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I just joined tribe a few weeks ago. I have a 3 year old being referred to a specialist for being autistic. His first appointment isn't until June 19th but reading the many post here I think he is too. We had a hunch and a few friends have asked us too. We are just waiting now for this appointment. I'm looking for things I can do in the mean time.
Any help appreciated.
Tracy Russell
www.moneyfromcandles.com
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Wed, January 24, 2007 - 2:20 PMHi,
Welcome.
Start reading! Educate yourself about all the treatments available and prepare yourself to be a little overwhelmed with the conflicting information that is out there. Find out about local organizations for some support.
How is your son doing? Keep us posted. -
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Wed, January 24, 2007 - 4:51 PMI have pretty much said yes he is and I'm starting to explore the world of Autism. Just when we decided to take him to the dr he started this new thing with getting up in the middle of the night.
Like last night I didn't even know it, my 18 month old woke up and I got up and there he was on the couch.
Somedays it is like he catches up on sleep and sleeps all thru the night but 5 days a week he is up and moving.
Tracy Russell
www.moneyfromcandles.com -
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Tue, January 30, 2007 - 8:15 PMi just joined tribe and my son is also getting ready to be tested for autism, but my question is , all the reaserch i have done says that it is usually diagnosed alot sooner than they are finding it with him. he is 10 years old and they are just now testing him for it. the more reserch i do on autism i dont understand why he was not diagnosed with it years ago. the more info. i get , the more everything is clearer, behaviors, symptoms, school, all of it, it just fits him. i already know he is before they do the tests. But till now they said he was just severly A.D.H.D. and emotionaly disturbed, and mildly mental retarded. if he is autistic, he is high functioning, but i am a single mom, and he does keep me really busy!
i am courious if any other parents observe odd sleep behaviors in there autistic child? like sleep walking, sleep talking, nightmares, and fears of seeing things and hearing things that arent there? -
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Fri, March 23, 2007 - 7:20 PM>i am courious if any other parents observe odd sleep behaviors in there autistic child? like sleep walking, sleep talking, nightmares, and fears of seeing things and hearing things that arent there?<
Yes. My son and I have AS and we both had some of these as children. My oldest son has ODD and ADHD and he also had sleep walking, sleep talking and nightmares. Now ADHD and ODD are considered on the spectrum, too.
I just read a book called "Unstrange Minds" by Roy Grinker, which talks about why children who are clearly autistic aren't always diagnosed properly. Grinker also said that in his observation, we mothers are the ones who notice something is wrong and fight for a diagnosis, even when the pediatrician says nothing is wrong. Grinker said the pediatrician usually says nothing is wrong, when in fact the child is autistic. He argues for better education for pediatricians. It's a great book.
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Tue, February 6, 2007 - 9:10 AMHi Tracy! I agree with the others...start reading. there are many good articles and books out there on the subject. My son was diagnosed @ 2.5 years old.. the best advice I got @ that time was get him into early intervention, and keep him busy. The sooner they get into school and a structured environment, the better they will do. I was in denial for a while before his diagnosis...he was rocking back & forth alot, wouldn't respond to his name, stopped making eye contact and lost the words he had begun to use, like mama, daddy, stuff like that. This was back in 1999-2000. Its a little bit frightening @ times, But please don't worry. Autism is definitely not the worst thing that can happen to your child, or you. It's good to put yourself out there because there might be times when you feel like youre all alone in this... trust me, youre not. My son started school when he was 2-1/2, he couldn't speak and was still in diapers. But with the help of the wonderful teachers he's had ( thank God) and all the people who love him, he is writing @ a 4th grade level, reading @ a 3rd grade level, and going to social events like birthday parties, amusement parks, and he even went to a Harlem Globetrotters basketball game recently. Does your child like movies or musi? I've found with my Drakie that showing him movies with the subtitles on have really helped him with his speach and writing skills... I know your child is still pretty young....but trust me, they absorb EVERYTHING!!!! Stay positive..God has alot of faith in your abilities as a parent to give you such a special child to take care of. You are blessed, you'll see. -
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Thu, February 22, 2007 - 8:34 AMHi,
I also wanted to say start reading, but also contact the regional center, speech therapy and whatever other services you can start before you can get a diagnosis. When we found out when my son was two it was very good to start speech the next week after we were recommended to a specialist for an evaluation.It feels empowering to do something, as you may know how helpless a place this can be.The problem here in cali is there might be a four to six month waiting list to see these dr's and you can loose valuable time. So , I would say start there and then i would definately check out the UCSB Autism Research Clinic where they have the most state of the art and up to date research and techniques in the country that can really benefit any child with autism on any level of the spectrum.I also like the floor time stuff. I also think school , structure, fun, silly life does help too. Routine is great and as much as you can keep integrating your child into different environments .There is alot you can do and it really does suck in the beginning. Its pain on the most unfathomable level. But as your hard work continues and your patience grows it will get better. I am know convinced that Xavier is just a perfect soul given everything he needs to be who he came here to be. But it took me a long time to process it all and its a lifes work. You know before any formal dagnosis if your child has it. I remember running home from that speech evaluation 7 years ago and running to the computer and looking up the word Autism.(cries) I thought , what the fuck, so much shit you have to do to make it better!?! I felt sad that i had to work so hard for the rest of my life when i was very content with what my life was.I became selfish and it wasnt until i gave all that up and realised that this is HIS life, the one he came for, and that its my job to help him understand his lifes purpose even if it was so unknown to me.I mean just casue you have autism doesnt mean you dont have purpose or didnt come here to work for the betterment of all man kind. So, im having a blast now , but it took me a long time to get here. It really starts with just accepting your child for who they are and really letting them be who they need to be.....
