An indoor swing for my Autistic DGS
06-09-2010, 09:22 PM
#32
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Posts: 857
Thanks to everyone for sharing. I have always said a child needs an advocate for his/her education. My preemie twins needed help prior to entering kindergarden. They were behind in speech, language and gross motor skills. Yes, I had to make sure that they got the help they needed and that gave me some insight in to the autistic children and adults. Each step has enriched my life. Thankfully, my twins responded positively and each has found like very rewarding. You would never have guessed that they had exceptional individual needs at ages 2-5.
When I worked at the group home, one youth also liked compression vests. It calmed him down and he would bring it to us as a gesture that he wanted us to put it on him. He was non-verbal as far as his speech went, but he understood much of what we would say.
When I worked at the group home, one youth also liked compression vests. It calmed him down and he would bring it to us as a gesture that he wanted us to put it on him. He was non-verbal as far as his speech went, but he understood much of what we would say.
06-09-2010, 10:14 PM
#33
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Victoria, Australia
Posts: 528
Its great to hear other peoples stories about autism and aspergers. As you all know, at times it is very difficult to deal with, esprcially when there are changes to the person who has autism's routine and lifestyle. I know my son acts out whenever there is a change, even from school holidays to back to school it takes a week or 2 for him to settle down.
He also also not long learnt the consequences of action and reaction, and also right from wrong. And I do the same as you Rhonda...make sure he understands what he is being disaplined for by getting him to repeat it back to me. But sometimes, he does forget and constantly needs to be reminded that by hanging off my arm (all 30kgs of him) does hurt me, but he just doesnt realize that his physical actions do hurt other people sometimes. Thats something we are working on.
Rhonda, I really admire both you and Sara for the job you are doing with Zach. You are truly kindred spirits and give so much so your young man can thrive. To all parents and carers that have responded to this thread, I congratulate you all on trying and giving your time to help these people who funtion in a way that the majority of the human race does not understand. Its really great to see that the awareness message is getting out there
He also also not long learnt the consequences of action and reaction, and also right from wrong. And I do the same as you Rhonda...make sure he understands what he is being disaplined for by getting him to repeat it back to me. But sometimes, he does forget and constantly needs to be reminded that by hanging off my arm (all 30kgs of him) does hurt me, but he just doesnt realize that his physical actions do hurt other people sometimes. Thats something we are working on.
Rhonda, I really admire both you and Sara for the job you are doing with Zach. You are truly kindred spirits and give so much so your young man can thrive. To all parents and carers that have responded to this thread, I congratulate you all on trying and giving your time to help these people who funtion in a way that the majority of the human race does not understand. Its really great to see that the awareness message is getting out there
06-09-2010, 10:34 PM
#34
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Location: Salem Iowa
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I am a respite care giver for Zach and I get paid for working with him and taking care of him. So he has goals. I was telling his case worker last week that for the first time ever when he got in trouble the other day and I had to put him on my bed in time out he didn't throw a huge temper tantrum but sat on the edge of my bed and calmed himself down. I was so shocked! Usually he throws himself across the bed and rolls around trying to get away and/or he is trying to push past me or papa and get back out to the living room. I have been stressing it more strongly lately that he has to sit and calm and talk. so this was a breakthrough for him!! I was so proud of him!!
I find myself noticing and marvaling at things he does that if he were a "normal" 9 yr old we would take that behavior for granted. I sometimes wonder if we are not letting him grow up by not expecting him to act like any other 9 yr old. I have a hard time figuring out where that line lies that says he is capable of "normal" behavior or this is beyond him.
Right now we are working on how to talk to strangers.Zach doesn't recognize personal space and will get right in someone's eyes. He is too friendly and is working on knowing what is acceptable and what is not when dealing with a stranger. Or he will totally ignore someone talking to him stranger or family. But he is still listening because he will pipe up if he has something to say about what you are talking about.
Thank you all for your kind comments!! Support is so welcome when you struggle with a difficult situation like this.
One thing tho Sara and I had a head start on this as we both worked in Day Care. I worked for the Owl's Nest and Sara then got hired. We both quit and started our own day care then Pitter Patter Day Care. I had to close. When Sara moved to Davenport Ia She worked in the 2 yr old rooom at a day care for single parents going to school. So she had a better knowledge of what she should be seeing in Zach. When he started ignoring us at 1 yr she started watching him.He had ear infections and had tubes put in. He couldn't hear due to the fluid buildup. But after the tubes and his hearing was restored he was still not responding well. He was diagnosed with autism a little before he turned 2. She had a teacher coming in to her home 2 days a week from the time he was 2 until he started school. So he had an early intervention thanks to Sara's diligence. It has really paid off. He is a remarkable child! (NO predjudice here!!! LOL)
If there were prizes for stubborness and not ever giving up til he gets what he wants Zach would win all the prizes!!!! He doesn't win these battles as often as he'd like tho!! LOL
I find myself noticing and marvaling at things he does that if he were a "normal" 9 yr old we would take that behavior for granted. I sometimes wonder if we are not letting him grow up by not expecting him to act like any other 9 yr old. I have a hard time figuring out where that line lies that says he is capable of "normal" behavior or this is beyond him.
