Re: Encouraging weekend

[Guest guest]

Congrats, !!!! What a wonderful feeling!!!!

Here's to it continuing!!!

Does he get any social skills "training" or anything else or has the vitamin therapy been "it"?

It really is simple. Just treat others kindly and with respect.

Robin

From: kimberly <west_apr17@...>Subject: ( ) Encouraging weekend Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2010, 2:05 PM

Okay I am a lurker and read everything but never post. I have an 9 year old boy with AS. He was diagnosed a few years ago at that time we were living overseas but decided that we needed to move back to the US for him to get what he needed. Anyway we have tried so many things to help him and a couple of months ago I decided to start some vitamin therapy for him. He was pretty upset about the amount of vitamins he would have to take each day but agreed to give it a try. I felt like I saw some improvements but wasn't sure if it was just me wanting to see improvement. Then came Easter. We do not live near family but were invited to be part of a friend's family celebration. There were a lot of people and it was pretty chaotic there which normally would make my son anxious and begging to leave. At one point we looked outside to see him playing catch with one of the kids there. He won't even play catch at home with me. Then when it was time to leave he

actually said that he wasn't ready to leave could we stay for a few more minutes, he remembered to thank the hosts of the day and sought out his new friend to say good-bye. Plus he had remembered the other kids names. It was amazing. I am hoping this continues but I am really encouraged. I have always dreaded big events because of the breakdowns but now am seeing a huge change and he is actually starting to be social. I just wanted to share this with you all. I never thought my Jedidiah would be this way even his younger sister was talking about the way he behaved the next day:-)Hope you have a great day,Mom to 4 kiddos

[Guest guest]

Oh happy day! What a great feeling! So happy for you!

My son (also 9 yo Aspie) is not on vitamin therapy, but I did start him on high

doses of Vitamin D (we live in pacific NW) and an Omega 3 suppliment, and what a

difference it made in his mood (D) and concentration (Omega 3)!!!!!! Omega 3

also helped my other son concentrate and now he is able to get his homework done

and doesn't get distracted anymore. I'm not up on every single vitamin, but I

think there is something to this stuff! We use the Dr Sears " brainy kids "

chewable for the Omega 3.

Hey, whatever works! I'm just so glad you had a successful day!

>

>

> From: kimberly <west_apr17@...>

> Subject: ( ) Encouraging weekend

>

> Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2010, 2:05 PM

>

>

>  

>

>

>

> Okay I am a lurker and read everything but never post. I have an 9 year old

boy with AS. He was diagnosed a few years ago at that time we were living

overseas but decided that we needed to move back to the US for him to get what

he needed. Anyway we have tried so many things to help him and a couple of

months ago I decided to start some vitamin therapy for him. He was pretty upset

about the amount of vitamins he would have to take each day but agreed to give

it a try. I felt like I saw some improvements but wasn't sure if it was just me

wanting to see improvement. Then came Easter. We do not live near family but

were invited to be part of a friend's family celebration. There were a lot of

people and it was pretty chaotic there which normally would make my son anxious

and begging to leave. At one point we looked outside to see him playing catch

with one of the kids there. He won't even play catch at home with me. Then when

it was time to leave he actually

> said that he wasn't ready to leave could we stay for a few more minutes, he

remembered to thank the hosts of the day and sought out his new friend to say

good-bye. Plus he had remembered the other kids names. It was amazing. I am

hoping this continues but I am really encouraged. I have always dreaded big

events because of the breakdowns but now am seeing a huge change and he is

actually starting to be social. I just wanted to share this with you all. I

never thought my Jedidiah would be this way even his younger sister was talking

about the way he behaved the next day:-)

>

> Hope you have a great day,

>

>

> Mom to 4 kiddos

>

[Guest guest]

:

I have tears of joy in my eyes! I am so happy for you, Jeddiah, and your

family. I'm sure you already pointed out all of the positive behaviors to him,

but, since we repeat the stuff we want them to learn and remember over and over

again, I'd add this to the list!

So, so happy for you!!!

Gladys

>

> Okay I am a lurker and read everything but never post. I have an 9 year old

boy with AS. He was diagnosed a few years ago at that time we were living

overseas but decided that we needed to move back to the US for him to get what

he needed. Anyway we have tried so many things to help him and a couple of

months ago I decided to start some vitamin therapy for him. He was pretty upset

about the amount of vitamins he would have to take each day but agreed to give

it a try. I felt like I saw some improvements but wasn't sure if it was just me

wanting to see improvement. Then came Easter. We do not live near family but

were invited to be part of a friend's family celebration. There were a lot of

people and it was pretty chaotic there which normally would make my son anxious

and begging to leave. At one point we looked outside to see him playing catch

with one of the kids there. He won't even play catch at home with me. Then when

it was time to leave he actually said that he wasn't ready to leave could we

stay for a few more minutes, he remembered to thank the hosts of the day and

sought out his new friend to say good-bye. Plus he had remembered the other kids

names. It was amazing. I am hoping this continues but I am really encouraged. I

have always dreaded big events because of the breakdowns but now am seeing a

huge change and he is actually starting to be social. I just wanted to share

this with you all. I never thought my Jedidiah would be this way even his

younger sister was talking about the way he behaved the next day:-)

>

> Hope you have a great day,

>

>

> Mom to 4 kiddos

>

[Guest guest]

I was inspired by your post, Kimbertly! We also had an encouraging weekend, so

I'll share, too.