Peace unto you
Love
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Thu, February 22, 2007 - 8:47 AMoh and typically sleep is a nightmare for many parents with kids like ours. I reccomend letting them get plenty of exercise and activities that will wear them out during the day, as well as a staunch routine. My son was a nightmare going to bed when he was younger sometimes wed put him to bed and hed stay up till like four in the morning.Ugh!! then he wouldnt be able to wake up for school and the six thousand dollar a month program's staff who d go to school with him would be pissed and the whole thing sucked. It is now completely different. He goes to bed when his sister does and thats that. They sleep through the night, but he will still lay in bed and repeat words and phrases(rolls eyes) sometimes. But it got better as we just stayed consistent with our behavioral approach. Once winter is over it will be easier to get your kid out of the house and get them exercise and let them wear themselves out. Otherwise i say if its unsafe or unmanageble you should bring in a behaviorist to do a data intake to observe the behavior and see how it can be best addressed.
Peace
Love -
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Wed, May 9, 2007 - 8:50 PMGood book resources:
The Child with Special Needs by Stanley Greenspan
Engaging Autism, Helping Children Relate, Communicate and Think with the DIR Floortime Method (same author)
Floortime DVD Training Series. Set 1 The Basics: Relating and Communicating
The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz.
www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_s...443-7338354
www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_s...729-5287846
a couple of links that have some more information along these lines.
Be prepared to see some comorbid conditions with the autism....can include ADHD/ADD, anxiety disorder, OCD, ODD, mental retardation, and any number of other things. The important thing to remember is that diagnosis is not a one shot deal. My son was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism at 3 but wasn't diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder until he was 7 and not with the ADHD until last week. The diagnostic process is a marathon, not a sprint, so don't stop searching for answers if one label doesn't fit all.
And speaking of labels...everyone has a different feeling about it, mine is that a label is just a word, but it helps me get a lot of services for my son that I wouldn't be able to manage otherwise. Typical services for kids like ours tend to be speech therapy, sensory integration therapy, clinical psychology and/or psychiatric therapy, social skills/social playgroup therapy...
Regional centers should be able to help you and as soon as you have your diagnosis firmly in hand get in touch with your school district and request an IEP. (Individualized Education Plan). It doesn't matter that he is still a year or two away from school...the school district can start providing him services now that will aid in his integration into mainstream schooling.
Good luck....it's a lot of work, but the rewards of success are sweet.
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Fri, September 14, 2007 - 11:09 PMI'm sure he'll turn out great.
People get confused over how they should treat there children. They're not special because they're autistic, they're special, because every child is special.
But I'm sure you know all this, maternal love is unconditional, unless they themselves are sick in the head, and I mean this quite literally, as it is woven into the human formula.
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Mon, September 17, 2007 - 9:22 AMyes, read read and read some more. My stepson is being evaluated now for Autism, it has been a long road. His current diagnosis is ADHD, MR, and Bipolar Disorder.
We are reading up on Fragile X Syndrome and will be seeing a geneticist in November. I haven't had a chance to read through all the posts, so forgive me if its already been mentioned, but there is a link between Fragile X and Autism and Autistic type behaviors. We learned that after Down's it is the second most common cause of mental retardation (for lack of a better word) The problem is that genetic testing is friggin unbelievably expensive and not everyone can just run out and get this done.
Best wishes for the road ahead, I love my stepson and wouldn't trade him for anything...he is a tremendous blessing and I am seeing the world in a different way by learning from him.
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Re: New Here My child might be autistic
Mon, January 7, 2008 - 8:54 AMMy 5 year old son is mildly (PDD) autistic and now has an ADHD diagnosis ..
