hello

July 29, 2010

been there unfortunantely im in oklahoma and it seems the same all around socialization is already a problem for disabled kids but lets face it some parents act highschool and it dont look like a change is coming round the corner i am trying right now to figure that problem out myself so i am sorry i havent got the answers youd like with it being on the rise there be kids pouring out the seams to relate to our children right less eople have got to stop being afraid educate and open there hearts god bless

From: simone_nyc@... <simone_nyc@...>Subject: HelloAutism and Aspergers Treatment Date: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 4:26 PM

Well hello again I haven't post in awhile because of my schedule what I'll would like to know is there's any families in atlanta that we can have our children meet my son is 11 with no friends at all I'm so worried he loves to play but the kids his age that's goes to his school doesn't want to have anything to do with him because of his disability which is so sad so I would like for him to meet other children that won't look down on him please thank you guys in advance Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

August 2, 2010

That's great Suzette! Life Lift is wonderful and the face lift is so

relaxing after the breaths. Post often and keep us informed of your

progress. This is a friendly bunch of people and I know you'll enjoy

being here.

Chris

Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use.

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August 2, 2010

Hello Suzette!!!! We're glad you're here!!!!

Liz

----- Hello

Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2010 17:46:20 -0700 (PDT)

Hello,

I'm Suzette, and have used LL for several years now, on and off. & #65533; I'm

back on again, this time to loose weight from prescription meds (anxiety and

mild depression) as well as boost my mood. & #65533; I've turned 42, changing

careers (back in school actually) and nearing an empty nest. & #65533; I need LIFE

LIFT so much, and in two weeks, it's helped me already. & #65533; I have to stay

with it this time, and hope this site will help.

Thanks sincerely,

Suzette K.

P.S. I'm borrowing my husbands account with his permission since I don't

have one!

August 3, 2010

Suzette, welcome HOME and enjoy a wonderful gift in LIFELIFT!

MARY

>

> Hello,

> I'm Suzette, and have used LL for several years now, on and off. I'm back on

again, this time to loose weight from prescription meds (anxiety and mild

depression) as well as boost my mood. I've turned 42, changing careers (back in

school actually) and nearing an empty nest. I need LIFE LIFT so much, and in

two weeks, it's helped me already. I have to stay with it this time, and hope

this site will help.

> Thanks sincerely,

> Suzette K.

> P.S. I'm borrowing my husbands account with his permission since I don't

have one!

>

April 2, 2011

hello mark,and welcome,

you can get a scoby from someone on here plus the starter. if you are in the uk

then i could send you one.

just email me off line if ur in the uk as i dont send overseas but other people

on this forum do.

hope you get sorted

(UK)

I believe in God, only i spell it nature.

Lloyd

To: original_kombucha

From: m.ferguson84@...

Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 21:10:28 -0700

Subject: Hello

Could some one please tell me where I may get every thing I need to get

started...I have a large glass blow and cheese cloth but , thats all ..I

remember my father got one and it had to have some of the juice from it's mother

in oder for it to work and from that one comes a baby..I think ..Do to my

health i would like to try it again in hopes it will help, if only some.THANK

YOU every one..Mark m.ferguson84@...

April 2, 2011

hello mark,and welcome,

you can get a scoby from someone on here plus the starter. if you are in the uk

then i could send you one.

just email me off line if ur in the uk as i dont send overseas but other people

on this forum do.

hope you get sorted

(UK)

I believe in God, only i spell it nature.

Lloyd

To: original_kombucha

From: m.ferguson84@...

Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 21:10:28 -0700

Subject: Hello

Could some one please tell me where I may get every thing I need to get

started...I have a large glass blow and cheese cloth but , thats all ..I

remember my father got one and it had to have some of the juice from it's mother

in oder for it to work and from that one comes a baby..I think ..Do to my

health i would like to try it again in hopes it will help, if only some.THANK

YOU every one..Mark m.ferguson84@...

April 2, 2011

hello mark,and welcome,

you can get a scoby from someone on here plus the starter. if you are in the uk

then i could send you one.

just email me off line if ur in the uk as i dont send overseas but other people

on this forum do.

hope you get sorted

(UK)

I believe in God, only i spell it nature.

Lloyd

To: original_kombucha

From: m.ferguson84@...

Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 21:10:28 -0700

Subject: Hello

Could some one please tell me where I may get every thing I need to get

started...I have a large glass blow and cheese cloth but , thats all ..I

remember my father got one and it had to have some of the juice from it's mother

in oder for it to work and from that one comes a baby..I think ..Do to my

health i would like to try it again in hopes it will help, if only some.THANK

YOU every one..Mark m.ferguson84@...