Although we have not told our son, Nico, that he has Asperger's Syndrome, on

Thursday night we explained to him (in kid terms) that Autism affects some

people's brains in different ways, making many of them very, very smart, but

that, some kids with Autism, even though they are smart, are not able to talk,

play, show that they can learn new things or whether they are happy or sad. We

told him that we are going to be participating in a walk to raise money for

Autism in two weeks, because we want every kid to be able to talk, play, laugh,

love, and learn. And, he must have been listening to my husband's and my

coversations about the Autism Walk over the past few weeks, because, when I

asked him what he thought we were going to name our team, he shouted out " Team

Nico! " and then beamed one of his heart-melting smiles!

Friday was a really amazing day. As we all know, it was Autism Awareness Day.

My twin sister arranged for Nico, my younger son, my husband and I to go to her

job so that her co-workers could meet us, as her company is helping us raise

money for the walk. There were posters with a beautiful picture of my sister

and my son all over the building... So many people were wearing blue to show

their support, everyone was so great, and it was wonderful to see Nico just

being Nico... and being so " SOCIAL! " He was introducing himself to everyone,

shaking people's hands, and being his lovable, wonderful self. He would tell

people that we were there to help raise money for the kids with autism. And,

if we took too long talking or doing something else, he quickly reminded us that

we needed to " get back to business. "

The visit was followed by a trip to the fair, where I got to see my two boys

laughing, having fun, and just being little boys. Nico did not seem overwhelmed

at all by the noise and lights, and we had such a wonderful family day.

Then, on Easter Sunday, we went to a new Church. At first, he was anxious when

the music started during praise & worship time, but then he got all into it and

even grabbed me to dance (He did ask me to stay with him). After praise &

worship, we went to the Sunday School classrooms. Again, he got anxious and

said he didn't want to go, but I told him I just wanted to see what it was like,

and, if he didn't want to stay, we could leave. Well, he loved it, answered a

lot of the questions, and did not want to leave when it was time to go! In the

afternoon, we went to my aunt's house, and he played for 4 hours with his

cousins, ate dinner at the kids table outside... no meltdowns, no arguments,

just fun, fun, fun! He spent little " bursts " of time on his , but most of

the time with the other kids.

That night, I lay in bed with happy tears in my eyes. I kept thinking about how

comfortable Nico had seemed at Inktel... How he was shaking hands, being funny,

and I could tell people were falling in love with him. We even got some

donations on the spot! I thought aobut our time at the fair and how well things

went on Sunday... I felt " peaceful " , encouraged... And I began to think how

blessed we are...

And then I began to think about how, for us, it's not enough... It's not enough

that OUR kid is doing well. We want EVERY single child (and adult) with Autism

to have the experience of laughing, playing, learning, speaking, getting to know

others, and experiencing the joy of living... I am beyond thankful for the fact

that our son is doing so well. I know that it's because of the prayers and

support that surround us and our family. However, we want every family to know

the thrill of seeing their child defy what science currently says is possible

for children who receive this diagnosis... And that's why we'll do whatever we

can... for Nico and for others...

I'm really thankful for this group... I know that a lot of times we need to

share our struggles, but it's great that we can share our successes, too.

Gladys

>

> Okay I am a lurker and read everything but never post. I have an 9 year old

boy with AS. He was diagnosed a few years ago at that time we were living

overseas but decided that we needed to move back to the US for him to get what

he needed. Anyway we have tried so many things to help him and a couple of

months ago I decided to start some vitamin therapy for him. He was pretty upset

about the amount of vitamins he would have to take each day but agreed to give

it a try. I felt like I saw some improvements but wasn't sure if it was just me

wanting to see improvement. Then came Easter. We do not live near family but

were invited to be part of a friend's family celebration. There were a lot of

people and it was pretty chaotic there which normally would make my son anxious

and begging to leave. At one point we looked outside to see him playing catch

with one of the kids there. He won't even play catch at home with me. Then when

it was time to leave he actually said that he wasn't ready to leave could we

stay for a few more minutes, he remembered to thank the hosts of the day and

sought out his new friend to say good-bye. Plus he had remembered the other kids

names. It was amazing. I am hoping this continues but I am really encouraged. I

have always dreaded big events because of the breakdowns but now am seeing a

huge change and he is actually starting to be social. I just wanted to share

this with you all. I never thought my Jedidiah would be this way even his

younger sister was talking about the way he behaved the next day:-)

>

> Hope you have a great day,

>

>

> Mom to 4 kiddos

>

[Guest guest]

That is great Gladys! When we have good days, I think we appreciate it more than other people would. When we have a good family day like you describe, or I see people caring or responding well to my son, I get teary-eyed too.

Did you have your walk already or is it still coming up? Do you have a webpage for your fundraising?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suzanne

suzmarkwood@...

