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Question for parents with autistic kids
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:28 pm
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:28 pm
So, I know this is very heavy for the OT board.
But, looking for advice from people who have been there.
We just found out my 2 1/2 year-old is on the autism spectrum. We don't know to what degree, but have been scheduling follow ups from recommendations from his pediatrician.
My question is for parents with kids on the autism spectrum is, which therapies did you try? Behavioral therapy? Medicine? Change in diet? All the above? Did they work?
Thankfully, my son is speaking and says about 100 or so words. Although, it is purely from memorization. He has the ability to speak and exhibits a fairly reasonable to high level of intelligence. I am hoping he will respond to therapy and whichever route we choose to help him.
TIA.
But, looking for advice from people who have been there.
We just found out my 2 1/2 year-old is on the autism spectrum. We don't know to what degree, but have been scheduling follow ups from recommendations from his pediatrician.
My question is for parents with kids on the autism spectrum is, which therapies did you try? Behavioral therapy? Medicine? Change in diet? All the above? Did they work?
Thankfully, my son is speaking and says about 100 or so words. Although, it is purely from memorization. He has the ability to speak and exhibits a fairly reasonable to high level of intelligence. I am hoping he will respond to therapy and whichever route we choose to help him.
TIA.
This post was edited on 10/30/16 at 2:30 pm
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:36 pm to Kreg Jennings
i dont have a kid, nor am i a doctor. But i wouldnt lean to medicine until last resort if absolutely needed it to function. Which it sounds like isnt an issue. Lots of kids have this and are perfectly fine. Just take it a day at a time, your kids young. It will all work out
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:37 pm to Kreg Jennings
We do ABA therapy five days a week with extra speech and occupational therapy. All the kids are so different it is unreal. The hardest thing for us is that nobody in our family understands but it is impossible to understand until you have an autistic child. You can email me if you want more specifics. Our son is almost 4. lsustone57@gmail.com
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:38 pm to Kreg Jennings
Diet can have a big effect but that's just based on what I've read.
What ASD traits does he display?
What ASD traits does he display?
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:38 pm to Kreg Jennings
We also found out when my son was 2.5 years old. It's like a punch to the gut when you first find out. Sounds like he is pretty high functioning, which is also what my son is.
Speech, OT, and ABA therapies have been by far the most productive for my son who is now 5. I would recommend trying to get your child into the Emerge Center in Baton Rouge as they can provide all the therapies in 1 location. Otherwise you will have to bring your child to different locations for different therapies all day every day. You or your wife would basically have to quit your job just to taxi your child around. Emerge is considered the best in the SouthEast and one of the best in the country due to how the incorporate the therapies in learning environments.
We still do not do any medications as for me that is a last resort. Most of the meds are mind altering type stuff that dulls them out.
From one parent to another, the best you can do is love your child. Do as much research as you can and try to understand Autism. Understand that your life will be different now as your child will probably not be able to handle most of the social situations that most others their age will. Autism children thrive on very strict routines, eating at the same time every day, going to bed at the same time every night. If you stay off the routine for too long of a time, they become demons very fast.
Due to the amount of overstimulation they experience on a regular basis, being rested and having high tolerance is very important. They don't process information or stimuli the same and it can take a while to learn what triggers a meltdown. Be as patient as you can.
Once you get them into the right programs, things should get better over time. As they grow, they get better as well and some even "grow out of it" which is not really true, they just become so adept at handling their autism, they can mainstream.
Speech, OT, and ABA therapies have been by far the most productive for my son who is now 5. I would recommend trying to get your child into the Emerge Center in Baton Rouge as they can provide all the therapies in 1 location. Otherwise you will have to bring your child to different locations for different therapies all day every day. You or your wife would basically have to quit your job just to taxi your child around. Emerge is considered the best in the SouthEast and one of the best in the country due to how the incorporate the therapies in learning environments.
We still do not do any medications as for me that is a last resort. Most of the meds are mind altering type stuff that dulls them out.
From one parent to another, the best you can do is love your child. Do as much research as you can and try to understand Autism. Understand that your life will be different now as your child will probably not be able to handle most of the social situations that most others their age will. Autism children thrive on very strict routines, eating at the same time every day, going to bed at the same time every night. If you stay off the routine for too long of a time, they become demons very fast.
Due to the amount of overstimulation they experience on a regular basis, being rested and having high tolerance is very important. They don't process information or stimuli the same and it can take a while to learn what triggers a meltdown. Be as patient as you can.
Once you get them into the right programs, things should get better over time. As they grow, they get better as well and some even "grow out of it" which is not really true, they just become so adept at handling their autism, they can mainstream.
