I love someone with autism (sleep, symptoms, therapy, neurological)

[shanenlori]

In April of last year, my son was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). It wasn't a huge surprise to get the diagnosis, we had been dealing with issues for a couple of years prior, and had been told he showed autistic tendencies. At first it was difficult to understand how my perfect little baby was now labeled as a disabled child, and what the rest of his life would become. I wondered would he ever have a best friend, a girlfriend, drive, get married, play sports, speak, look me in the eyes, be made fun of, teased, do ok in school, learn to read, even, be potty trained.

He is now in a wonderful school and makes progress everyday. I relish the small milestones he makes and we take it day by day. All it takes is one look in his eyes to remember he is still my baby and my love for him hasn't changed, except to grow by leaps and bounds. He is starting to talk more and even says "Mama, Your the best the world." (Maybe because I say nearly every day "Scott, your my best boy in the world".

I would love to hear the experiences of others out there, and be here to support others going through the same things.
LORI

[DBNN]

Hi, Lori can you share with me what are the symptoms of a child with ASP.
Thanks.

[absiesmom]

Originally Posted by shanenlori

In April of last year, my son was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). It wasn't a huge surprise to get the diagnosis, we had been dealing with issues for a couple of years prior, and had been told he showed autistic tendencies. At first it was difficult to understand how my perfect little baby was now labeled as a disabled child, and what the rest of his life would become. I wondered would he ever have a best friend, a girlfriend, drive, get married, play sports, speak, look me in the eyes, be made fun of, teased, do ok in school, learn to read, even, be potty trained.

He is now in a wonderful school and makes progress everyday. I relish the small milestones he makes and we take it day by day. All it takes is one look in his eyes to remember he is still my baby and my love for him hasn't changed, except to grow by leaps and bounds. He is starting to talk more and even says "Mama, Your the best the world." (Maybe because I say nearly every day "Scott, your my best boy in the world".

I would love to hear the experiences of others out there, and be here to support others going through the same things.
LORI

Lori,
You have a most precious child there in the sense that his learning is special and the way he looks at the world is like no one else's. I work with adolescents in the autistic spectrum every day and there are so many resources and caring people out there who will see to it that the "mainstream" children/adults are encouraged to appreciate their special gifts.
It's not easy, however. I am not attempting to "gloss over" their challenges. What I am trying to do and only those of us with a child with disabilities (which I have) can help others to understand, is that there are those children who will take a glance, a comment, what they see and how they relate, to a whole different level from everyone else. Theirs is a journey of discovery and we can take their hands and help them navigate our world with love and understanding. From what you are saying and what is obvious in your family photo, there is a lot of love there!!
I wish there were another way of denoting "difference" in our children besides immediately labeling them as having disabilities. What is "disabled" about children who might perceive things a little differently? Maybe someday attitudes will change and those who make a habit of labeling people will take a step back and realize that there's nothing in any way shape or form that is "disabled" about these children..they're competent in their own distinct way, charming ( a few have me wrapped around their little fingers and they know it!) and very astute. They're amazing! A big plus with him too, is the relationship he has with his siblings. Through your love for them and him and your motherly instincts, you will set a wonderful example for everyone. Trust me. I have one student who not only has disabilities but has a horrendous home life. He is strong, he is delightful and even though he goes through personal trauma, he is grounded by the support he gets from those who love him.. You are very lucky to have found a school in which your son can grow..what a great start for him, too!!

[shanenlori]

DBNN, I was unsure how to answer your question. (I didn't want to leave out information or misinform you in any way, so I went to the National Autism Society web page and copied and pasted the following:

:: Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3.

:: Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, and cognitive function. Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

:: Individuals with autism often suffer from numerous physical ailments which may include: allergies, asthma, epilepsy, digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, feeding disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, and more.

:: Autism is diagnosed four times more often in boys than girls. Its prevalence is not affected by race, region, or socio-economic status. Since autism was first diagnosed in the U.S. the occurrence has climbed to an alarming one in 150 people across the country.

:: Autism does not affect life expectancy. Currently there is no cure for autism, though with early intervention and treatment, the diverse symptoms related to autism can be greatly improved


I hope this helps. With my son, I first noticed he was not develping speech like the other kids his age. Also,he always entertained himself, although the way he played with his toys way not necessarily the way they were intended. He lined things up, or layed on the floor to look at them. He has always been a horrible sleeper and had to lock him in his room at night, for his own safety. One night we found him on top of the refegerator in the middle of the night The school he is attending is just for autistic children ages 3-4. He has made so much progress and now we are hoping to mainstream him into a traditional kindergarten.

Abbiesmom, thanks for the kind remarks. I'm so glad there are people out there like you, that teach and care for our children when we send them off to school.
LORI

[dandevder]

Lori,
Your son is very lucky to have you! Many children are not so lucky to have someone that cares about them and helps them through their problems. Having a child on the spectrum myself, I know what you go thru daily. Every little bit of progress is a step in the right direction.

I often wondered many of the same things about my own child. My son can now read, and very well. He is starting to make friends, and is succeeding as a student. I never thought some of these things would be possible, but they are. Your son is special and with caring parents will have a wonderful road ahead. Best of luck and much happiness to you and your family.

[absiesmom]

Abbiesmom, thanks for the kind remarks. I'm so glad there are people out there like you, that teach and care for our children when we send them off to school.
LORI[/quote] You're most welcome..we're still in school, too, as information regarding the autistic spectrum is changing and being added to with new studies, etc. and we have to try to keep up with it so our students aren't short-changed in their learning...
Take care all of you..by the way, how're you doing weather-wise?