Right now we are working on how to talk to strangers.Zach doesn't recognize personal space and will get right in someone's eyes. He is too friendly and is working on knowing what is acceptable and what is not when dealing with a stranger. Or he will totally ignore someone talking to him stranger or family. But he is still listening because he will pipe up if he has something to say about what you are talking about.
Thank you all for your kind comments!! Support is so welcome when you struggle with a difficult situation like this.
One thing tho Sara and I had a head start on this as we both worked in Day Care. I worked for the Owl's Nest and Sara then got hired. We both quit and started our own day care then Pitter Patter Day Care. I had to close. When Sara moved to Davenport Ia She worked in the 2 yr old rooom at a day care for single parents going to school. So she had a better knowledge of what she should be seeing in Zach. When he started ignoring us at 1 yr she started watching him.He had ear infections and had tubes put in. He couldn't hear due to the fluid buildup. But after the tubes and his hearing was restored he was still not responding well. He was diagnosed with autism a little before he turned 2. She had a teacher coming in to her home 2 days a week from the time he was 2 until he started school. So he had an early intervention thanks to Sara's diligence. It has really paid off. He is a remarkable child! (NO predjudice here!!! LOL)
If there were prizes for stubborness and not ever giving up til he gets what he wants Zach would win all the prizes!!!! He doesn't win these battles as often as he'd like tho!! LOL
06-09-2010, 10:54 PM
#35
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Victoria, Australia
Posts: 528
Again I marvel at how much my son and Zach are alike. ITs like you were describing my son to me lol.
My son was not diagnosed until he was 6, so up until then life was really difficult. We couldnt even take him to the park to play for dear he would disappear, or hurt some other poor child and then having to deal with other parents.
Is funny, Im also a Scout leader for a bunch of 6-8 year olds, and we have 13 in all. Me fellow leader often says that the kids were hard to deal with tonight, or they were rowdy or soething like that, and I often look at him in suprise and ask him really? I thought they were really good. I have actually realized, its easier for me to look after 12 "normal" kiddies that 1 autistic one. I guess that shows other show hard having an autistic person in the household can be.
You gotta love the things they come out with though....like the way they percieve thins, and my son explains to me how he understood something, and it is toyally different to what should be perceved. Often we have a really good laugh on how he sees something, and how i see the same thing totaly different.
Rhonda, do you still find that you cannot give Zach a certain amount of instructions? as in, you might say, go to the toilet, get dressed, then put your pajamas in the wash machine....My son can only take 1 instruction at a time, always forgets about the other instructions after the first one as he is so concentraiting on getting the first one done right. And talk about dawdle!! My son is the king of the dawdlers, he get soooo distracted! But I would have it any other way
My son was not diagnosed until he was 6, so up until then life was really difficult. We couldnt even take him to the park to play for dear he would disappear, or hurt some other poor child and then having to deal with other parents.
Is funny, Im also a Scout leader for a bunch of 6-8 year olds, and we have 13 in all. Me fellow leader often says that the kids were hard to deal with tonight, or they were rowdy or soething like that, and I often look at him in suprise and ask him really? I thought they were really good. I have actually realized, its easier for me to look after 12 "normal" kiddies that 1 autistic one. I guess that shows other show hard having an autistic person in the household can be.
You gotta love the things they come out with though....like the way they percieve thins, and my son explains to me how he understood something, and it is toyally different to what should be perceved. Often we have a really good laugh on how he sees something, and how i see the same thing totaly different.
Rhonda, do you still find that you cannot give Zach a certain amount of instructions? as in, you might say, go to the toilet, get dressed, then put your pajamas in the wash machine....My son can only take 1 instruction at a time, always forgets about the other instructions after the first one as he is so concentraiting on getting the first one done right. And talk about dawdle!! My son is the king of the dawdlers, he get soooo distracted! But I would have it any other way
06-09-2010, 11:34 PM
#36
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Location: Salem Iowa
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Tweetee Zach's favorite dawdle is to play in the sink in the bathroom. I went looking for him to check on him and he had run the water over the sink and onto the floor. Water was one of his obsessions for along time. He is so much better about it but he will sneak a pitcher and water out to the living room and pour water from glass to pitcher and back again. Of course making a big mess along the way! so I have to time how long he is gone to the br and go check if he is gone too long!! He is also fascinated with clocks and I have one by the bathroom sink he can reach. He likes to move the hands. I don't count on that clock for the time!! LOL
He is getting better about following through with 2 or 3 tasks but he is easily distracted by his imaginary world or the show on TV. He will take 10 min to get his pants on because he will not pay attention to what he is doing.
