are first starting out:
Autism for Dummies
10 Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew
Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin
1001 Great Ideas for Teaching & Raising Children w/ Autism
Engaging Autism
Also, there is a group called Talk About Curing Autism that has been very helpful to me and to numerous other parents. It's website has a lot of useful information for parents, no matter what stage of the journey you are on and there's a way for you to get hooked up with your local chapter and with a mentor parent to help answer your questions and give whatever guidance you may need. Here's the link:
Please feel free to send me a message if you have any questions or need a little support.
Sending all of my best wishes to you and your family.
I'm completely talking outside of my experience range, but, as a follow-up to the other suggestion about the horsemanship programs, Temple Grandin speaks very highly of those kinds of programs for kids on the autism spectrum as well as kids with other challenges. You might also find her books interesting, as she is a high-functioning autistic woman who has written many books about her own experiences with autism and also about her long career working with animals (during which, by the sound of it, her unique perspective has been an advantage).
