Newly diagnosed 5 yr old with Autism - Feeling Overwhelmed - Austin Resources? (Cedar Park: home, private school)

[curious1111]

We have suspected for a few years, but our 5 yr old kindergarten was recently diagnosed with Austism. He was in PPCD and has been in speech and occupational therapy for the last couple of years. We are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the diagnosis. Should we leave him in his public school, move him to private school, arrange to take him to a center vs. have in-home therapist, etc. I did some searching on this site, but didnt really find anything specific. I would love to hear from any parents that have been in our position and/or recommendations for good experiences with private therapy, services, schooling, etc.

thank you!

[centralaustinite]

No direct experience. But for professional reasons, I have become well-acquainted with the Central Texas Autism Center. They have been in Austin for 18 years and were the first ABA therapists in town. Their staff are all master-level, nationally board-certified providers of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) which is the only evidence-based therapy for autism.

Austin Autism Services - Central Texas Autism Center

They provide in-home services, services at their center, and they train public school teachers in every district in Central Texas.

good luck!

[llkltk]

How did you suspect it? My nephew just turned three and he barely talks, about six words. My family suspects he is high functioning autism. His parents seem to be in denial. He reads books at three!

[rrjr]

Originally Posted by curious1111

We have suspected for a few years, but our 5 yr old kindergarten was recently diagnosed with Austism.

Central Texas Autism Center is a good place to start.

We're in Leader/Cedar Park. Not sure what part of town you're in, but I can give some recommendations of folks we have used for my high functioning aspie for speech and OT/PT (he's a few years older than your child). Also have a recommendation for ABA up this way if you'd like it.

Have you been or are you going through the public school IEP/ARD process? I can provide an advocate we've used in the past that we've had good experiences with.

If you're interested in folks up here, let me know and I'll PM you names or post them here - your choice.

[curious1111]

Thanks for the responses. We are in the Eanes ISD. We are very happy with the overall IEP/special ed process, so this is probably less about switching schools and more about help outside of school. The Central Texas Autism Center is a great recommendation, and we will start there.

As to the question about "how did we suspect this"? I think that this is obviously very personal to the individual. In our case -- flapping arms at his side when running, bothered by anything wet against him, doesnt like socks/shoes on, rarely looks at someone in the eyes, hyper sensitive if he thinks someone is "helping him", which he takes as a blow to his ability to do things on his own (example, if someone opens a car door for him or picks something up that he drops, he gets very upset), general inability to remain still, unusual eating habits (doesnt like protein/fat), doesnt express emotions easily/normally, retarded progress of expected typical behaviors - i.e. at almost 6 yrs old still sometimes asks for help wiping his bottom, sensitivity to light.... And 100 other things. Its lots of little things.

[capcat]

Good luck to you, curious1111.

Beyond finding good services, educate yourself as a parent. There are many excellent seminars with speakers who research and work with this population. Despite what I know, I always come home from the really good ones with a better understanding. They are designed for therapists and teachers, but there are almost always parents in attendance as well. A couple of organizations that tend to offer great seminars come to mind. If you'd like the names, just send me a message. I think it's important not only for your understanding at home, but also advocacy for your son in other settings.

Raising and working with a child with autism is challenging, but they are some of the most endearing individuals I know. I wish for these children the best of experiences and progress, but everyone has strengths and a uniqueness that make them special in our lives, and we celebrate that.

[Trainwreck20]

As to the question about "how did we suspect this"? I think that this is obviously very personal to the individual. In our case -- flapping arms at his side when running, bothered by anything wet against him, doesnt like socks/shoes on, rarely looks at someone in the eyes, hyper sensitive if he thinks someone is "helping him", which he takes as a blow to his ability to do things on his own (example, if someone opens a car door for him or picks something up that he drops, he gets very upset), general inability to remain still, unusual eating habits (doesnt like protein/fat), doesnt express emotions easily/normally, retarded progress of expected typical behaviors - i.e. at almost 6 yrs old still sometimes asks for help wiping his bottom, sensitivity to light.... And 100 other things. Its lots of little things.

A lot of this (almost all) could be said about our oldest. We do not have an 'official' diagnosis of Autism, though, because of the presence of other issues - ADHD, social anxiety, and some sensory sensitivity. She is likely high-functioning autistic, but the diagnosis is imprecise (and the difference minor) on the edges of autism.

In any case, our pediatrician has been very useful in recommending resources, but the school system (AISD) has really been helpful. She currently is receiving special education assistance and speech therapy at the school, and they are very good with feedback. We were NOT in the special education program in K (she is in 1st now), and we really should have worked harder in getting in K. That said, what really did help her last year was ADHD medication. She IS officially diagnosed with ADHD (which can be a piece of autism), and the medication has changed her life - she is more social, less anxious, much happier (she skips into school each day and gets frustrated when the weekends seems too long), and is learning much better. Her mood swings (Explosions) have also been severely reduced. I am not saying that that is the case for you, but at least rule it out. The big decision this year will be whether to repeat 1st grade or moving on.

For us, the reason we probably do not have an full-blown diagnosis of autism is that she does, at least some of the time, make good eye contact (especially with family, but also with peers/teachers) and she is vary empathic. One of the 'typical' signs of autism is 'meanness' (stemming from lack of empathy/understanding), and although she can be 'mean', it is normal (or well below normal) for her age group and is more related to her delayed social development. If either of those apply to your child, realize that they are a big plus.

You did not mention sleep issues, but if that is also an issue, I can tell you the name of the pediatric neurologist that we are seeing.

[curious1111]

Thanks again for all the information, very helpful!

[austinsd]

Hi, I am looking for these information for my kids, could you please share with me? Thanks!

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by llkltk

How did you suspect it? My nephew just turned three and he barely talks, about six words. My family suspects he is high functioning autism. His parents seem to be in denial. He reads books at three!

A good pediatrician is often the first one who could help with diagnosis and referral for testing, but this will be more difficult if the parents aren't asking about it, and are in "in denial." Personally, I would encourage them to check into his speech deficit rather than labeling him autistic. If there is more to it than just a speech delay, this will come out in testing. There are gifted children who may be reading at three, but have a problem with speech aquisition. It is good to see problems early and work on them, but not always good to attach a label on a child as young as three (although there can be times that labels can get you services.)