Autism
Questions + Answers
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
You have to stop thinking about could've/would've/should've and start thinking about what is.
Giving my son B vitamins helps him, and seeing the… 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
I enrolled my son in a summer golf camp and t-ball. Golf is going great! At the beginning, I explained to an instructor that he normally has full para… 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
unfortunately all to often i don't blame them for being uneducated or ignorant ! lol truth is there is only so many times you can apologizes, example… 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
Just so you know, if you want to introduce Autism in a positive way, Autism Speaks may not be the best resource to use. They have quite a history of… read more
Did you lose friends after your child was diagnosed?
I work in the mental health field and I am lucky to have friends who also work in the field. My best friend is a Marriage and Family Therapist who… 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?
Still have the problem, it is a oral sensory issue. His one therapist started having my son count to five then take a bite and chew but that just… read more
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
I have and never will understand or feel good about mainstreaming. This is not to change the minds of those of you who this has worked out well for, but… 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
@A MyAutismTeam User from when I first answered your question 3 years ago with this advice (that I now put on a blog … read more
Has a doctor prescribed your child medication to address behavioral issues? If so, what kind of doctor?
Pediatric neurologist? psychiatrist? behavioral specialist, etc?
Medication is the answer for many autistic children. For others, it just complicates the problem. You better pray it works for your child. My daughter… 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
My son did a presentation for school and scouts last year for his 6 th grade project. He used this video in it too.