April 2, 2011

Hi Mark,

You will find a detailed step by step recipe for making Kombucha here:

http://users.bestweb.net/%7Eom/kmi/manual.html

The Kindle version is here:

Kombucha: KMI: " How To Make Kombucha Manual " on Kindle

http://amazon.com/dp/B0044XV8FA

You can use the bowl but it is easier to use a large glass jar as it must be

covered with a cloth or paper towel and it is a bit tricky to cover a bowl.

It is not advisable to use cheese cloth because several kinds of bugs are small

enough to get through the holes in the cheesecloth.

Any further questions....just ask:-))

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev (Ferguson)

>

> Could some one please tell me where I may get every thing I need to get

started...I have a large glass blow and cheese cloth but , thats all ..I

remember my father got one and it had to have some of the juice from it's mother

in oder for it to work and from that one comes a baby..I think ..Do to my

health i would like to try it again in hopes it will help, if only some.THANK

YOU every one..Mark m.ferguson84@...

>

April 2, 2011

Hi Mark,

You will find a detailed step by step recipe for making Kombucha here:

http://users.bestweb.net/%7Eom/kmi/manual.html

The Kindle version is here:

Kombucha: KMI: " How To Make Kombucha Manual " on Kindle

http://amazon.com/dp/B0044XV8FA

You can use the bowl but it is easier to use a large glass jar as it must be

covered with a cloth or paper towel and it is a bit tricky to cover a bowl.

It is not advisable to use cheese cloth because several kinds of bugs are small

enough to get through the holes in the cheesecloth.

Any further questions....just ask:-))

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev (Ferguson)

>

> Could some one please tell me where I may get every thing I need to get

started...I have a large glass blow and cheese cloth but , thats all ..I

remember my father got one and it had to have some of the juice from it's mother

in oder for it to work and from that one comes a baby..I think ..Do to my

health i would like to try it again in hopes it will help, if only some.THANK

YOU every one..Mark m.ferguson84@...

>

April 2, 2011

Hi Mark,

You will find a detailed step by step recipe for making Kombucha here:

http://users.bestweb.net/%7Eom/kmi/manual.html

The Kindle version is here:

Kombucha: KMI: " How To Make Kombucha Manual " on Kindle

http://amazon.com/dp/B0044XV8FA

You can use the bowl but it is easier to use a large glass jar as it must be

covered with a cloth or paper towel and it is a bit tricky to cover a bowl.

It is not advisable to use cheese cloth because several kinds of bugs are small

enough to get through the holes in the cheesecloth.

Any further questions....just ask:-))

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev (Ferguson)

>

> Could some one please tell me where I may get every thing I need to get

started...I have a large glass blow and cheese cloth but , thats all ..I

remember my father got one and it had to have some of the juice from it's mother

in oder for it to work and from that one comes a baby..I think ..Do to my

health i would like to try it again in hopes it will help, if only some.THANK

YOU every one..Mark m.ferguson84@...

>

July 24, 2011

HiI am so sorry for what you are going through - I know receiving a diagnosis can be a relief but it also brings more questions, concerns, and lists of things that need to be done. This list is wonderful and hopefully it will offer you the same support and understanding it has offered me. I don't post a lot, but the understanding and compassion they offer is priceless. They also have wonderful ideas and suggestions - my philosphy on any suggestion (in anything in my life) is weed through everything and use what will work for my family. My husband and I have four children - two are diagnosed with autism. Madison is 16 (autistic, MR, and bipolar), Jordan is 15, Destiny 14 (PDD, borderline MR, and dyslexic), and Conner

10. Madison currently resides in an RTF. I know I struggled with the decision for 1 1/2 years, but she became so out of control she put my life and her own at risk. My advice is to make a list of all the calls and people you need/want to speak to and prioritize. Take all the help and support you can get; with the cuts being made it is sometimes hard to get the help you will need. Also - get a binder and document, document, document! I have a section where I keep a list of all her meds - when she started them, dates of increases/decreases, and any side effects. Another section I keep a list of all the doctors that she sees - date of first appt. and what they do. I know when we applied for certain services they wanted a list of past doctors we had seen (and she had seen a TON) it was a nightmare trying to remember everything:) The last section I

use to just document her day - good or bad. When we tried different meds and diets it helped us to be able to see if it made a different in her behaviors over time. The book is not pretty - but I know where everything is:)Also - I would go to the library and get books out on autism and surf the net. There is a ton of info out there to give suggestions for diets, therapy, etc. I know we live in a rural area and our pediatrician didn't really suggest a lot. When I brought up the gluten-free diet he supported it and explained it - I asked why he hadn't suggested it he said it is expensive and hard to follow. Parents would always say they weren't going to mess with it so he stopped suggesting. I realized then I needed to be informed of all the options out there so I could pick what would work best for us. This group is EXCELLENT for offering ideas and and

suggestions.I know Maddie started to have a lot of problems when she turned 13 - puberty:) It is such a hard time for any kid and when they don't always understand what is going on makes it so much worse. Remember - don't worry what other people think and do what you need to do for you and your other kids. This group will offer a ton of support, prayers, and love (and hopefully suggestions!) Praying for your and your family,Rhonda From: "somesheila65@..." <somesheila65@...>autism Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 9:06 AMSubject: Hello

I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2, a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben, who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others.

