[traderrob6]

2 autistic kids? Must have a significant genetic component.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I sometimes feel like I'm autistic.

Usually on a Monday morning.

[deport]

Bless you and your efforts with these children. Keep your efforts positive and find as much special training/help that you can afford to get for them.

[wildbill]

There are several theories about why autism seems to be rising in the population.

One doctor doing research in this field found higher rates of autism in neighborhoods with high usage of autos and suspects it might have something to do with elements emitted into the air via exhaust emissions.

Might be that the rise is coincident with the use of catlytic converters?

[hoosier hick]

Interesting list. Sometimes I wonder about my youngest nephew....

hh

[Lancey Howard]

Is Your Child Autistic?

LOL, probably.
The "autism"/education-mafia lobby is trying to diagnose as many kids as possible with "autism". Autism is getting to be the same kind of joke that "racism" became from overuse. If a kid doesn't listen when you tell him to shut up and sit down, he must be "autistic". It's the new excuse for lazy parents who are unwilling to properly discipline their kids. I guess ADD and HDAD (or whatever) got old and wore out.

[Psalm 73]

Our daughter has a "autism-spectrum" disorder. The specific term is "Aspbergers Syndrome".
She is quite brilliant and highly functional - but then you just know there is something "awry".
She can exhibit very odd behaviour - apparently this particular diagnosis is fairly recent, although it has been in books for some time - these are thought to be what folks would describe as "eccentric", or "odd ducks" as adults.
But she is exactly how God made her - we just need to learn to deal differently with her.

[pollywog]

Blessings to you blackandgoldfan!!!
Autism has flooded my world. We are parents to a adopted 31 year old deaf/profoundly retarded and autistic son. We have a 18 year old high functioning autistic granddaughter in a group home, and my nephew who is 24 is non verbal and autistic.

I am sure before this thread gets well underway, we will be accused of not disciplining our “ normal” children! It is such a misunderstood disability! May God be with you as He is with us daily.

Polly

[luckystarmom]

“•Uneven gross/fine motor skills — Usually the skills swing one way or the other. Their skills are either extremely good or extremely poor. Rarely is there middle ground.
•Not responsive to verbal cues — Your child may not be ignoring you. We used to scream Noah’s name for a response to no avail. After having a battery of hearing tests run (all normal), we now realize that this is a sign of autism.
•Little or no eye contact — We still have issues with this, especially with Cheyenne.
•Insistance on sameness of routine — Ever try to change an autistic person’s routine?? Not a pretty sight. Usually a meltdown ensues.

•Tantrums for no apparent reason — In the mind of an autistic, the smallest change or thing out of place can result in a full-blown hissy fit. We may not see the significance, but to them it is a catastrophe.
•Speech delays/absence — Noah didn’t talk until he was about 4. While there are other causes for speech delays, this is almost a classic sign of the disorder. Echolalia (parroting lines from movies or repeating what has been said to them) is also very common.

•A reluctance for social interaction — This is the toughest to handle as a parent. When your child resists your hugs, it hurts. Trust me, it can be overcome. Not easy, but it can be done.”

With these guide lines, my daughter would have been diagnosed as autistic, and she is not.

My daughter has a brain injury that caused significant speech (apraxia) and coordination problems. She also has sensory integration problems, so she didn’t like hugs, brushing hair, etc.

It wouldn’t be a problem if the treatment for these problems was the same, but they are radically different. Austim treatment is very detrimental to a kid with speech problems from a brain injury.

If your child is diagnosed with these symptoms, please have an MRI and and EEG to rule out brain problems. Also, ask about apraxia of speech. Some kids have that and their MRIs are normal.

[phoenix07]

Thanks for the posting. I am raising a son with Asperger’s and deal with many of the same issues. He is absolutely wonderful; we love him to pieces. By the same token, we worry terribly for him. Although he is exceptionally bright, he lacks good executive functioning skills (more so than the typical teenager). Thus, he does not perform anywhere near to his potential in school. But we are working on it. We had him going to The Melmed Clinic in Scottsdale, Az. for the past couple of years - they are WONDERFUL. However, we have just moved to Fairfax County, Va. and have not found a comparable facility. Any suggestions would be welcomed..........

[jonno]

bump

[GregNH]

This link is to the 1st video of a series of 11. If you have children or grandchildren then I implore you to watch all.

http://www.youtube.com/user/informationsansprix#p/c/5B173BE99A025F19/0/32D_nIGtSnw