From: Gladys <glad1@...>Subject: ( ) Re: Encouraging weekend Date: Thursday, April 8, 2010, 9:05 AM

I was inspired by your post, Kimbertly! We also had an encouraging weekend, so I'll share, too. Although we have not told our son, Nico, that he has Asperger's Syndrome, on Thursday night we explained to him (in kid terms) that Autism affects some people's brains in different ways, making many of them very, very smart, but that, some kids with Autism, even though they are smart, are not able to talk, play, show that they can learn new things or whether they are happy or sad. We told him that we are going to be participating in a walk to raise money for Autism in two weeks, because we want every kid to be able to talk, play, laugh, love, and learn. And, he must have been listening to my husband's and my coversations about the Autism Walk over the past few weeks, because, when I asked him what he thought we were going to name our team, he shouted out "Team Nico!" and then beamed one of his heart-melting smiles!Friday was a really

amazing day. As we all know, it was Autism Awareness Day. My twin sister arranged for Nico, my younger son, my husband and I to go to her job so that her co-workers could meet us, as her company is helping us raise money for the walk. There were posters with a beautiful picture of my sister and my son all over the building... So many people were wearing blue to show their support, everyone was so great, and it was wonderful to see Nico just being Nico... and being so "SOCIAL!" He was introducing himself to everyone, shaking people's hands, and being his lovable, wonderful self. He would tell people that we were there to help raise money for the kids with autism. And, if we took too long talking or doing something else, he quickly reminded us that we needed to "get back to business." The visit was followed by a trip to the fair, where I got to see my two boys laughing, having fun, and just being little boys. Nico did not seem overwhelmed at all

by the noise and lights, and we had such a wonderful family day.Then, on Easter Sunday, we went to a new Church. At first, he was anxious when the music started during praise & worship time, but then he got all into it and even grabbed me to dance (He did ask me to stay with him). After praise & worship, we went to the Sunday School classrooms. Again, he got anxious and said he didn't want to go, but I told him I just wanted to see what it was like, and, if he didn't want to stay, we could leave. Well, he loved it, answered a lot of the questions, and did not want to leave when it was time to go! In the afternoon, we went to my aunt's house, and he played for 4 hours with his cousins, ate dinner at the kids table outside... no meltdowns, no arguments, just fun, fun, fun! He spent little "bursts" of time on his , but most of the time with the other kids. :)That night, I lay in bed with happy tears in my eyes. I kept thinking

about how comfortable Nico had seemed at Inktel... How he was shaking hands, being funny, and I could tell people were falling in love with him. We even got some donations on the spot! I thought aobut our time at the fair and how well things went on Sunday... I felt "peaceful", encouraged.. . And I began to think how blessed we are... And then I began to think about how, for us, it's not enough... It's not enough that OUR kid is doing well. We want EVERY single child (and adult) with Autism to have the experience of laughing, playing, learning, speaking, getting to know others, and experiencing the joy of living... I am beyond thankful for the fact that our son is doing so well. I know that it's because of the prayers and support that surround us and our family. However, we want every family to know the thrill of seeing their child defy what science currently says is possible for children who receive this diagnosis... And that's why we'll do

whatever we can... for Nico and for others... I'm really thankful for this group... I know that a lot of times we need to share our struggles, but it's great that we can share our successes, too. :)Gladys>> Okay I am a lurker and read everything but never post. I have an 9 year old boy with AS. He was diagnosed a few years ago at that time we were living overseas but decided that we needed to move back to the US for him to get what he needed. Anyway we have tried so many things to help him and a couple of months ago I decided to start some vitamin therapy for him. He was pretty upset about the amount of vitamins he would have to take each day but agreed to give

it a try. I felt like I saw some improvements but wasn't sure if it was just me wanting to see improvement. Then came Easter. We do not live near family but were invited to be part of a friend's family celebration. There were a lot of people and it was pretty chaotic there which normally would make my son anxious and begging to leave. At one point we looked outside to see him playing catch with one of the kids there. He won't even play catch at home with me. Then when it was time to leave he actually said that he wasn't ready to leave could we stay for a few more minutes, he remembered to thank the hosts of the day and sought out his new friend to say good-bye. Plus he had remembered the other kids names. It was amazing. I am hoping this continues but I am really encouraged. I have always dreaded big events because of the breakdowns but now am seeing a huge change and he is actually starting to be social. I just wanted to share this with you all. I

never thought my Jedidiah would be this way even his younger sister was talking about the way he behaved the next day:-)> > Hope you have a great day,> > > Mom to 4 kiddos>

[Guest guest]

thanks gladys-

yes, he has heard over and over how great he did. last night i was talking to

him about how great his bahavior has been. (he called a friend yesterday and

invited him over to play. he has never even answered a ringing phone so i was

shocked when he walked up to me on holding the phone and asked when his friend

could come:-) anyway i was talking to him about it and he just rolled his eyes

at me. ha ha! i know he is feeling good but maybe i need to take down the

excitement a notch:-)

it is just so strange to not have him freaking out. i honestly don't know what

to do with myself.

kimberly