This is going to sound really strange guys but hear me out.   I am 26 years old and going to college.   I didn't go immediately after high school for lack of money.   I joined the Navy at 19 which turned into probobly the worst mistake of my life.   I didn't fit in socially and ended up getting a "failure to adapt" discharge after 4 years and one six-month cruise overseas.   I have always had problems with depression and anxiety and I take meds for it.   I recently have had a couple of disturbing experiences that have led me to autism research in adults.   It may sound nuts... but I think I may have high functional autism.   I have never been diagnosed, and will probably talk to my psychiatrist about this.    It bothers me that so many symptoms fit my life... sensitivity to noises, depression starting at an early age, lack of social developments, memory problems, passionate interests... the list goes on.   What do you guys think?   I am so obsessive about things that it bothers me not to understand why.

Hello

I just got to meet my niece Megan. Her parents have been experiencing some difficulties (not regarding the children), so their children are staying with their other Aunt right now.  Megan is a beautiful 2 year old. I find her mezmerizing and enchanting to watch.  I was just trying to decide what to give her for Christmas. I made her a homemade ribbon wand, then my husband said that maybe I should not give her something that just encourages her devotion to just this one thing. I was wondering what was the right answer to this delimma? 

I have a son who is 3 years and 8 months old. He is yet to speak one word. When he was only 1 and half, he did say the word "thursday" and "Bless you".. then he stopped. Now he makes sounds, babbles non cohert words and when we really push him he says "da-di".

He has no hearing problem (if the tV is on in the other room and an Indian song comes on, he usually runs in response.) He is not toilet trained either.

He plays games with us, plays with his toys.

But sometimes when he is busy doing something (watching TV, playing with door, playing with the DVD player or toys) he won't respond at all. He understands a few commands, but I get the feeling he has no comprehension of language. He goes more by the tone of our voice and emotion we convey. We waited for a while and hoped he would start talking. Now that he is over three, we have to go through the public school system, which is slow. I want to take him to a speech pathologist but the diagnosis assesment is like $600. I try talking to him but I get the feeling I'm not getting through to him, its like talking to a person who doesn't know your language.

 I'd just like to add:  He seems normal in every other way but some pecularities are follows:

Has an obsession for music and singing (if I call his name he may not repond but If I sing he will immediately respond)

Has an obsession opening and closing doors, ejecting DVD players, and operating home appliances.

(just curiosity ??) I don't know. 

He is a little bit hyperactive.

Doctors have said that he doesn't make movements like typical autistic kids   read more »

I woul djust like to start out saying i think it is great that there is somewhere i can go and talk about my daughter to poeple who will understand.

So let me introduce myself, I am married with 2 great kids.  My youngest is my 2 year old son Nicholas, and my daughter Natalia is 4 years old.  Natalia was diagnosed about 2 years ago with Asbergers, and recently with tactile sensory disorder.  Although she communicates very well verbally the rest of her life is quite complicated.  She needs her routine, eats only certain foods, and very "different" from her cousin that she has grown up with.  Out of four grandchildren she is the only girl and the only one who is "special"  No one in our families know how to deal with her, family gathering can be quite an ordeal, and we as parents are just as clueless as them.  It seems like the little whole in the country that we live in has nothing to offer to chidren like her.  We had to travel over 5 hours just  to see the doctor that diagnosed her.  Now her once a week therapy is over an hour away, and any doctors in our area won't see her till she is 5.  I have been searching for so long to find some kind of help and support not only for her but for my husband and i.  Even though Naalia is in preschool during the day we never get any kind of break. 

I am so glad that there is a web site like this and i can't wait to meet other parents and hope that we can all be of some help to each other.

I am a mother of a 9yr old boy with Autism.  I have a website that I have a page dedicated for Autism info.  I want to add another page for families with a child with Autism.  Each week, I would like to feature a different child.  I believe the more stories people can read about us, the better.  We are not all the same.  Our children and our experiences, although similar in areas, are also unique.  Our daily struggles and our triumphs make us who we are.  If more people understood who we all are, instead of just the celebrities that are shown on t.v., the easy things might be for us and our children in the future.  If you are interested in sending me an article or a short blog to post on my site(a picture can be posted too if you like) my email is tammy@learningfelt.com and my website is www.learningfelt.com.

I can also post a link on my site after the article to your website/blog.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Joy and I just joined the blog. As of yesterday, my son is officially diagnosed with ASD. He will be 4 in December. I just am interested to know where to begin. He is already attending a preschool for children with disabilities and also has speech once weekly at an area hospital. Just wondering, what's next? We cannot afford ABA but does anyone do this at home? Should we give the diet a trial run? What books, ect? Thanks for any input, it is very appreciated!!! - Joy

I have this issue that I love books, I love the arts and I love watching movies, but I cant always understand what people really mean by what their saying, what IU'm hearing in movies and sometimes it gives me headaches to read a book, becuase I cant understand the "full meaning', the 'whole picture" or "whole concept" of what someones saying, or what I'm reading.