My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a clue how he knows the sound.

I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after several requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.

He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at night. The Zoloft is a recent addition; he has been on Risperadal for several years. Concerta, Adderall, etc have been used in the past but they made him aggressive and irritable. I'm feeling that Zoloft is also a bad choice. It's not that I want to have my son sad and anxious, but I don't want to say no to things only to have him do it anyway, chase my pot's glass lid down, or keep small children away to avoid the repercussions of a huge young man (he looks like he's 16-17) asking them if they've ever had sex. Tenex (a blood pressure med used for his impulsivity) has worked okay, I guess, since Adderall definitely didn't, but the p-doc didn't want him taking 3 meds, so she switched Tenex out for Zoloft.

As for discipline, I try using the sending to the room approach most often, but since he's taller than me, weighs a good 190 lbs, if he's in the mood to ignore me, there's not much I can do. So, I take away valued things, trying to keep it as relevant to the situation as possible, but unfortunately, the kid doesn't seem to get cause and effect. When he took the pan lid, it wasn't because I needed it. It was the closest thing to him as he beat it out the door. He sometimes threatens suicide if it's a very valued item. Lists, as in positive behavior supports, have helped in the past, and so I will probably use them again, but as I'm basically unemployed at the moment, it's difficult to do the rewards.

All this complicated by the fact that I'm a 24/7 single mom who is going through menopause, still grieving the loss of my 21 year old son to bacterial endocarditis (congenital heart defect) some 3 years ago, and I have little support from anyone, as my parents are dead and my best friend lives in Kansas, 8 hours away. Oh, and I'm not independently wealthy and his insurance sucks. In fact, we're technically homeless because we're living in transitional housing.

I don't want to warehouse my kid. I already lost one, you know? I love him very much and there are times I look at him and think that all this is worth it. Most of the time I embrace his unique way of looking at the world, way before I learned the diagnosis and I don't feel the need to 'fix' him. In fact, Friday afternoon didn't change anything very much at all. Other than I have a lot of calls to make Monday to assorted professionals, teachers, school social workers, the p doc. For them it is a life changing event. The alternative school will probably be relieved that they now have the excuse to toss him back in the district's lap again, which means more meetings with a budget strained, uncooperative group of people, (who openly wishes that I would permanently just go away), a 5th school we will have to transition to, again. And, of course, another feeling of failure for Ben, again.

So, I am here, on this listserve, hoping for support from a friendly group of people who know what I'm talking about and know that not all of this is my fault. I'm hoping to pick up some ideas along the way and hopefully be able to offer some support to others, too. My greatest wish for Ben is to be happy and to develop a long lasting friendship.

Thanks for listening!

Sheila

Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

July 25, 2011

Welcome sheila! I am mom to JJ () age 23 with autism. it sounds like he is having a hard time due to puberity.. My JJ was very laid back (with autism) until he hit 12 and puberity hit him. We have went thru agression....still do!. J also has dieabities due to a med he took. He takes reaperdal too but only 0.5mg in the morning and the same at night....Plus his suger meds. He also gets a 1mg of lorazapam around 3pm. Lois

Hello

I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2, a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben, who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others. My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a clue how he knows the sound. I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after several requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at night. The Zoloft is a recent addition; he has been on Risperadal for several years. Concerta, Adderall, etc have been used in the past but they made him aggressive and irritable. I'm feeling that Zoloft is also a bad choice. It's not that I want to have my son sad and anxious, but I don't want to say no to things only to have him do it anyway, chase my pot's glass lid down, or keep small children away to avoid the repercussions of a huge young man (he looks like he's 16-17) asking them if they've ever had sex. Tenex (a blood pressure med used for his impulsivity) has worked okay, I guess, since Adderall definitely didn't, but the p-doc didn't want him taking 3 meds, so she switched Tenex out for Zoloft. As for discipline, I try using the sending to the room approach most often, but since he's taller than me, weighs a good 190 lbs, if he's in the mood to ignore me, there's not much I can do. So, I take away valued things, trying to keep it as relevant to the situation as possible, but unfortunately, the kid doesn't seem to get cause and effect. When he took the pan lid, it wasn't because I needed it. It was the closest thing to him as he beat it out the door. He sometimes threatens suicide if it's a very valued item. Lists, as in positive behavior supports, have helped in the past, and so I will probably use them again, but as I'm basically unemployed at the moment, it's difficult to do the rewards. All this complicated by the fact that I'm a 24/7 single mom who is going through menopause, still grieving the loss of my 21 year old son to bacterial endocarditis (congenital heart defect) some 3 years ago, and I have little support from anyone, as my parents are dead and my best friend lives in Kansas, 8 hours away. Oh, and I'm not independently wealthy and his insurance sucks. In fact, we're technically homeless because we're living in transitional housing.I don't want to warehouse my kid. I already lost one, you know? I love him very much and there are times I look at him and think that all this is worth it. Most of the time I embrace his unique way of looking at the world, way before I learned the diagnosis and I don't feel the need to 'fix' him. In fact, Friday afternoon didn't change anything very much at all. Other than I have a lot of calls to make Monday to assorted professionals, teachers, school social workers, the p doc. For them it is a life changing event. The alternative school will probably be relieved that they now have the excuse to toss him back in the district's lap again, which means more meetings with a budget strained, uncooperative group of people, (who openly wishes that I would permanently just go away), a 5th school we will have to transition to, again. And, of course, another feeling of failure for Ben, again. So, I am here, on this listserve, hoping for support from a friendly group of people who know what I'm talking about and know that not all of this is my fault. I'm hoping to pick up some ideas along the way and hopefully be able to offer some support to others, too. My greatest wish for Ben is to be happy and to develop a long lasting friendship. Thanks for listening!Sheila Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