[shanenlori]

We have snow on the ground from a few days ago, but the temps. are down right FRIGID. Our low was -3 last night and the high will be around 15 today.

My son loves the snow (until he gets in it and he gets wet). He can't stand to have wet clothes on. That is one of his main sensory issues we deal with.

Abbiesmom, do you do the ABA technique in the classroom you work in? My son is doing so well with that.
LORI

[absiesmom]

Hi..I'm back after setting up the woodstove and clearing the garage..

I haven't really seen specific techniques used with our students like ABA. My students are for the most part "mainstreamed" and I am one of the five support technicians in the classroom with them (we have 12 students) for either behavior or comprehension/focus. Our boys are in the Asperger's program and their challenges involve social interaction, appropriate communication and understanding. Inclusion is really important for them but we can't "make it happen," especially socially. Sometimes their peers have to "teach" them that their comments are inappropriate, or nobody's listening or their desperate desire for an "audience" needs to be redirected. We have no one who is uncommunicative; most of them talk too much!! What we help them with is homework completion, one on one organizational skills, goal setting, stress management and independence. A couple of them have jobs after school and they're doing quite well!

Lori, I think the key is the early intervention. I don't know how acute your son's autism is, but in the lower grades there is a fantastic effort made by teachers and specialists to lay a good foundation..by the time they get to high school, I'm not hearing "we're using ABA techniques" but I'm sure in some situations we are-- such as positive reinforcement which really works with everybody! I found the biggest thing for a good teacher-student relationship is laying doable ground rules and reinforcement of those with humor and flexibility... If a child wants to pick up a bunch of gym mats and builds a fort while quoting Shakespeare to himself, let him!! I don't know how in the blazes we dealt with our kids generations ago when things were so much more rigid...


What's your son's name? Say hi to him for me... He's soo cute in that picture you posted..I meant to comment on everybody's leggings/pants..they match and make your whole family look so adorable together..

[shanenlori]

My sons name is Scott and he is 4 (will be 5 in April). They have described him as having high functioning autism. He attends NUAP (northern Utah Autistic program). I drop him off at the van at 8:15 and pick him up at 3:15. He has 5 teachers in his class to 12 students. They do the ABA, (which kinds reminds me of training a dog), but it works. They reinforce for everything. He also gets speach therapy, but not alot. I need to look into some private speach therapy. They worked for the first part of the year on a core attending program. Now he has passed that off and they have started working on #' an letters and other things. They are starting him next week in a transition room for the first half of the day. They will be "practicing" for Kindergarten. They think it is possible to transition into a traditionald K, but we will see. There is still a few months to go. It is manditory for the parents of the children to volunteer in the classroom 1-3 hours a week, so I go in and run his programs with him. I feel so blessed to have him in this wonderful program. The school district I live in did very, very little for him, and I know he would not be ready for Kindergarten.

When I had him tested this summer the Dr. gave him an IQ test. He scored in the 99% range for non-verbal (which is genius range ), but his non-verbal was much lower. The tester said she had not tested someone with autism that had scored so high. She comment to me was that Scotty was very visual and we needed to use that strenght to keep him learning and moving forward. I've always known there was so much going on in his head, but he didn't know how to verbalize it. As I have said, he is a wonderful child and I fell blessed to be his mother and to walk on this journey with him.

Thanks everyone for the input. Keep it coming.

LORI

[momof2dfw]

LOVE the spikey hair. Too cute. Isn't it amazing how far our entire education process has come. OMY!!! When I was growing up if you were "different" in ANY way it was shunned. I know it has to be tough dealing w/ 4 kids w/ all different varying degrees of learning. He is so cute.

I've got the same thing but not as huge of a difference as you. My oldest is in the school districts "gifted & talented" program and has attended the g&t magnets since kinder. She taught herself to read at 2. Then I have what I call my "flower child". My happy go lucky child that LOVES everyone. Super sweet, never meets a stranger (which as a mom scares the living crap out of me ). Her teachers LOVE HER!!! But she is what is called a "bubble" student. Her reading level is below what it should be, she has no drive or desire to read (total opposite of her sister). I have to constantly guide her along. She gets easily frustrated. Just about every symptom you named for autism she has exhibited everyone of them to some degree. She is hypher w/ me but can contain herself at school. At school they say she is the only one they can trust to send to the office for something and do it and come straight back. WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?! What are they doing? Playing the carrot game but with candy tied to a string? LOL!!! At home I can tell her to put her shoes on as we are leaving. If her shoes are not RIGHT there and she has to go to another room for them or whatever she needs, forget it. She gets distracted and will come back minus shoes, coat, etc. I have been having private tutoring for her since she started kindergarten. Every year at school I have asked about the reading programs but every time I'm told she is not severe enough or far enough behind. Well this year guess what? She is. Now they are worried as next year starts the state standardized testing and she just may fail all of them. I've done everything at home I can w/ her, we have workbooks for every subject, mostly reading. She does fine now in other subjects but right now they do not entail much reading. She was exposed to the same things growing up her older sister was but she is different. She is different in her own sweet lovable way and there is no one that has met this little girl that comes away saying they don't just love her. It just takes me giving her more extra attention to get her thru the struggles. She always has a hug for you and a smile. See if this pic shows up of her
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I've visited the doctor w/ her and they know what she does and they have seen it. Her speech has DRASTICALLY improved but I was recently told by one tutor that may be one reason her reading is so below. But she does not qualify thru the school as she is not deemed bad enough.

I can totally understand your extra love for your son. I have to always tell my older daughter that she is special too in her own unique way. God made them all different and no two are alike and w/ that both of my girls are happy about it. LOL!!! Okay, I've got to stop, I'm smiling and can't see to type thru the "foggy eyes".