autism

[bodhi_tree777]

so my 2 year old daughter was just diagnosed with mild autism, mostly manifesting itself as slow speech development, concentration & interaction difficulties and a pretty severe hand tic when she gets excited about something. on the up side, she is exceptionally intelligent for her age and has an amazing vocabulary (just trouble stringing together basic sentences or communicating her needs). She communicates in her own way..for instance, if she wants something she won't say so, but she'll go find a book with a picture of what she wants and brings it to us. Pretty advanced cognitive ability.we're not too bent out of shape about this, just an adjustment, but I worry about her socialization as she gets older..anyone have any experience with this, personal or otherwise? Resources? thoughts?

[Sublimewind]

that's rough man, but not the end of the world... A friend of mines daughter I thought for SURE had autism when she was that age, I have a cousin with it, so I know the symptoms and all... She seemed to come out of that stage just fine and may be a much smarter little girl for it.. Who knows, your daughter could turn out to be a savant.. I know many Autistic people exhibit savant qualities in certain things.. Good luck to you and yours man.. only time will tell, keep working with her as i'm sure you do and who knows, she could do great things... !!Cheers

[ou.grizzly]

Depending on the severity will determine the schooling and therapy she needs. I would advise you to talk to your doctor and local school district about SPEECH THERAPY and any programs that are available. That is the 1st step. See what your insurance covers and what is offered in the school district. They are very helpful/successful. Try starting there. Love, patience, and a calming atmosphere is what she needs and I do not doubt you give her all of that. It has to be hard dealing with it and sharing your feelings with us, we do appreciate your courage on the matter. Let us know what you find out! Both these sites are filled with great information:http://www.nationalautismassoc...WEeDgHere is a link to find a local resource http://www.autismspeaks.org/co...x.php

[bodhi_tree777]

thank you guys! It is stressful, and a little scary, but we're definitely with her every step of the way on this (as in everything). We've already consulted with a speech and behavioral therapist and we'll start seeing her early in the coming year. We're switching to a gluten-free diet, on their recommendation, which is going to be tough (stuff is PRICEY). Also working with her every day, making sure to read to her and with her, play with her, generally try to engage her as much as possible. Whatever it takes..I just want to make sure she goes through this in a totally positive light. I know in years past, educators and doctors were quick to shrug it off, call autism patients "retarded" and send them to the special class. Teachers are a little bit more in-the-know these days, but we're still strongly considering home-schooling so that we can address any special needs that she may have. I appreciate the words of encouragement, guys. I know you're just strangers on the internet and all that, but it's nice to hear (or read), just the same.

[bodhi_tree777]

yknow the biggest frustration? The fact that they have no idea what causes autism. Lots of educated guesses, but no known cause = a very non-specific course of action and few answers. I just hate that in 20 or 30 years they'll probably come out and say "oh yeah, it was this", be it BSP in plastic baby bottles, various vaccinations, food additives or whatever. Grr. they say it's much more prevalent these days. Don't know if that's because there are many more cases recently, or its just recently being recognized for what it is and that's lead to an increase in diagnoses.

[Silversn95]

Our 5 year old boy was diagnosed with autism when he was two. With him it was a slow development of speech that was the first clue, even though he was reading words on his own at the time. He has received help from speech pathologists to occupational therapists to work on his hand dexterity. Through it all, going to school has made the biggest impact to is development. Most people wouldn't even know he has been diagnosed with autism if they were to see him now. His teachers have all been pleasantly surprised with how he has been in class. They are still shocked that he reads so well and have him reading to his classmates. He still has no interest in drawing or coloring. I don't think it is a matter of not being able to do it, he just isn't motivated to do it. He would rather read a book or one of my car magazines than draw. Our daughter is the opposite, she would draw day and night and not get bored with it.As for there being more cases of autism now than ever before, sometimes I think they are a little too quick to make that diagnosis. I'm sure if my son was born in the seventies they would just say he is developing at his own pace and not associate it with a condition. I know my younger brother was slow to catch on to things in school but he is now in his 30's living a normal life. Everyone is different and I don't think it is reasonable to believe everyone must develop on the same curve. Definitely seek out all the support you can, earlier the better. The sooner you get the support the better prepared she will be when she gets to school. One thing we did on the recommendation of the Yearly Years Child Development Center was to set our son up in a daycare before school started. This way he learned to be with other kids in a setting not much different than JK. He, much like our daughter, didn't even look back when we dropped him off at school the first time. I know that hearing the diagnosis can shake you at first but you will get through it.