Re: New here...

[Guest guest]

Please feel free to call me if you want to just chat. My son has high

functioning autism and is 8 now. I'm happy to share strategies and techniques

that have worked. Where are you?

Maggie

Austin

nikkinhtx wrote:

Hello,

I'm new to this group and just recently had to face the fact that

my child may have autism. My son will be 4 in June and is currently

in the special ed program with the school district. We started with

ECI keep pace at age 2 when he wasn't speaking. Had some words maybe

10 but made mostly sounds. This year he has been in the 3hr a day

program offered by our school district and has made some progress but

not as much as I hoped for. I am so confused with all the information

I have been trying to read but mostly I am frustrated (I'm sure like

all of you) that for so long the only information and examples of

children with autism were severe cases. I would see people on TV (my

heart goes out to everyone!) with the child that doesn't speak at all

and shows no emotion, etc. and I thought that is not my child. My son

is so loving and he does speak some. What I am trying to say is maybe

if we had more examples of all the children with autism from the mild

to severe maybe more people would be aware of what is going on and

could get help earlier. Well, I would love any support and

information that anyone would like to send my way and I am willing to

email, IM whatever to help anyone else out as well if you just need a

friend that understands. I know what it's like to get the looks from

other people.

Reaching out...

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Hugs to you. It is so hard when you realize your child may have autism.

Our story is similar in that my son is the same age and also fairly mild--I

never suspected autism for over a year. We worked with ECI for over a year

and they didn't know or didn't tell us he could have it, but looking back at

how he was at 20 months it seems so obvious to me now.

Jay has been in school since February of this year. It took us nearly a

year to get him in school. Lots of frustration there. Now that he's in

school I fear that the only thing they're trying to do with him is improve

his behavior (aggression and hyperactivity). I really can't blame them for

that, though!! They seem unconcerned that he can barely speak. I do really

like his teacher, though. She's really good.

Basically, we're pursuing our own strategies to help him. He does get lots

of therapy (but not ABA) through Medicaid, and we work with him at home.

If I can help, please let me know. Feel free to contact me anytime.

Oh yeah, you might check out the State Health Library. They have an ECI

division that has tons of books and videos on autism and all disabilities.

They have many of the expensive professional manuals that I can't afford to

buy. They will mail them to you free and you only pay to mail them back

which is really cheap with Media Mail.

I really love the More Than Words book and video for stimulating

communication.

What area are you in? We're Northeast of Houston.

HTH

Marilyn

New here...

> Hello,

> I'm new to this group and just recently had to face the fact that

> my child may have autism. My son will be 4 in June and is currently

> in the special ed program with the school district. We started with

> ECI keep pace at age 2 when he wasn't speaking. Had some words maybe

> 10 but made mostly sounds. This year he has been in the 3hr a day

> program offered by our school district and has made some progress but

> not as much as I hoped for. I am so confused with all the information

> I have been trying to read but mostly I am frustrated (I'm sure like

> all of you) that for so long the only information and examples of

> children with autism were severe cases. I would see people on TV (my

> heart goes out to everyone!) with the child that doesn't speak at all

> and shows no emotion, etc. and I thought that is not my child. My son

> is so loving and he does speak some. What I am trying to say is maybe

> if we had more examples of all the children with autism from the mild

> to severe maybe more people would be aware of what is going on and

> could get help earlier. Well, I would love any support and

> information that anyone would like to send my way and I am willing to

> email, IM whatever to help anyone else out as well if you just need a

> friend that understands. I know what it's like to get the looks from

> other people.

>

> Reaching out...

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, it is hard. I am trying to keep

positive while all this is sinking in. No one with ECI or any

professional had suggested autism to us until last week when we had

his ARD meeting and his teacher (who is the best teacher ever!)

suggested that we needed to have him tested. Only one person has ever

said anything about it to me and that was my mother in law. I thought

how dare you suggest something is wrong with my perfect child! lol

You know how it is as a Mother our fangs come out! So, here we are

trying to learn as much as we can and connect with as many people as

we can. How old is your son? Nicolas will be 4 in June and I also

have a 13 yr old . We are in Cypress. Thanks again for

responding and I will be keeping in touch and if you need

anything..I'm here too!