I hate this I want so much to enjoy books the way my hearts telling me I could.. I just have to know that there are drug(medication) treatments to help those autistic people like me that can't get to full understanding og what I read or hear( ligustic processing) I'm told its called..... is there any drugs to help this?

My son is very interested animals...

Dionsaurs are very important as are aquatic animals and lately the fish have been becoming more important.

About two months ago we got a little fish tank for him. For year we have had an outdoor pond with some goldfish.

Well now he catches the fish! In his bare hands and takes them out of the water and examines them.

Firstly I am in awe he can catch them. and they are becoming more and more tame. He doesn't hurt them at all but it really isn't good for them to be out of the water.

I have tried explaining but well it's much too interesting to him.

What do you reackon try drawing up an no fish in hands picture card?

By now most everybody knows that we have come up with a few tricks to make life easier

around the house, for instance half doors, and using plumbers pipe to hang our living room

drapes so Marcel cant pull the drapes off the wall. And we dont have any lower lamps in

the house, everything is up out of his reach. Im just curious what creative things y'all have

come up with =)

 was wondering how many kids out there are also missing baby and adult teeth?

My son is missing one of his baby eye teeth and we just had an X'ray done he is missing at least 4 adult teeth and potentially some molars as well.  the top two eye teeth are missing as are the bottom eye teeth.  Apparently if someone is missing eye teeth often the molars are missing but they couldn't get a full head scan cos he freaked out and his mouth was too small for the bitewing x'rays.

Anyone else in this position?

It does feel a little like a judgement...

Anyhow

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts thinking back to their summary judgement about questions you feel you should have asked then and wished you had.

The Team that does the assesment can't be involved after he is at school which is only January for us so not much time to suck the experts dry of what knowledge I can.

Maybe for example tests he should have and may not be automatically offered.  Checks for conditions that go along with Autism?  What might they not do that they should do?

All suggestions gratefully recieved.

Hi, I started this blog for my senior project. Which is going to be a cooking workshop for kids with autism and Asperger Syndrome. I want to know if people who have a child with either of these would take the time to answer some questions. 

1. Do you think it's a good idea, having the kids cook and learn by using their hands?
2. Does your child need gloves to touch sticky or gooey stuff?
3. Would it help for them to each have a partner helping them along?
4. What would be something’s that would be too overwhelming for the kids? Ex. too many stations, too many people, etc.
5. Do you think these kids would actually want to do this?
6. What are going to be something’s I'm going to struggle with?
7. In genral do you have any tips for me?

Thank you for your time and I will continue to blog as I progress in the planning.

I have a 5 y/o son with Autism as well as hyperactivity. His father has ADD and ADD and ADHD are heavy in his father's family. My side of the family is heavy in ADD. Although my son has not been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD I am highly suspect that he has it. I understand Autistic children are hyper and are more energentic than non-autistic children. A little background....he has high functioning autism....he has the hand flapping when he is excited, pinches when overly excited or wanting attention, and has a speech delay - he speaks at about the 2-3 year level....some 5 word sentences but only understanable by those around him dailty. He is on the GFCF diet as well as in special education (3rd year) and undergoing the ABA therapy while at school.

My question is this....what can I do to curb the hyperactivity? At times it's out of control - he's all over the place and he screams (yes, this is another part of the Autism)...he is also very oppositional (again, not diagnosed by suspected). I'm very torn at the idea of using Ritalin or any other behavioral drugs but my boyfriend wants me to try them. His father, however, is opposed. If it helped and could help in his progress by keeping him focused I'm all for it...yet, at the same time - I'm not a pill pusher and don't want my child walking around like a zombie. I've done research via the internet and am finding varying reports....behavior altering drugs can be determintal for autistic children and that it can help.

Anyone out there tried Ritalin, Adderall, etc with their autistic children? Did it help? Would you recommend it?

I am going to talk to his pediatrician tomorrow and see what she thinks...but I need advice from those who deal with this every day at home....not what the medical field says.

Thank you in advance! ANY suggestions or help are appreciated!  read more »

My 8 year old son is mainstreamed in public school with an aid.  He has a serious problem when leaving the lunch room to go out to recess.  If his class is not the first group dismissed from lunch for recess he has a complete melt down.  Nothing I've done seem to help, I'm now going up to his school everyday just to try to get him to walk out with his class for recess.

I watched a TV show today about a little boy with autism and the doctors were prescribing various vitamins, anti depressants, and other drugs to try to counteract the symptoms.   In the same segment the doctors agreed that autism could be a lasting side effect from the mercury in the vaccines that children get when they're babies.

If there is even a shred of evidence that there is mercury in our babies vaccines, why do Mothers allow their babies to be vaccinated?  Can't Mom's boycott vaccines until our country agrees to leave the mercury out of vaccine medicine?  If vaccines can be produced in Japan without mercury in them than why can't we?  If a child swallows a thermometer he would get very sick or might even die from the mercury but it exists in the medicine we give our babies,  medication that is supposed to protect them from childhood diseases.  The rate of babies who have autism keeps going up at alarming rates.

Im sure it is probably much more complicated than that or something would have been done sooner to stop this epidemic.