He does alot of echolalia still. That is repeating things he hears. He replays all of his favorite shows in his mind and he can quote them from beginning to end word for word.
for a long time he wouldn't say anything that wasn't echolalia. Now he can hold a conversation but keeping his attention is hard to do. He does voluntarily make comments that aren't his fantasy world. But about 75% of his verbalizations are his replaying those shows. He lives in a Wiggles World for the most part.
When he was really little about 2 or 3 he could recognize the studio insignias for his favorite tv shows. He couldn't talk but he could point out those insignias on the spine of the movies and indicate he wanted that one. He would stand and just stare for a long time at my shelves of movies.
He can tell you what studio produces what tv shows.He can tell you what commercials are on the beginning of his videos.
A couple of years ago he was trying to tell me what he wanted and I wasn't getting it. I thought it sounded like grape juice and graham crackers. so I offered him a snack he got mad! I tried to listen to his words but they made no sense to me. I accidently found out a few days later he was asking for a tape where the announcer tells who gave grants to produce that show and one of them was Juicy Juice! Which showed grapes!! When I saw that I turned and he got excited when he saw it. That was what he had been asking for. Duh Grndma Rhonda!! But grapes didn't mean movies to me!! Now he can talk in complete words but he does tend to slur his words the way his siblings do! I couldn't get what he was saying this last Sat and I said say it slower so he goes I.......Want.......a.......drink.......of etc! One extreme to the other!! LOL And he did it with a smirk!! He was being funny!
He is getting better about following through with 2 or 3 tasks but he is easily distracted by his imaginary world or the show on TV. He will take 10 min to get his pants on because he will not pay attention to what he is doing.
He does alot of echolalia still. That is repeating things he hears. He replays all of his favorite shows in his mind and he can quote them from beginning to end word for word.
for a long time he wouldn't say anything that wasn't echolalia. Now he can hold a conversation but keeping his attention is hard to do. He does voluntarily make comments that aren't his fantasy world. But about 75% of his verbalizations are his replaying those shows. He lives in a Wiggles World for the most part.
When he was really little about 2 or 3 he could recognize the studio insignias for his favorite tv shows. He couldn't talk but he could point out those insignias on the spine of the movies and indicate he wanted that one. He would stand and just stare for a long time at my shelves of movies.
He can tell you what studio produces what tv shows.He can tell you what commercials are on the beginning of his videos.
A couple of years ago he was trying to tell me what he wanted and I wasn't getting it. I thought it sounded like grape juice and graham crackers. so I offered him a snack he got mad! I tried to listen to his words but they made no sense to me. I accidently found out a few days later he was asking for a tape where the announcer tells who gave grants to produce that show and one of them was Juicy Juice! Which showed grapes!! When I saw that I turned and he got excited when he saw it. That was what he had been asking for. Duh Grndma Rhonda!! But grapes didn't mean movies to me!! Now he can talk in complete words but he does tend to slur his words the way his siblings do! I couldn't get what he was saying this last Sat and I said say it slower so he goes I.......Want.......a.......drink.......of etc! One extreme to the other!! LOL And he did it with a smirk!! He was being funny!
06-09-2010, 11:40 PM
#37
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I still do not like to take Zach to the park. I just don't trust him enough not to run. I have to have an older child with me to take Zach to the park. Someone who can run after him if need be. Jake (almost 12) likes to go with me when he is here.
06-10-2010, 07:07 PM
#38
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bethlehem, GA
Posts: 517
Rhonda, I opened up one of my many spiral notebooks to sketch out my next quilt. At the back of the notebook was a list of Matt stories! If you are not doing this, you need to!! Age 6: All kids in his special ed class get invited to a cook out. Everyone is so comfortable knowing that they can relax with their special boys! One by one they wandered into the house and were found all in an empty bathtub...naked!! Matt has always hated clothing against his skin...stripping down to boxers and running shorts EVERY day after school!! All the parents laughed and re-dressed their naked boys...no embarrassment here for these usually frazzled parents!!
Matt Tai Kwon Do
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06-10-2010, 07:25 PM
#39
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Oh can I relate to the no clothes!!! Zach has always stripped and it has been a constant battle to keep clothes on him. At home Sara lets him run around in his underwear but my DH will not let him. I let him when DH is still asleep for awhile but he has to get dressed for the day eventually. Then it is a constant Zach where are your pants?!!! Then it is a constant get them back on Zach!! He is better at keeping them on but we still go through this ever day to some degree. It is the sensory thing again. His stripping until recently didn't stop at the underwear!! Sara has worked on this to convince him when he is away from home he has to keep his pants on. It is a work in progress! LOL
08-15-2010, 09:23 AM
#40
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: las vegas, nevada
Posts: 69
Thanks to showing me this thread. my 2-1/2 grandson Nix was diagnosed two weeks ago with autism spectrum and yesterday had further testing that scored him as a 17. he starts home therapy this week, 4 visits a week 90 minute each. It helps to hear this. I am trying to be positive about the future and help for him but it is very difficult.
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