"When I meet the family members of someone with autism who haven't told their loved one -- usually a child -- of the diagnosis, it perturbs me, because they want to 'avoid labels.' I can assure you that not only does the autistic person always know that they are different...
That's the response I'd give to people who give me unsolicited advice about my kid. Re: http://highlandpark.patch.com/articles/bad-parenting (of course, Yuji would be more polite than I'd be....)
How many of the people working in the "system" (special ed, regional center, legal/advocate) appear so hard and bitter and angry and jaded. How some of the people who are supposed to be working with you or for you, are as hard on you as the people who are putting up...
Supports the saying, When you've met one child with autism, you've met one child with autism! "This plot demonstrates the dramatic differences that parents of children with Autism Spectrum disorders face relative to parents of Typically Developed children. Unfortunately...
Yet we don't hear about it in the popular media. Special needs kids don't have a voice (sometimes literally: some may be non-verbal) and apparently they don't have a voice in the media, either. Click here to download: 122526.pdf (485 KB...
One thing is clear: advocacy is a business that is booming, and this is more telling of the ills of special education than a positive sign of birth of a "novel" industry. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/os-florida-special-education-advocacy-20111225...
I've found that physical activity helps my child focus better on demanding tasks (like right before an hour long speech therapy session!) and I know that being physically active benefits my kid. Here's a systematic review of studies that suggest physical activity benefits...
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Quebec+failing+families+with+autistic+c... I thought we have it bad in California -- at least we can get a diagnosis much sooner for our children with autism! (Now, what we have to do to fight for ABA treatment coverage once we get...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/28/autism-a-year-in-review_n_1171943.html The comments are fraught with the anti-vaccine camp screaming to get their voices above others who are beyond dealing with "cute" kids and want to focus on what can be done every given day...
"When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Sistine Chapel, Gondolas. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting...
"Parents should be asking what methodologies are being used for their children, what data is being collected because all effective interventions rely on good data collection, how they are being implemented, and ensure that the IEP reflects what those interventions...
I get why some parents want to hear PDD-NOS as their child's diagnosis instead of autism. I was scared to death when I knew that Kiddo is "very likely" on the spectrum. Even though he shows none of the most severe cases -- he doesn't hurt himself -- he doesn't show...
Since kiddo is "newly" diagnosed (well, not really... it's been almost 2 months), we're in the process of gathering all evaluations. Of course I've seen the literature and all signs point to the gold standard of autism treatment: applied behavioral analysis (ABA) intervention...
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I am on an emotional roller coaster ride. Some days I feel very strong, very determined, ready to take on the school district and the regional center to "right the wrongs" (all right, maybe that's too dramatic -- how about "right the negligence and / or incompetence...
In a "Dear Autism Parents" post, Julia makes a compelling argument about choosing to call herself autistic instead of saying that she has autism. After I read this, I talked with my spouse about the issue of labeling, and we ultimately are choosing to say that our son...
A parent on a forum asked about whether it was worth doing a psychological evaluation if she suspected her son to have Asperger's. She would be paying out of pocket and as with many of us parents, money is a major factor. Seriously though, is money ever "not" an issue...
I'm in a holding pattern while we complete one more assessment and wait for the report from the clinical psychologist assessment. I hate being on hold. There's the issue of "do I tell? Don't I tell?" about my child's autism. There's my being sensitive to what my child...