July 25, 2011

Lois I have been wondering how you are doing. I continue to have you in my prayers Kuenstler, Ph.DOn Jul 24, 2011, at 8:00 PM, " lois noland" <jlois@...> wrote:

Welcome sheila! I am mom to JJ () age 23 with autism. it sounds like he is having a hard time due to puberity.. My JJ was very laid back (with autism) until he hit 12 and puberity hit him. We have went thru agression....still do!. J also has dieabities due to a med he took. He takes reaperdal too but only 0.5mg in the morning and the same at night....Plus his suger meds. He also gets a 1mg of lorazapam around 3pm. Lois

Hello

I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2, a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben, who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others. My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a clue how he knows the sound. I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after several requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at night. The Zoloft is a recent addition; he has been on Risperadal for several years. Concerta, Adderall, etc have been used in the past but they made him aggressive and irritable. I'm feeling that Zoloft is also a bad choice. It's not that I want to have my son sad and anxious, but I don't want to say no to things only to have him do it anyway, chase my pot's glass lid down, or keep small children away to avoid the repercussions of a huge young man (he looks like he's 16-17) asking them if they've ever had sex. Tenex (a blood pressure med used for his impulsivity) has worked okay, I guess, since Adderall definitely didn't, but the p-doc didn't want him taking 3 meds, so she switched Tenex out for Zoloft. As for discipline, I try using the sending to the room approach most often, but since he's taller than me, weighs a good 190 lbs, if he's in the mood to ignore me, there's not much I can do. So, I take away valued things, trying to keep it as relevant to the situation as possible, but unfortunately, the kid doesn't seem to get cause and effect. When he took the pan lid, it wasn't because I needed it. It was the closest thing to him as he beat it out the door. He sometimes threatens suicide if it's a very valued item. Lists, as in positive behavior supports, have helped in the past, and so I will probably use them again, but as I'm basically unemployed at the moment, it's difficult to do the rewards. All this complicated by the fact that I'm a 24/7 single mom who is going through menopause, still grieving the loss of my 21 year old son to bacterial endocarditis (congenital heart defect) some 3 years ago, and I have little support from anyone, as my parents are dead and my best friend lives in Kansas, 8 hours away. Oh, and I'm not independently wealthy and his insurance sucks. In fact, we're technically homeless because we're living in transitional housing.I don't want to warehouse my kid. I already lost one, you know? I love him very much and there are times I look at him and think that all this is worth it. Most of the time I embrace his unique way of looking at the world, way before I learned the diagnosis and I don't feel the need to 'fix' him. In fact, Friday afternoon didn't change anything very much at all. Other than I have a lot of calls to make Monday to assorted professionals, teachers, school social workers, the p doc. For them it is a life changing event. The alternative school will probably be relieved that they now have the excuse to toss him back in the district's lap again, which means more meetings with a budget strained, uncooperative group of people, (who openly wishes that I would permanently just go away), a 5th school we will have to transition to, again. And, of course, another feeling of failure for Ben, again. So, I am here, on this listserve, hoping for support from a friendly group of people who know what I'm talking about and know that not all of this is my fault. I'm hoping to pick up some ideas along the way and hopefully be able to offer some support to others, too. My greatest wish for Ben is to be happy and to develop a long lasting friendship. Thanks for listening!Sheila Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

July 25, 2011

Rhonda,

Thanks so much for your suggestions. Even though they weren't for me, they were great. I had never thought of the notebook. My son is a nightmare sometimes. He is 19. I think putting the pertinent medical information in a notebook is a great idea. I use one to list his meds and vitamin supplements and make notes of behaviors(irritability, sensory, and meltdowns). We all need help and new ideas.

