My grandson Zachary has Autism. He is 9 yrs old He is a high functioning autistic and has a high IQ. But Autism means in the Drs words his brain is wired differantly than ours. He has challenges and daily struggles to live in a world that he doesn't always understand.

One thing autistics struggle with is the need for sensory input in their day. We all have this need but our daily needs are so much lower than Zachs. We meet our brains need for this with our daily activities. But Zack requires much more to be able to function. It isn't a want it is a need as surely as he needs to eat.

So we look for ways to fill this need. One way is to provide a swing. We have an outdoor one that is made of tire material and looks like a horse.

Then we screwed a strong hook in the ceiling and rigged a rope to attach a homemade sling swing. But the hook wore out. So Sara(DD) bought a swing frame that we can take down or put up as needed. She uses it at home outside and hooked a tire swing to it. Then she takes it down and brings it here and I attached Zach's sling swing to it.

He spends many hours in it and it creates that sensation that he needs. He is less confrontational and it gives him something to do. He has a hard time controlling his emotions and this soothes that tendency to flare at the smallest irritation. He has a low frustration level!

The material we made the sling swing out of is silky on one side and rough on one side so he gets both textures depending on how he turns the fabric in or out.

What a great idea!! He is a handsome young man!!!

Wow, that is a neat idea. Thanks for sharing! Tell him hello from Craftybear!

In 2000 I was hired to care for autistic children in a group home. We did hands on activities and provided care 24/7.

I am so thankful that you brought up this thread and even more thankful that you have the swing for your DGS. I can just hear the delight and laughter in my memory bank from being with these children. Bless you.....

Most people think I'm weird if I mention we have a swing in our living room!! LOL

I saw a porch swing mounted in a living room in a magazine a long time ago and always wanted to do that!! This one is not up all the time. When he no longer needs it I would love to put up a porch swing in place of a chair or one of my two couches. Someday maybe.

what a doll!!

Great kid - great granny!

My autistic GS, 6 years old yesterday, is living with us. He sounds exactly like your DGS. Same temperment, same emotional needs, same sensory issues..... The swing sounds awesome!

The one thing about these kids or at least Zach is there is no mean bone in his body!! LOL He has however learned a few retaliation moves from his brother and sister but he would never sit and think how can I get back at him. He has learned to hit back when pushed too far which really isn't all bad.

I love to see his ear to ear grin and his laughter is infectious. He has quite a sense of humor. When Sara asks him if he loves her he says 5 days he loves her 5 days worth! LOL so the other day I asked what happens after 5 days and he says 5 more days!! LOL Then I asked him if he loves his Grandma Rhonda and he says I already loved you!! LOL The way his mind works is so funny!!

Thanks Jim's Gem He looks alot like my DH did when he was little. We think he is the bee's knees!! LOL I don't favor any one grand over another but Zach will always be special.

Rhonda, as you know my 2 boys have Asperger's... so I can relate.The swing sounds awesome, and Zach looks like he enjoys it and is making good use out of it.
I think Kyle would have gotten some use out of something like that... but when he was that age he was undiagnosised and seriously misunderstood.
One thing you can tell Zach is that he gets to swing on his swing even when it's snowing outside and everyone else has to wait until it gets nice out!!!

Theresa

Thanks Clem and Mad. He is a great kid. He does so well in the environment he is in. He is going into 4th grade and he does the same work as his classmates just not as much of it. He has an aide that goes with him through his day and keeps him on track and he does really well! We marval at how much he has progressed over the last year or two. He has just made great leaps and bounds in his understanding and comprehension.
He can do things on the internet I don't know how to do! He discovered he could pause a video and print off a picture of that video. Then he has me cut out a part of that picture - a tree or a picture frame or Sam Wiggles etc and then he tapes those to a paper and draws the story around that picture. He gets really detailed in his imaginary stories!! He is putting them in a spiral notebook and I wil keep those spirals.

He is so much fun to have around. He loves to roughhouse and tickle and loves the one on one. He is a cuddlebug which is unusual for most autistics. Most can't stand to be touched. But he clings to Sara's legs and tells her he is a koala bear and she is the tree! LOL

That swing was a life saver. He gets too antzy and bouncing off the walls when he doesn't get some kind of sensory outlet. As we only have a 3 room house we don't have alot of room for him to run. So the swing is a great alternative. He was obsessed with slides when he was little and the swing was another obsession. We could put him in a baby swing on the swing set outside and know where he was and not have to deal with him running away all the time. He has had that obsession since he was little. He would run into neighbor's yards across the street or even down the street to get to a swingset or slide. So the sling swing solves several issues for him.

