LESSONS IN RAISING A CHILD WITH AUTISM.

  WHEN MY SON WAS BORN, IN MY EYES HE WAS PERFECT LITTLE BOY. HE STARTED WALKING AT 12 MONTH OLD, HE WAS SAYING FEW WORDS BY THE TIME HE WAS 15 MONTH OLD. WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 3, PEOPLE COULDN'T  UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS SAYING, HE WAS AFRAID OF TOYS WITH NOISES, HAD TO TAKE BUTTERIES OUT, HE DIDN'T SLEEP FIRST TWO YEARS, EXCEPT FOR ROCKING HIM ALL THE TIME. WAS VERY AFRAID OF PEOPLE YELLING, LOUD NOISES, KIDS BEING AGGRESSIVE, DIDN'T USE THE BATHROOM UNTIL  HE WAS ALMOST FIVE. THE PEDIATRICIAN WOULD SAY, ;THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM'.  WHEN WE WHERE AT  THE PLAY GROUND ONE DAY, THERE WAS   LADY  WITH HER CHILD, WATCHING MY SON BEING AFRAID TO GET CLOSE TO OTHER KIDS, SHE SAID, ;YOUR SON WILL HAVE A HARD TIME IN SCHOOL, I WAS IN SHOCK AND VERY ANGRY AT HER SAYING THIS TO ME. IT BECAME VERY OBVIOUS, THAT SHE WAS RIGHT, BY THE 3 GRADE. DON'T LISTEN TO OTHERS SAYING THERE  IS NOTHING WRONG, BELIEF  IN  YOUR INSTINCT, EVEN WHEN YOUR HUSBAND OR PARTNER WILL BE IN  DENIAL, YOU DO YOUR OWN INVESTIGATION, FIND THE RIGHT DOCTOR. FORGET ABOUT YOUR BELIEFS, YOUR FEARS, WHEN IT COMES TO  GIVING YOUR CHILD MEDICATION, BECAUSE SOME TIMES THERE IS NO OTHER CHOICE. FORGET ABOUT CONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO RAISING YOUR CHILD, LOOK OUT SIDE OF THE BOX, LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD, WATCH OUT FOR CHANGES, ASK QUESTION ABOUT SCHOOL. LOOK FOR THINGS YOUR CHILD GOOD AT, EXPLORE THAT, SUPPORT THAT, THEY WILL PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THERE INTEREST FOR HOURS, BUT WHO ELSE WILL REALLY LISTEN, IF NOT US. GIVE THEM TIME, TO BE BY THEM SELF, THEY NEED A LONE TIME, IF THEY WANT TO WEAR SOME THINGS THAT YOU THINK IS NOT FASHIONABLE, WHO CARES, IS LONG THEY ARE COMFORTABLE, FIND THE THINGS THEY WILL LIKE TO EAT, USUALLY VERY NARROW CHOICES. GIVE  THEM VISUAL SCHEDULE, WILL HELP THEM NOT TO BE  STRESSED. GIVE THEM ADVANCE NOTICE ABOUT CHANGES OR WHERE YOU ARE TAKING   THEM OR WHEN SOME ONE WILL COME TO THE HOUSE. BY THE TIME, YOUR  CHILD WILL BE 12, 13, YOU WILL SEE CHANGES IN THEIR BEHAVIOR. PUBERTY WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT THING FOR THEM. KIDS WITH AUTISM, MORE AT RISK AT THIS TIME FOR DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OCD. YOU WILL NEED MORE PATENTS  AND LOVE, THEN EVER BEFORE. TRY TO SEE THINGS FROM THEIR PROSPECTIVE, THEY DO HAVE THERE OWN WORLD, WHERE THEY ARE HAPPY IN, WE ARE JUST GUEST THERE. FEEL FREE TO SEND YOUR FEED BACK.