I am 60, my husband 62. We have 3 children living. My 40 year old daughter has Downs Syndrome. My 27 year old son lives in another state. And my 19 year old has severe Autism. He has been homeschooled since he was 8. Had intermittent behaviors most of his life. The bad stuff hit when he was 17. We are very tired; more so than we should be at our age, but things are looking a little better.

Drissia

From: Rhonda Irvin <rhondarvn@...>Subject: Re: Hello"autism " <autism >Date: Sunday, July 24, 2011, 10:26 AM

Hi

I am so sorry for what you are going through - I know receiving a diagnosis can be a relief but it also brings more questions, concerns, and lists of things that need to be done. This list is wonderful and hopefully it will offer you the same support and understanding it has offered me. I don't post a lot, but the understanding and compassion they offer is priceless. They also have wonderful ideas and suggestions - my philosphy on any suggestion (in anything in my life) is weed through everything and use what will work for my family.

My husband and I have four children - two are diagnosed with autism. Madison is 16 (autistic, MR, and bipolar), Jordan is 15, Destiny 14 (PDD, borderline MR, and dyslexic), and Conner 10.

Madison currently resides in an RTF. I know I struggled with the decision for 1 1/2 years, but she became so out of control she put my life and her own at risk. My advice is to make a list of all the calls and people you need/want to speak to and prioritize. Take all the help and support you can get; with the cuts being made it is sometimes hard to get the help you will need. Also - get a binder and document, document, document! I have a section where I keep a list of all her meds - when she started them, dates of increases/decreases, and any side effects. Another section I keep a list of all the doctors that she sees - date of first appt. and what they do. I know when we applied for certain services they wanted a list of past doctors we had seen (and she had seen a TON) it was a nightmare trying to remember everything:) The last section I use to just document her day - good or bad. When we

tried different meds and diets it helped us to be able to see if it made a different in her behaviors over time. The book is not pretty - but I know where everything is:)

Also - I would go to the library and get books out on autism and surf the net. There is a ton of info out there to give suggestions for diets, therapy, etc. I know we live in a rural area and our pediatrician didn't really suggest a lot. When I brought up the gluten-free diet he supported it and explained it - I asked why he hadn't suggested it he said it is expensive and hard to follow. Parents would always say they weren't going to mess with it so he stopped suggesting. I realized then I needed to be informed of all the options out there so I could pick what would work best for us. This group is EXCELLENT for offering ideas and and suggestions.

I know Maddie started to have a lot of problems when she turned 13 - puberty:) It is such a hard time for any kid and when they don't always understand what is going on makes it so much worse. Remember - don't worry what other people think and do what you need to do for you and your other kids. This group will offer a ton of support, prayers, and love (and hopefully suggestions!)

Praying for your and your family,

Rhonda

From: "somesheila65@..." <somesheila65@...>autism Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 9:06 AMSubject: Hello

I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2, a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben, who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others. My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a clue how he knows the sound. I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our

apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after several requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at night. The Zoloft is a recent addition; he has been on Risperadal for several years. Concerta, Adderall, etc have been used in the past but they made him aggressive and irritable. I'm feeling that Zoloft is also a bad choice. It's not that I want to have my son sad and anxious, but I don't want to say no to things only to have him do it anyway, chase my pot's glass lid down, or keep small children away to avoid the repercussions of a huge young man (he looks like he's 16-17) asking them if they've ever had sex. Tenex (a blood pressure med used for his impulsivity) has worked okay, I guess, since Adderall definitely didn't, but the p-doc didn't want him taking 3 meds, so she switched Tenex out for Zoloft. As for discipline, I

try using the sending to the room approach most often, but since he's taller than me, weighs a good 190 lbs, if he's in the mood to ignore me, there's not much I can do. So, I take away valued things, trying to keep it as relevant to the situation as possible, but unfortunately, the kid doesn't seem to get cause and effect. When he took the pan lid, it wasn't because I needed it. It was the closest thing to him as he beat it out the door. He sometimes threatens suicide if it's a very valued item. Lists, as in positive behavior supports, have helped in the past, and so I will probably use them again, but as I'm basically unemployed at the moment, it's difficult to do the rewards. All this complicated by the fact that I'm a 24/7 single mom who is going through menopause, still grieving the loss of my 21 year old son to bacterial endocarditis (congenital heart defect) some 3 years ago, and I have little support from anyone, as my parents are dead and