How old are your boys now? I still have some issues of him throwing himself on the ground in a temper and I can't move him physically. Sara uses stern voice and telling him to get up but he doesn't always listen to me. One time he did this to me in the middle of the street and scared me because I couldn't get him to move. He is almost as tall as me now and I do worry abit if he is too big to handle and he won't listen to me.

I do use time out and he hates that as he has to sit on my bed with Papa in his wheelchair right beside him. Papa takes no guff so he doesn't get away with the temper tantrums for long.
I also use 123 as does Sara and it works most of the time.

We both -Sara and I- think about what his teen years will be like. He will be 10 in Jan and that sounds so grown up!! LOL

These kids are incredibly sweet. Others could take a lesson from them. After an episode of disruptive behavior, my DGS is heartbroken and puts his arms around my neck and just keeps saying, "I'm sorry, Nana. I'm sorry, Nana." He is a sweetheart.

What a cutie! I bet he loves the swing! A great idea!

They can bring you to tears! I have seen Zach jump to say sorry to get out of trouble but when it isn't anything that was his fault and he dissolves into I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!! and his face is so upset it just makes you want to cry for him. He is so sweet most of the time. And when the disruptive behavior happens I can usually redirect. He loves to be tickled so the tickle monster will make a visit and he can turn around with help.

One of his and my favorite redirects is a game I started with my daughter when she was little. It is the opposite game. I say yes he has to say no I may say it several times and he has to listen and change when I change. I may say yes then change to sometimes then maybe never and he has to say always etc. He is really good at it and has created his own versions.

I say too bad so sad when things don't go his way and he will come back with too good too happy!

Yes, redirection is the key. My GS too says he is sorry so sorry when it is really his little brother who is doing the mischief!

Please tell Zachary the ForestHobbit says howdy. Your DGS is a handsome boy. And he sure seems to love the swing. I didn't realize it could be so multi-functional. He is a lucky boy to have such a wonderful grandmother to look out for him.

My son has high functioning autism as well he is 8, and it sounds like him and your your young Zach are from the same groove.
You descibe him so well, and I see alot of my son there.

My boy is also incrediby sweet, and comes out with the funniest of things sometimes. He is a real cuddlebum with me, for some some reason cant stand it when anyone else tries to kiss him or cuddle him.

My son is a whizz on the computer, teaches me how to do alot of things on it, and then is sooo proud of himself becasue he can teach something, he goes around telling anyone who will listen what he did. He does have the occasional meltdown, but we always use distraction to try and head it off before it gets that bad. He is in a mainstream school but also has an aide to help him to understand. His writting and spelling is not that good, but he loves to read, and is already reading novels on his own. Typing on the computer he is amazing as well.

I love my boy to bits, and I wouldnt have him any other way. He is very special to me in so many ways, with his quirky behavior, which he amplifies when it makes me laugh. All he seems to want to do when I am around is please me and make me laugh which he strives to do. The best gift I can give him is to laugh at his jokes, or pranks (which he plays on my DH all the time)because it makes him soooo visibly happy. Material things mean nothing to him, but give him a smile and you have just given him the world.

You are an incredible mom! It takes a strong person to deal with all a parent with an autistic or handicapped child has to go through! I am so proud of my daughter and the way she is raising Zach. She insists he has to be held responsible for his actions now that he has learned cause and effect. He didn't have that concept til about 2 yrs ago. So any discipline just confused him. Now we can give him options but that wasn't the case for so long. When we decided he was understanding-- it was so funny the first time I lightly swatted him on the rear and sat him in time out on a chair. He looked at me in amazement and said YOU SPANKED ME!! He was just floored that I disciplined him! His face was sooo funny! It was barely a swat - but up til then I redirected only and didn't confront him with his misdeeds! LOL It took several times of my putting him in timeout and holding him there no matter how mad he got before he got it that I wasn't giving up. I have had to move the time out to our bed as it makes more of an impression on him that he isn't going to sweet talk or scream his way out of trouble! LOL It does make my heart melt tho when he goes up to hug Papa in his wheelchair and with tears streaming down his face ask him-Am I done now?? I'm sorry I'm sorry!!
But I insist he calm himself down and listen to me as to what he got in trouble for. He has to repeat it back to me so I know he understands and hopefully remembers!! LOL

He sure is cute! The swing is a great idea!

