Autism Blogger

Children chased one another around the butterfly garden outside Pinnacle Academy, each intent on not being tagged "it."

Then, when Kirstina Ordetx, the school's director, led the kids in a game of Simon Says, it was nearly impossible to tell the Pinnacle students, who have autism and related disabilities, from the typically developing kids playing with them.

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The number of autistic children receiving treatment in Ontario is nearly equal to the number still languishing on waiting lists, NDP critic Peter Kormos charged Thursday as he accused the province of failing to live up to its promises to fund treatment for autistic children.

Autistic children who have waited years to reach the top of waiting lists are being denied Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) because of funding shortfalls, Kormos said noting the crucial treatment is most effective when introduced at an early age.

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The costs of autism treatment can be overwhelming. Insurance companies are beginning to cover certain treatments, but their coverage is often very limited.

Part of the reason for the limits is, of course, financial. But there are other issues. For example, some companies pay for autism treatments only up to age 21 (apparently they assume that if the child is still disabled at age 21, treatment is pointless!). Others pay only for treatments recommended by the American Pediatric Association. Still others pay only for treatments NOT provided by schools.

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I'll be honest.  I decided to join Autism Blogger mostly out of desperation.  I've been struggling mightily with issues related to my 9-year-old son Owen's autism.  I'm a full-time mental health counselor/social worker, so I know all of the "textbook" methods I could use to relieve my stress.  I do use a lot of them.  But I often feel alone in my struggle.  I have a lot of good friends, but none of them have any kids with autism or anything that remotely resembles autism.  Along with working F/T and trying to be a good mom, I'm a P/T college student.  My driving motivation for going back to school (which I've been doing for the last 2 years already) is to make a career change to a much more lucrative field, and the main reason I feel compelled to do something that will be more profitable is that I worry a lot about having money to provide for Owen's needs when he is an adult.  I know from my 14 years of non-profit social service experience that I don't want to have to rely solely on "the system" to support my son financially.  I don't want him to have to just "get by" with whatever funding scraps the government is willing to toss his way.  I also want to start earning enough money within the next 5 years to start setting money aside for my other son's college fund.  He's almost 11 already, and we haven't saved a dime for his education.  He is an academically gifted kid who dreams of going to a particular out-of-state university, and I want to help him make that dream come true.  And since my husband and I barely get by financially right now, I also believe that a lot of my overall stress would be alleviated if I were earning a decent salary.  read more »

Just thought I'd share something that makes our lives a little easier. Whenever we go somewhere

as a family we use two way radios to communicate. We have our cell phones for back up but

radios are easier & the range is sometimes up to as far as five miles. We use them in Walmart,

thrift stores, EVERYWHERE. We always buy the rechargeable type, they last a good three years

and have really helped make our lives easier =)

http://letitbeautism.blogspot.com/2008/08/newstations-and-protestsfun.ht...

I do not think Michael is ever going to get a diagnosis. Of anything... I guess I should be glad that it is looking like he on the tip of the ASD scale. But it is enough that I cannot find a suitable daycare that will take him. I wanted to get a job for when he is in school, but it would have to literally be Tues-Friday and never on snow days or holidays. I was hoping there would be a school job open but I have not found one yet.

I met a woman at the laundromat the other day who has a son who is 11 and severe Autism. You can never tell by looking at him. But he is mentally a 3-4 year old. She is from Texas, and said she got SSI for him long before a diagnosis just because he received speech therapy. Anybody else get SSI before a diagnosis?

I mean all these kids who have ADHD and take a pill and seem totally normal can get SSI, why is it so hard for me to figure this out?

Ma is talking about getting me a cheap car because with her new job it is very hard for me to keep up with Michael's appointments and such. And if he gets sick or anything she cannot really leave work at times to go get him. And me having no car makes it even harder. She seems to think that she is going to get a check with all her unused sick pay with her last check. I guess I never worked anywhere where I had sick pay so I do not know, but it all sounds too good to be true. Even if she can get me the little Saturn I am wishing for, I cannot even afford to put gas in the car. Which is why I need the SSI. I do not have enough nice cars to get a decent type job. I do not want to be stuck back in fast food, and I do not even know if my manager at Burger King will hire me back for 11-2 Tues-Thurs and never on snow days or holidays. Unless it is a job who gives uniforms I am screwed on clothes.  read more »

Some parents of autistic children want researchers to look into a controversial and unproven treatment for the condition. It's called Chelation, and it works by extracting metals from the body. The drug is usually used to treat lead poisoning, but some believe that autism is linked to metals, including mercury from vaccines, that contribute to the condition. The treatment is bringing mixed reviews from doctors when it comes to results.