This post was edited on 10/30/16 at 2:44 pm
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:38 pm to oleyeller
quote:
Question for parents with autistic kids
quote:
i dont have a kid, nor am i a doctor.
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:44 pm to Kreg Jennings
My son is 11 and we found out 2 he was high functioning autistic. He started speech and occupational therapy at that point through public school system they would come to our house before he began attending school.
I believe food has no factor in autism some people say gluten this and that but I believe they are nuts.....my opinion.
My son does take low dose of men's now but at your's age no need yet we only began meds once he couldn't pay attention in school even he would come home and say so. He knows the meds help him and we don't give it to him on weekends.
Go to pedal neurologist get a diagnosis it will help forcing school system and your insurance company help you.
I believe food has no factor in autism some people say gluten this and that but I believe they are nuts.....my opinion.
My son does take low dose of men's now but at your's age no need yet we only began meds once he couldn't pay attention in school even he would come home and say so. He knows the meds help him and we don't give it to him on weekends.
Go to pedal neurologist get a diagnosis it will help forcing school system and your insurance company help you.
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:44 pm to StringedInstruments
quote:
What ASD traits does he display?
That was the real trouble getting to this point of deciding we needed some extra help. He was always a bit behind as far as crawling, walking, speech. However, he always made eye contact and was very happy. Smile in pictures, conversed with family members.
It wasn't till he got to a Mother's Day out program where we started to notice things and his teachers started to tell us they were concerned. He would read most of the day by himself. Did not interact that much with his peers.
We got very concerned a few months ago
when he began flapping his hands when he was excited or very stimulated. We spoke to his pediatrician about it initially and he said that it was a sign of concern, but not to panic. He could possibly have another condition that he would grow out of,
such as apraxia. We went back to the pediatrician after this persisted for several months and did not improve via occupational therapy. The pediatrician said he was concerned and recommends us go to a neurologist and the Emerge Center here in BR for a full evaluation.
I am thankful that he seems to be on the high-end of the spectrum and hopefully will respond well to whichever route we choose. He is intelligent, shows emotion to his parents, hugs us, kisses us. Will repeat I love you pretty easily.
He does have issues with transition, seems to have the same G.I. issues that most kids with autism have.
I guess I was in denial for a while, or just hoping he would pull out of whatever he was going through. But my wife pretty much hit me over the head with a hammer last week and made me sit down and look at all of the 20 or so symptoms of the autism spectrum. He had three fourths of them. Him being happy and smiling and engaging with family members is what threw us off for a few months thinking it was not what it was.
This post was edited on 10/30/16 at 2:48 pm
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:50 pm to Kreg Jennings
Aba therapy, lots of great services out there. jcardi2@gmail.com
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:54 pm to Kreg Jennings
My brother has autism, and he didn't speak until he was four. He's done fairly well for himself though. He caught up with language, graduated high school, flunked out of college, not because he couldn't understand the material, but because he couldn't handle the freedom, which is a thing that can happen to any kid at that age.
We used lots of therapy, counseling, interaction with people, etc. It's very important to have a strong family structure, with family, grandparents, cousins, friends, all around. I think that's what helped the most with him.
We are considering trying to use TMS to help him with some anxiety and depression. Otherwise he's doing super well, considering where he started.
We used lots of therapy, counseling, interaction with people, etc. It's very important to have a strong family structure, with family, grandparents, cousins, friends, all around. I think that's what helped the most with him.
We are considering trying to use TMS to help him with some anxiety and depression. Otherwise he's doing super well, considering where he started.
This post was edited on 10/30/16 at 2:56 pm
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:58 pm to crazy4lsu
Thanks everyone for the replies. Will drop an email to folks soon.
Posted on 10/30/16 at 2:59 pm to Kreg Jennings
I would contact Early Steps asap. Although he would age out in a few months, they can be a great tool to figure out what is best for your kid.
Posted on 10/30/16 at 3:11 pm to ksayetiger
quote:
I would contact Early Steps asap. Although he would age out in a few months, they can be a great tool to figure out what is best for your kid.
Already have been using them for over a year. They have been giving him speech therapy at his baby school. They only recently became very concerned when he hit a ceiling, or did not progress or catch up to the level of his peers. They were another source that expressed a concern the last couple of weeks to us and urged us to see our pediatrician again.
Posted on 10/30/16 at 3:13 pm to Kreg Jennings
I am a special education teacher and I teach high school so I don't have experience with kids so young nor newly diagnosed.