my best friend lives in Kansas, 8 hours away. Oh, and I'm not independently wealthy and his insurance sucks. In fact, we're technically homeless because we're living in transitional housing.I don't want to warehouse my kid. I already lost one, you know? I love him very much and there are times I look at him and think that all this is worth it. Most of the time I embrace his unique way of looking at the world, way before I learned the diagnosis and I don't feel the need to 'fix' him. In fact, Friday afternoon didn't change anything very much at all. Other than I have a lot of calls to make Monday to assorted professionals, teachers, school social workers, the p doc. For them it is a life changing event. The alternative school will probably be relieved that they now have the excuse to toss him back in the district's lap again, which means more meetings with a budget strained, uncooperative group of people, (who openly wishes that I would permanently

just go away), a 5th school we will have to transition to, again. And, of course, another feeling of failure for Ben, again. So, I am here, on this listserve, hoping for support from a friendly group of people who know what I'm talking about and know that not all of this is my fault. I'm hoping to pick up some ideas along the way and hopefully be able to offer some support to others, too. My greatest wish for Ben is to be happy and to develop a long lasting friendship. Thanks for listening!SheilaSent via BlackBerry by AT & T

July 25, 2011

Your welcome! It took me awhile to come up with it but with 4 kids I was getting my kids "medical" stuff confused:) I realized the doctors have a file on each of my kids - why couldn't I:)RhondaFrom: drissia wright <ritzywright@...>autism Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 8:57

AMSubject: Re: Hello

Rhonda,

Thanks so much for your suggestions. Even though they weren't for me, they were great. I had never thought of the notebook. My son is a nightmare sometimes. He is 19. I think putting the pertinent medical information in a notebook is a great idea. I use one to list his meds and vitamin supplements and make notes of behaviors(irritability, sensory, and meltdowns). We all need help and new ideas.

I am 60, my husband 62. We have 3 children living. My 40 year old daughter has Downs Syndrome. My 27 year old son lives in another state. And my 19 year old has severe Autism. He has been homeschooled since he was 8. Had intermittent behaviors most of his life. The bad stuff hit when he was 17. We are very tired; more so than we should be at our age, but things are looking a little better.

Drissia

From: Rhonda Irvin <rhondarvn@...>Subject: Re: Hello"autism " <autism >Date: Sunday, July 24, 2011, 10:26 AM

Hi

I am so sorry for what you are going through - I know receiving a diagnosis can be a relief but it also brings more questions, concerns, and lists of things that need to be done. This list is wonderful and hopefully it will offer you the same support and understanding it has offered me. I don't post a lot, but the understanding and compassion they offer is priceless. They also have wonderful ideas and suggestions - my philosphy on any suggestion (in anything in my life) is weed through everything and use what will work for my family.

My husband and I have four children - two are diagnosed with autism. Madison is 16 (autistic, MR, and bipolar), Jordan is 15, Destiny 14 (PDD, borderline MR, and dyslexic), and Conner 10.

Madison currently resides in an RTF. I know I struggled with the decision for 1 1/2 years, but she became so out of control she put my life and her own at risk. My advice is to make a list of all the calls and people you need/want to speak to and prioritize. Take all the help and support you can get; with the cuts being made it is sometimes hard to get the help you will need. Also - get a binder and document, document, document! I have a section where I keep a list of all her meds - when she started them, dates of increases/decreases, and any side effects. Another section I keep a list of all the doctors that she sees - date of first appt. and what they do. I know when we applied for certain services they wanted a list of past doctors we had seen (and she had seen a TON) it was a nightmare trying to remember everything:) The last section I use to just document her day - good or bad. When we

tried different meds and diets it helped us to be able to see if it made a different in her behaviors over time. The book is not pretty - but I know where everything is:)

Also - I would go to the library and get books out on autism and surf the net. There is a ton of info out there to give suggestions for diets, therapy, etc. I know we live in a rural area and our pediatrician didn't really suggest a lot. When I brought up the gluten-free diet he supported it and explained it - I asked why he hadn't suggested it he said it is expensive and hard to follow. Parents would always say they weren't going to mess with it so he stopped suggesting. I realized then I needed to be informed of all the options out there so I could pick what would work best for us. This group is EXCELLENT for offering ideas and and suggestions.

I know Maddie started to have a lot of problems when she turned 13 - puberty:) It is such a hard time for any kid and when they don't always understand what is going on makes it so much worse. Remember - don't worry what other people think and do what you need to do for you and your other kids. This group will offer a ton of support, prayers, and love (and hopefully suggestions!)