That is a great idea. My sister got a trampoline for her son who is 14 and has Aspergers. He works off frustration on that thing all the time. He also LOVES cats. He snuggles and snuggles with them all the time. He is such a sweetheart too.

He is obsessive about scabs and picks and picks on them constantly. Do you see that with Autism or Aspergers?

That's a wonderful idea. He truly looks happy.

Obsessions are a part of Autism. Zach's older brother is an undiagnosed case of Aspergers. He was put on med for ADHD and a couple of other things I don't remember. So when Sara tried to have him diagnosed with Aspergers they didn't see any symptoms. Of course not since he is on med to control the symptoms! He also gets obsessed about things and he has problems with social issues. He is 11.

Zach's obsessions some of them change over time. The swing is one that has never changed.

Rhonda, wow, what a great thread for me to stumble across!! My GS Matt is 21. He mostly parrots, is sweet most of the time, but loses his temper when not able to communicate his needs. My DD has recently tried time out...ooo, he doesn't like that and stomps his feet. They live on a houseboat, so the confinement is really an issue. He walks the dog and takes out trash, which is 1/3 of a mile walk each way. I love the swing idea...hmm, maybe she could put one on the dock. Last year my DD decided to learn to sew and quilt. Matt stood over that sewing machine and watched every move we made. After several hours, his Mom said, "Matt, would you like to do this?" He said, "Yes!!" with a big ol' grin. I gave him two pieces of fabric and showed him how to sew a straight line. He sewed five lines, all about 1/2" apart. I asked him did he want to sew more and he said, "No thank you, you're welcome!" and got up just a bouncing with enthusiasm. When I left, he said "Bye Bye, I luv you.." I said, "I love you more", he always finishes with, "I luv you the most!" Every night I pray that his brain will unlock and he will be ok!!
Rhonda, Your Zack is so handsome!

I can sympathize! I know having a handicapped DGS can be challenging. We are blessed that Zach is high functioning but that doesn't erase all the problems involved in having a handicap like Autism.

I can see in your DGS's face and eyes he has a sweet spirit.
We have all had to struggle with the what ifs. Sara went through some soul searching thinking maybe there was something she did wrong but she didn't.

Her DH went through some denial at first and his other grandparents also denied anything was wrong. Sara had an uphill battle to get Zach some help but she has never stopped advocating for him.

We have looked forward and wondered about his future. Sara and Ben realize they may have him home as long as they live. But there is a possibility of him living in an assisted living when he gets to that point. Time will tell.

We just take it one day at a time. Love you DGS as I know you do. He is a blessed young man to have a grandma who loves him and understands his needs!

Rhonda - we've talked about our DGSs before - and I just posted on Bearisgray's Autism thread, so I won't repeat what I said there other than to say that both of my grandsons are autistic, and they live in VA.

We just found out that our younger grandson (now 9) will probably be moved into the regular high school graduation path (with an aide) instead of the special ed path. That means he will probably be able to go George Mason University which has a department for autistic persons. I know you can identify with my joy!

I knew when I started this thread I would hear from a few of my friends who have discussed this subject before. I mostly wanted to show Zach's new swing! He loves it.

What good news Joanne!!! I am thrilled for you and your family! It is good that the schools are starting to get behind these kids and providing the education that they deserve!
Sara had a lot of opposition to get the local school to set up things to accomodate Zach's needs but it is still an ongoing struggle at times. They sometimes don't tell her when the aide is going to be gone and they have to keep Zach home when that happens. The teacher had a hard time adjusting her thinking but Sara has dug in and made them listen. She had to get a lady from the state to tell the principal that they had to make the changes before things got changed but it is worth the battle.

I hope things all go well for your DGS!!

What a great idea. He is so cute. (ops, I meant to say handsome)

Thanks Little Hud we think so!!

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.

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

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

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

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!

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.

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!!

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

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.