Have any of you reached the point where you have stopped mourning the life you imagined your child WOULD have had if not for autism?

I remember the exact moment I stopped mourning. About 2 years ago, I was watching a group of mothers at my son's school playground chatting and lamenting about their kids and the typical social drama that they were going through. It hit me that he does not judge people at all in that way and he never will. I admired that about him. And I let go of that imagined child's life and dove… read more

Has anyone had success in getting their child involved in any sports / athletic activities?

I was wondering if any parents have had success in integrating their child into a sport or physical activity of any kind?

My middle (autistic) boy has taken up BMX (bicycle moto-cross)racing and has become unbelievably successful at it in less than 2 years. He is even sponsored by a bicycle shop and an apparel company. He is now being "scoped out" by a HUGE bicycle company's factory team. Unreal. I have noticed that… read more

Anyone ever lose friends because of their child's autism?

I had a friend that this past year was also my sons preschool teacher. During the year I never really noticed that she seemed like she became real distant. The other teacher had mentioned to me that my friend did not really know how to handle Kade when he had his meltdowns. I honestly did not say anything I figured my friend would ask me if she needed help I trusted her and Kade seemed happy enough with school. So now that school has been out two months for… read more

How can I tell people about my son's autism in a positive way?

Hello Everyone! I am new to this group - my 5 year old son was officially diagnosed as High Functioning Autistic a couple of weeks ago. He has been getting OT and Speech Therapy through the school district for almost a year now, so thankfully my fight to get him more services won't be as arduous as if I was starting from the very beginning. As I'm sure you all know, the road will be a bumpy one for sure, but I've got my binder nicely organized and I'm… read more

Problems with putting too much food into mouth?

Does anyone else have a problem with their kids putting too much food in their mouth at once? Little Man will literally put almost an entire half sandwich in his mouth at once and then try to chew it up. Is this an autism/sensory thing? That possibility just occured to me today but I don't know if there's actually a connection there. Anyone else have experience with this?

How do you feel about pressure from schools to mainstream your child out of special ed?

I'm worried that Ryan will be forced to give up his unique perspective to comply and fit into mainsteam classes. He is only in Pre-K and there is pressure being applied to get him out of special ed into regular Kindergarten by next year. I feel they dont know him well enough, and with his delays I think it's setting him up for failure.
Can I hear from parents with children that have gone the route into mainstreaming, and some… read more

Does anyone have advice for how to respond to rude comments from strangers?

My daughter has a lot of sensory processing problems which we are working on with OT. These challenges for her become extreme when we need to take her grocery shopping . The rude comments from strangers has been getting worse... Before they would say something to me or give me the "bad parent" glare but lately some have had the nerve to say things to her. A few weeks ago I actually witnessed 2 adult women photographing her while laughing… read more

Cartoon dealing with Asperger's/ASD

I usually have PBS on for my kid to watch and I overheard a cartoon called Arthur...episode name: George and the Missing Puzzle Piece. It featured a character, Carl, with Asperger's. When Carl had a meltdown at school, it showed how confusing it was for his friends who didn't understand. Eventually they learned why Carl acted in such a way,what made Carl different from them, and how to better relate to Carl. After the cartoon you'll see some real life kids talking about… read more

How do you get through hygiene care without meltdowns?

How can I get my 10 year old aspie son to shower & brush his teeth without melting down? The toothpaste, regardless of brand & flavor
Causes him gag and sometimes, vomit. The shower thing is beyond me..once he gets in..he sings along to his shower music (the beatles ) and he is fine. How do you do it? And I will sing your praises forever if anyone knows of a flavorless toothpaste or one that's NOT bubblemint,cinnamon,mint ect...he LOATHES cinnamon… read more

Has autism, or is autistic?

I'm curious to know what others say when characterizing their young child's disorder in a context where it's necessary to identify it, such as arranging for special accommodations.

"I have a child with autism."
"I have an autistic child."
"My child is on the autism spectrum."
"I have a child with special needs."
"I have a child that is smarter than me but can't tie his own shoelaces."

Don't mean to stir up controversy. I'm just interested in how others feel about this.