Praying for your and your family,

Rhonda

From: "somesheila65@..." <somesheila65@...>autism Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 9:06 AMSubject: Hello

I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2, a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben, who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others. My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a clue how he knows the sound. I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our

apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after several requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at night. The Zoloft is a recent addition; he has been on Risperadal for several years. Concerta, Adderall, etc have been used in the past but they made him aggressive and irritable. I'm feeling that Zoloft is also a bad choice. It's not that I want to have my son sad and anxious, but I don't want to say no to things only to have him do it anyway, chase my pot's glass lid down, or keep small children away to avoid the repercussions of a huge young man (he looks like he's 16-17) asking them if they've ever had sex. Tenex (a blood pressure med used for his impulsivity) has worked okay, I guess, since Adderall definitely didn't, but the p-doc didn't want him taking 3 meds, so she switched Tenex out for Zoloft. As for discipline, I

try using the sending to the room approach most often, but since he's taller than me, weighs a good 190 lbs, if he's in the mood to ignore me, there's not much I can do. So, I take away valued things, trying to keep it as relevant to the situation as possible, but unfortunately, the kid doesn't seem to get cause and effect. When he took the pan lid, it wasn't because I needed it. It was the closest thing to him as he beat it out the door. He sometimes threatens suicide if it's a very valued item. Lists, as in positive behavior supports, have helped in the past, and so I will probably use them again, but as I'm basically unemployed at the moment, it's difficult to do the rewards. All this complicated by the fact that I'm a 24/7 single mom who is going through menopause, still grieving the loss of my 21 year old son to bacterial endocarditis (congenital heart defect) some 3 years ago, and I have little support from anyone, as my parents are dead and

my best friend lives in Kansas, 8 hours away. Oh, and I'm not independently wealthy and his insurance sucks. In fact, we're technically homeless because we're living in transitional housing.I don't want to warehouse my kid. I already lost one, you know? I love him very much and there are times I look at him and think that all this is worth it. Most of the time I embrace his unique way of looking at the world, way before I learned the diagnosis and I don't feel the need to 'fix' him. In fact, Friday afternoon didn't change anything very much at all. Other than I have a lot of calls to make Monday to assorted professionals, teachers, school social workers, the p doc. For them it is a life changing event. The alternative school will probably be relieved that they now have the excuse to toss him back in the district's lap again, which means more meetings with a budget strained, uncooperative group of people, (who openly wishes that I would permanently

just go away), a 5th school we will have to transition to, again. And, of course, another feeling of failure for Ben, again. So, I am here, on this listserve, hoping for support from a friendly group of people who know what I'm talking about and know that not all of this is my fault. I'm hoping to pick up some ideas along the way and hopefully be able to offer some support to others, too. My greatest wish for Ben is to be happy and to develop a long lasting friendship. Thanks for listening!SheilaSent via BlackBerry by AT & T

July 25, 2011

ï»¿

Hi Pat! I am doing ok.......had to go to the Dr. because my little toe was sore.......Dr. said it could have been my shoes. Taking J to Ocean city aug 6th. Thats all I hear out of him! LOL! Hope all is well!!!!! ((HUGS)) Lois

Hello

I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2, a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben, who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others. My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a clue how he knows the sound. I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after several requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at night. The Zoloft is a recent addition; he has been on Risperadal for several years. Concerta, Adderall, etc have been used in the past but they made him aggressive and irritable. I'm feeling that Zoloft is also a bad choice. It's not that I want to have my son sad and anxious, but I don't want to say no to things only to have him do it anyway, chase my pot's glass lid down, or keep small children away to avoid the repercussions of a huge young man (he looks like he's 16-17) asking them if they've ever had sex. Tenex (a blood pressure med used for his impulsivity) has worked okay, I guess, since Adderall definitely didn't, but the p-doc didn't want him taking 3 meds, so she switched Tenex out for Zoloft. As for discipline, I try using the sending to the room approach most often, but since he's taller than me, weighs a good 190 lbs, if he's in the mood to ignore me, there's not much I can do. So, I take away valued things, trying to keep it as relevant to the situation as possible, but unfortunately, the kid doesn't seem to get cause and effect. When he took the pan lid, it wasn't because I needed it. It was the closest thing to him as he beat it out the door. He sometimes threatens suicide if it's a very valued item. Lists, as in positive behavior supports, have helped in the past, and so I will probably use them again, but as I'm basically unemployed at the moment, it's difficult to do the rewards. All this complicated by the fact that I'm a 24/7 single mom who is going through menopause, still grieving the loss of my 21 year old son to bacterial endocarditis (congenital heart defect) some 3 years ago, and I have little support from anyone, as my parents are dead and my best friend lives in Kansas, 8 hours away. Oh, and I'm not independently wealthy and his insurance sucks. In fact, we're technically homeless because we're living in transitional housing.I don't want to warehouse my kid. I already lost one, you know? I love him very much and there are times I look at him and think that all this is worth it. Most of the time I embrace his unique way of looking at the world, way before I learned the diagnosis and I don't feel the need to 'fix' him. In fact, Friday afternoon didn't change anything very much at all. Other than I have a lot of calls to make Monday to assorted professionals, teachers, school social workers, the p doc. For them it is a life changing event. The alternative school will probably be relieved that they now have the excuse to toss him back in the district's lap again, which means more meetings with a budget strained, uncooperative group of people, (who openly wishes that I would permanently just go away), a 5th school we will have to transition to, again. And, of course, another feeling of failure for Ben, again. So, I am here, on this listserve, hoping for support from a friendly group of people who know what I'm talking about and know that not all of this is my fault. I'm hoping to pick up some ideas along the way and hopefully be able to offer some support to others, too. My greatest wish for Ben is to be happy and to develop a long lasting friendship. Thanks for listening!Sheila Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