Dr. Giuseppina Feingold, Sam & Thomas' Pediatrician: "Verbal skills are the first that we see. Improvements in eye contact, cooperation."

Dr. Barry Kosofsky, child neurology, New York Hospital: "These desperate parents will take money that they often don't have to spend on such therapies, which are experimental at best, and likely not to work."

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The National Autism Association announced today that its recently launched FOUND program has received an anonymous $15,000 donation to fund additional counties with Project Lifesaver equipment.

Project Lifesaver is a nationwide tracking program established to quickly locate and rescue missing persons, namely those with cognitive impairments and developmental disabilities. The program has a 100% recovery rate.

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It's a good night if her 3-year-old son, Garath, sleeps past 4 a.m., Casandra Oldham says. It's not his fault, she adds -- his medicine makes him wake up early.

Even when he does sleep later, the Oldham family is up by 6 a.m. A health professional arrives at the house near Lansdowne soon afterward to work with Garath and his younger brother, Korlan, nearly 2, on their daily behavioral therapy. And the boys' mother must get an early start on preparing their medication -- a series of medical cocktails, multivitamins and anti-parasite treatments. Over the course of the morning, they will take at least 11 types of drugs.

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8/7/08 I am new to this site and haven't navigated around much but I was a little surprised that there were no posts in the Oral Chelation category. I would like to share some info about a product that has done WONDERS for my little girl who is almost 22 months, but I'd like to also share a little background. I knew my daughter was different early on. NO eye contact, very little interaction, but the worst came just after she turned one. She stopped with the only 3 words she knew (mama dada and baba) and her babble stopped COMPLETELY (irronically, her eye contact improved at this time, a mystery to me). She started spinning, lining her toys, hand flapping, teeth grinding more than before, doing her "eye thing"as I call it, and generally displaying all the classic signs. My nephew is/was autistic (early intense intervention did wonders and now at age 8 you'd never know) so I knew my daughter was autistic. It took a long time for my husband to come to grips with it. He wouldn't deny it, but he wouldn't except it until he actually read the signs of autism and realized my daughter matched 12 out of the 14 characteristics on the list he was reading. My family has been very supportive and see what she is going through (husbands family is in denial, but also live 1300 miles away and have only visited a few times). I have done a lot of reading and research on the topic (as virtually all parents in this situation do) and I came across a product called Kids Chelat, heavy metal chelator, on the website www.evenbetternow.com. As a mom, I've learned you MUST follow your instincts. They are there for a reason. If I HAD done that before, my daughter would have never been vaccinated, but you figure "I'm not a doctor, I should follow what they say." I believe her 12 months shots as well as the damn flu shot they talked me into did the most damage.  read more »

Just wanted to welcome the newbys. Todd's boss around here =)

Hi!  I am completely new to this but would like to connect with others that share similar situations/circumstances!  My daughter is 7 and was diagnosed with Asperger's at age 4 (following 8weeks prematurity with ongoing developmental delay and absence seizures diagnosed at age 3 and resolved(?) by age 4).  She was diagnosed by a neurologist, however, truly does not 'fit' all criteria for her diagnosis.  I am an occupational therapist that has worked with autistic children and I never saw this coming!!!  Julie has developmental and cognitive delay and major behavioral issues including frequent tantrums with ear-piercing screams, aggression, social awkardness,  anxiety, irrational thoughts, fears and behaviors,  sensory issues, 'tics' and a tendancy to perseverate!  She is also beautiful, affectionate, very verbal, compassionate and lovely!!!  Julie has been on a small dose of Respirdal for the past 3-4 years which has made a world of difference.  It has not ever eliminated behaviors but has taken the edge off and helps us "reach" her most of the time.  My concern is as she is getting bigger she is more aggressive and seems more easily angered.  Any advice?  By the way,  she is not potty trained and we have been working on this for the past 4 years! Pull-ups are getting too small!