I do wish you the best of luck but from what I know there is really no way to tell at the moment exactly what he will need until it comes up. He may need Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, a Social Worker and when he gets to school will probably qualify for Special Education services.
My nephew was diagnosed around the same age and they got him into a school specifically for kids on the spectrum as soon as he was old enough. I truly believe it made all the difference. He is very very smart and is ahead of kids his age, he just falls behind socially at this point.
Just keep an eye on him and follow doctors orders about where and when to start looking into services.
For the record, my nephew is now 9 and he no longer receives services in school and no longer has any kind of therapy. This may be revisited at some point, especially during/after puberty when he may have trouble keeping up with all the changes going on in the various social circles during that time.
I do wish you the best of luck but from what I know there is really no way to tell at the moment exactly what he will need until it comes up. He may need Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, a Social Worker and when he gets to school will probably qualify for Special Education services.
My nephew was diagnosed around the same age and they got him into a school specifically for kids on the spectrum as soon as he was old enough. I truly believe it made all the difference. He is very very smart and is ahead of kids his age, he just falls behind socially at this point.
Just keep an eye on him and follow doctors orders about where and when to start looking into services.
For the record, my nephew is now 9 and he no longer receives services in school and no longer has any kind of therapy. This may be revisited at some point, especially during/after puberty when he may have trouble keeping up with all the changes going on in the various social circles during that time.
Posted on 10/30/16 at 3:25 pm to BigB0882
quote:
For the record, my nephew is now 9 and he no longer receives services in school and no longer has any kind of therapy. This may be revisited at some point, especially during/after puberty when he may have trouble keeping up with all the changes going on in the various social circles during that time.
Do you know if he took meds?
Did he have a gluten free , cacien free diet?
Did they help?
Posted on 10/30/16 at 3:27 pm to Kreg Jennings
My oldest son is considered borderline autistic. At first he went to therapist but after a couple of years we stopped because in my opinion they weren't helpful. All I can tell you is good luck, it's tough on the child and parents. Expect mood swings, social problems and potty training throughout his childhood.
This post was edited on 10/30/16 at 3:32 pm
Posted on 10/30/16 at 3:40 pm to Kreg Jennings
He has not taken any meds. There is no medication for autism, just for any behavioral issues that may result from the autism. He has not had issues with ADD or ADHD as of this point.
His diet has not been changed. He actually was a very picky eater because he was extremely sensitive to certain textures. A nut, for example, would make him vomit immediately. He went to some special kind of therapy where he was slowly introduced to different textures of food and he is now much better. He still does not like nuts but if he bites into something with nuts he will just go spit it out in the trash instead of vomiting and crying.
His diet has not been changed. He actually was a very picky eater because he was extremely sensitive to certain textures. A nut, for example, would make him vomit immediately. He went to some special kind of therapy where he was slowly introduced to different textures of food and he is now much better. He still does not like nuts but if he bites into something with nuts he will just go spit it out in the trash instead of vomiting and crying.
Posted on 10/30/16 at 4:04 pm to Kreg Jennings
I have a daughter who was diagnosed with autism. She is 12 now, in regular ED classes and gets great grades. My best advice is to fight as hard as you can for everything you can get for your child. Never take no for an answer. There are no two artistic children alike( I teach special education). Take joy in any and every achievement, wether it be small or large. Don't be discouraged by set backs ( there will be plenty). Seek advice, but Always do what's best best for YOUR child (you know them best). Public school education is usually better for special needs students than private schools (they are legally bound to service your child). Treat them as if they are like any other kid.
Posted on 10/30/16 at 4:35 pm to Dandanthegreatest
I don't have much to add in here, other than to say that I'm Dandanthegreatest's brother-in-law and whatever he and my sister have done to help their daughter has been fantastic.
She is a great kid.
She is a great kid.
Posted on 10/30/16 at 5:26 pm to Kreg Jennings
There is almost no value in the answers in this thread.
Autism is a very very very broad brush.
Having a kid with autism can mean they never emotionally develop past the age of 3 with extreme dependence on routines, or it could mean they are obsessive savants of a topic of interest with only moderately retarded social skills.
Unless you know what he has specifically, no value in hearing from others experiences. No way of knowing if they apply.
Autism is a very very very broad brush.
Having a kid with autism can mean they never emotionally develop past the age of 3 with extreme dependence on routines, or it could mean they are obsessive savants of a topic of interest with only moderately retarded social skills.
Unless you know what he has specifically, no value in hearing from others experiences. No way of knowing if they apply.
This post was edited on 10/30/16 at 5:28 pm
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