Seeking Advice on My 9 Year Old Autistic Child

Has he ever seen an Occupational Therapist? My son has sensory problems, so I know a lot of parents with autistic children. Most say they see a difference of night & day when their child starts to recieve therapy from an OT. There are also several good books that have advice on how to handle different challenges. (I do not know any of the titles off the top of my head-but I know that I have heard of several.) There are also yahoo support groups as well as some on myspace-dont know if you ever use any of that stuff. In the support groups you can ask questions & for support from other parents that know what you are going through, you can also get advice. Good luck!!

If you don't mind my asking, where are you located (what city)? My friend is President of the Autism society here in Southeast Texas. She said to check out the website and if you need someone else to talk to then I can pass your phone number on to her. May you have a blessed and safe summer. http://www.autismsociety-setx.org/news.php

N.,
My advice would be to look into music therapy for your child. Music is non threatening and also helps with verbal skills. Hang in there and God BLess you for what you are doing with your children.

M. S.

I do not really have a lot of advice. I just wanted to say hang in there. I know how difficult it must be. I have worked with a few kids with problems and know that as hard as it was for a few hours, it must be exhausting to live with it and want to help them so badly.

I do wonder how they came to the conclusion of retarded at 6 months if he has no verbal skills. The only thing I can say is that I would always get a second opinion of any doctor. They make mistakes too. I have a child that has a few issues and it took us a couple of doctors to find the help we needed. So go with your instinct and get another doctors opinion on the situation. I am sure there is a reason your heart is saying no to the group home at this stage in life. A group home may be a good option when he gets older, but perhaps it is not what he needs now. Trust yourself to make the right decisions for him.

Good luck,
ts

Hi N.,
I emailed my sister, who has two boys with autism. She has worked with them a lot and her oldest, who is 12, will now look you in the eyes and respond non-verbally in conversation,whereas previously he was in another world,basically. There is hope. Do not give up. You are doing the best that you can. and the fact that you have reached out, says that you are a good mommy.
Here is what she said:
"Everyone that I
know, even those that own residential facilities, say
do everything possible to keep your child at home. I
have heard that New York or up north possibly could
have some decent facilities, but not in the south.

Probably his main frustration is because he can't
communicate. Teaching him basic signs for his
favorite things is usually where you start. I have a
wonderful book that describes how to work with
behaviors and it's written by a parent. You can order
it on Barnes and Noble? or Amazon - "The Verbal
Behavior Approach - How to Teach Children with autism
and related disorders by Mary Lynch Barbera. It was
only about $20 and very easy to read.

Finding out where she lives would be helpful and maybe
I could hook her up with a support organization.
Here's a list of some good websites:
www.drcarbone.net, www.poac.net, www.poactx.org,
www.mariposaschool.net (has a free manual that you can
print off), www.difflearn.com. There are several
others.

She is not alone
and there are sooooo many families that have gone
through what she's experiencing. There are research
based procedures that have worked to help children
with autism and it is never too late to start.

She is welcome to email me directly."

If you would like to email me directly, ____@____.com , I can pass on her email to you.

You are not alone and there is hope.

L.

Are you getting any support from the school? I know, they just stopped for the summer, but how are things during the school year? I am going to be attending a seminar with Parent to Parent on Thursday, June 7 then another seminar with the Hear Me Foundation on Fri-Sat, June 8 & 9 with Hear Me Foundation. Please visit www.hearmefoundation.org for more information. If funding is a problem, realize that this covers all the kids. You can email me if this is still an issue and I will contact the sponsor to see if there are any scholarships still available.

This will be a seminar specifically with Pete Wright and his wife, owner of the website www.wrightslaw.com. They are the leading experts in getting you up to speed on advocating legally for your child.

Feel free to email me privately if you need a shoulder to cry on. I have a special needs child as well.

C. A.
____@____.com

I am not sure about the resources for Autism but my sister whose IQ is 68lives in a group home and goes to a dayhab during the day. If your son has SS disability he may qualify for some of these programs. She is at teh Kara Living Center ###-###-####. I know the house at the end of my block has 3 males with autism living in it and they all appear to be well cared for. A day hab option might be enough of a break for you. Try calling MHMR and see what resources are available.

It may be helpful to have your son stay at a group home while you are trying to finish nursing school since it is so demanding. Good luck.

Is he in the public school system receiving services? speech? OT?