>

> Hi ,

> Hugs to you. It is so hard when you realize your child may have

autism.

> Our story is similar in that my son is the same age and also fairly

mild--I

> never suspected autism for over a year. We worked with ECI for

over a year

> and they didn't know or didn't tell us he could have it, but

looking back at

> how he was at 20 months it seems so obvious to me now.

> Jay has been in school since February of this year. It took us

nearly a

> year to get him in school. Lots of frustration there. Now that

he's in

> school I fear that the only thing they're trying to do with him is

improve

> his behavior (aggression and hyperactivity). I really can't blame

them for

> that, though!! They seem unconcerned that he can barely speak. I

do really

> like his teacher, though. She's really good.

> Basically, we're pursuing our own strategies to help him. He does

get lots

> of therapy (but not ABA) through Medicaid, and we work with him at

home.

> If I can help, please let me know. Feel free to contact me anytime.

> Oh yeah, you might check out the State Health Library. They have

an ECI

> division that has tons of books and videos on autism and all

disabilities.

> They have many of the expensive professional manuals that I can't

afford to

> buy. They will mail them to you free and you only pay to mail them

back

> which is really cheap with Media Mail.

> I really love the More Than Words book and video for stimulating

> communication.

> What area are you in? We're Northeast of Houston.

>

> HTH

>

> Marilyn

>

>

> New here...

>

>

> > Hello,

> > I'm new to this group and just recently had to face the fact that

> > my child may have autism. My son will be 4 in June and is

currently

> > in the special ed program with the school district. We started

with

> > ECI keep pace at age 2 when he wasn't speaking. Had some words

maybe

> > 10 but made mostly sounds. This year he has been in the 3hr a day

> > program offered by our school district and has made some progress

but

> > not as much as I hoped for. I am so confused with all the

information

> > I have been trying to read but mostly I am frustrated (I'm sure

like

> > all of you) that for so long the only information and examples of

> > children with autism were severe cases. I would see people on TV

(my

> > heart goes out to everyone!) with the child that doesn't speak at

all

> > and shows no emotion, etc. and I thought that is not my child. My

son

> > is so loving and he does speak some. What I am trying to say is

maybe

> > if we had more examples of all the children with autism from the

mild

> > to severe maybe more people would be aware of what is going on and

> > could get help earlier. Well, I would love any support and

> > information that anyone would like to send my way and I am

willing to

> > email, IM whatever to help anyone else out as well if you just

need a

> > friend that understands. I know what it's like to get the looks

from

> > other people.

> >

> > Reaching out...

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Jay will be 4 in July.

You're lucky that you live in Cypress. At least if I'm correct in my

geography. There are lots of great resources out that way that we don't

have out here.

You have the Northwest Houston chapter of the Autism Society. Our fabulous

list mom here is in charge of that chapter, I believe. They have so many

great meetings and events there.

There are also several special needs ministries at churches out that way. I

don't know if you need that or not, but we did. We've been searching for a

church for a year that my son can make it at. I think we've finally found

one now, though. My son can't go in a class with other children because he

pushes them down and hits them constantly.

We visited the Joy Ministry at Graceview Baptist in Tomball and it was so

wonderful. But since it took us an hour and a half to get there, it just

wasn't doable for us.

Do try to stay positive. Your baby is just as wonderful as he always was.

My son is the light of my life (along with my daughter and husband, of

course).

We've only known for a year now, but I did grieve for probably 8 or 9

months. I'm better now, thank the Lord. I hope you don't go through that!

Is the school going to do the autism testing on your son? It took us 8

months to get our school district to test our son, but when they finally did

test him they were pretty thorough.

We had him tested by a psychologist a month after we first suspected. Then

3 months later we took him to the Bluebird Clinic (neurology) at Texas

Children's. All 3 places gave us the same diagnosis. PDD-NOS.

Do you have a date for the school to do the testing? If not, I would try to

push them to get it done before school is out for summer.

Marilyn