GailG

OOOOHHH. I've been wanting my own room OUT OF THE HOUSE for a long time. That was one of my dreams for after retirement. It was quickly shot down. Now I am satisfied to have a room of my own, but it is sooooo jam-packed with hobbies. I am slowly "dissolving" some of those hobbies and trying to concentrate on my quilting and my scrapbooking. The cake hobby is in another room. (Poor DH. He says I have taken over the whole house as the kids moved out.

I am so happy for you. Just planning and getting the room ready will be great for your healing process. You are in my prayers.

GailG

Yes, autism awareness is so badly needed. Perhaps there is an organization in your area that could help you to help those around you become aware. GBY

JoanneS

I know what you mean about autism, and people thinking they'll 'snap' out of it. Both my son's boys are autistic - the 9 year old more than the 7 year old (who will be mainstreamed next year after repeating kindergarten). Their 'other' grandmother keeps saying 'They'll snap out of it.' She just doesn't get it. The 9 year old is finally putting verbal sentences together and getting some of the thoughts we KNEW were in his head out for us to understand. He's a very sweet boy, and extremely bright, so he does have a possibly good future, expecially now that he's beginning to communicate verbally. My DIL is a saint who has never given up. I just wish I lived closer to them so I could help more.

Mousie

grammo, hope you don't mind if I reply to one of your repliers, lol?

Joanne wrote:
.....I also have a grandson with autism and people see a perfectly healthy boy and think we just need to discipline him more. They don't understand he is handicapped. .......Their 'other' grandmother keeps saying 'They'll snap out of it.' She just doesn't get it.

I am related, both by blood, and by marriages, to ppl with a.d.d. It is another frontier that needs much more attention, so I feel for you.
I know what it's like to get professional help and do tons of research etc. There is no, "snapping out of it". That's a pipe dream that any one would smoke if it cured these things! just being a little facetious about something very, very real.
There are 11 different kinds of attention deficit disorder and some of the symptoms look like other stuff. I don't believe a pediatrician or family doctor should ever diagnosed these children. Too many mistakes are made, but more than that, these families need counseling and training to deal with all that goes with these problems. I could go on and on, but I'm putting down the mike now...just wanted to say...we have a lot of disabilities in this country and a lot of cynics, some are really mean and critical, and others just don't understand but don't mean any real harm. Either way, it's the sufferers that get the short end of the stick. i rejoice with anyone that can get real help, even if it can only be monetary. It does help with the tools you need to cope with stuff. I'm done, lol. :wink:

Mplsgirl

Thank you. Good work. More of these messages are needed, and yours was wonderful.

JoanneS

Like many autistic people, both of my autistic grandsons also have ADHD, but it is controlled with meds. I know these meds are controversial, but without them, the boys simply cannot function. In their case, the meds have enabled them to be calm enough to make progress in school - the younger one enough to be mainstreamed into 1st grade next year - the older one to finally start sleeping through the night and put verbal sentences together at age 9.

Autism is a spectrum of 'symptoms' (for lack of a better word). Special ed teachers are angels, and school districts with good programs are hard to find. The economy is making it more difficult, too. Thank goodness, Congress passed legislation specifically to aid people with autism last year BEFORE the economic downturn. If I were younger, I would get an MA in Special Ed. As it is, I'm learning a lot by spending time with my grandsons - though I don't get to do that often enough. Soon, they'll be moving, so they'll be just a 6 hour drive from me. Hooray! I foresee more road trips and less quilting starting this summer - assuming they sell their house and move.

Mousie

well, Joanne, I'm sorry the boys are moving six hours away, bc you seem to not only be very loving, but intuitive and you use the understanding we all started with...it goes away, if not used.
My oldest daughters MIL works with children with special needs and she is awesome at it.
She actually gets very tickled at times by some of her experiences. One little girl that is 11, but acts a lot like 6 at times, was told to do something and she wasn't being compliant. Phyllis had to warn her. The little girl said, "why don't you call the po-po, ho?" Her assistant heard this too, but was able to keep her composure, Phyllis managed to make it out of the room just before she exploded in laughter.
It takes a lot of patience, but Phyllis says she actually prefers to work with these kids, bc she understands that they have all kinds of problems they didn't ask for, whereas, some of the mainstreamed children, choose to act out on purpose.
It drives me crazy to hear ppl get on tv and say they did 'tests' proving that sugar etc. has no different affect on children/ppl than other foods. Well there are a lot of ways to do clinical trials and obviously it wasn't a broad range of children etc. bc I have seen kids firsthand that go from meek, mild and somewhat passive, to cookie crunching, curtain climbing, chandelier swingers after cookies and koolaid.
yes, there may be other factors involved besides just sugar, and that's the point. Foods are chemicals too.
Get constipated, change the flora of your intestines and see how peppy you are then,...your mood, your appetite, not to mention bloating and headaches, but don't take anything for it. Just snap out of it. :wink:

Mousie

Thank you Pam for what you said. I have family with physical disabilities too, and one daughter lost her ssi, when she got married, as did my Sil when she married my handicapped brother. I get a little passionate about these things. hugs for that. :D

Rhonda

I didn't mean to turn this into an autism forum but I am glad some people understand kids with disabilities. I find myself educating people all the time when they ask questions. My daughter has also had to fight to get help for Zach. He was diagnosed early tho at 18 mos.
I used my sewing skills and sewed a sling swing for him. It satisfies his need for sensation. It hangs in the middle of my great room.
I hope to teach him to quilt some day!!!

Rhonda

Our Zach is a high functioning austistic. He's 8 now but in some areas he's 6. He is in second grade and doing most of the second grade work. We spend most of our time outsmarting him. He is a runner so we have to keep our doors locked alot. But unlike alot of autistic people he is very affectionate. He loves to cling to you pretends he is a koala bear. He is a cuddle bug. Lots of love. He is very funny we laugh alot around him. We enjoy him and he stays with us (grandma and grandpa) two weekends amonth to give his mom and dad a break and to let them spend time with the other two kids. Zach takes so much time they get left out some.
A lot of people don't reallize how wearing it is on the care givers!!

He just learned cause and effect about a year ago and now he understands when he is in trouble he will have to sit on a chair which he hates!!!! to do so it usually works. I am always exhausted when he goes home!!