July 25, 2011

That's great that hr kooks forward to that. I don't think Karac looks forward to anything. any aggression? Kuenstler, Ph.DOn Jul 25, 2011, at 11:07 AM, " lois noland" <jlois@...> wrote:

ï»¿

Hi Pat! I am doing ok.......had to go to the Dr. because my little toe was sore.......Dr. said it could have been my shoes. Taking J to Ocean city aug 6th. Thats all I hear out of him! LOL! Hope all is well!!!!! ((HUGS)) Lois

Hello

I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2, a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben, who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others. My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a clue how he knows the sound. I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after several requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at night. The Zoloft is a recent addition; he has been on Risperadal for several years. Concerta, Adderall, etc have been used in the past but they made him aggressive and irritable. I'm feeling that Zoloft is also a bad choice. It's not that I want to have my son sad and anxious, but I don't want to say no to things only to have him do it anyway, chase my pot's glass lid down, or keep small children away to avoid the repercussions of a huge young man (he looks like he's 16-17) asking them if they've ever had sex. Tenex (a blood pressure med used for his impulsivity) has worked okay, I guess, since Adderall definitely didn't, but the p-doc didn't want him taking 3 meds, so she switched Tenex out for Zoloft. As for discipline, I try using the sending to the room approach most often, but since he's taller than me, weighs a good 190 lbs, if he's in the mood to ignore me, there's not much I can do. So, I take away valued things, trying to keep it as relevant to the situation as possible, but unfortunately, the kid doesn't seem to get cause and effect. When he took the pan lid, it wasn't because I needed it. It was the closest thing to him as he beat it out the door. He sometimes threatens suicide if it's a very valued item. Lists, as in positive behavior supports, have helped in the past, and so I will probably use them again, but as I'm basically unemployed at the moment, it's difficult to do the rewards. All this complicated by the fact that I'm a 24/7 single mom who is going through menopause, still grieving the loss of my 21 year old son to bacterial endocarditis (congenital heart defect) some 3 years ago, and I have little support from anyone, as my parents are dead and my best friend lives in Kansas, 8 hours away. Oh, and I'm not independently wealthy and his insurance sucks. In fact, we're technically homeless because we're living in transitional housing.I don't want to warehouse my kid. I already lost one, you know? I love him very much and there are times I look at him and think that all this is worth it. Most of the time I embrace his unique way of looking at the world, way before I learned the diagnosis and I don't feel the need to 'fix' him. In fact, Friday afternoon didn't change anything very much at all. Other than I have a lot of calls to make Monday to assorted professionals, teachers, school social workers, the p doc. For them it is a life changing event. The alternative school will probably be relieved that they now have the excuse to toss him back in the district's lap again, which means more meetings with a budget strained, uncooperative group of people, (who openly wishes that I would permanently just go away), a 5th school we will have to transition to, again. And, of course, another feeling of failure for Ben, again. So, I am here, on this listserve, hoping for support from a friendly group of people who know what I'm talking about and know that not all of this is my fault. I'm hoping to pick up some ideas along the way and hopefully be able to offer some support to others, too. My greatest wish for Ben is to be happy and to develop a long lasting friendship. Thanks for listening!Sheila Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

July 26, 2011

LOL. I see my typing is hilarious on this iPad . Kuenstler, Ph.DOn Jul 25, 2011, at 1:17 PM, Dr Kuenstler <pkuenstler@...> wrote:

That's great that hr kooks forward to that. I don't think Karac looks forward to anything. any aggression? Kuenstler, Ph.DOn Jul 25, 2011, at 11:07 AM, " lois noland" <jlois@...> wrote:

ï»¿

Hi Pat! I am doing ok.......had to go to the Dr. because my little toe was sore.......Dr. said it could have been my shoes. Taking J to Ocean city aug 6th. Thats all I hear out of him! LOL! Hope all is well!!!!! ((HUGS)) Lois

Hello

I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2, a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben, who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others. My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a clue how he knows the sound. I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after several requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at night. The Zoloft is a recent addition; he has been on Risperadal for several years. Concerta, Adderall, etc have been used in the past but they made him aggressive and irritable. I'm feeling that Zoloft is also a bad choice. It's not that I want to have my son sad and anxious, but I don't want to say no to things only to have him do it anyway, chase my pot's glass lid down, or keep small children away to avoid the repercussions of a huge young man (he looks like he's 16-17) asking them if they've ever had sex. Tenex (a blood pressure med used for his impulsivity) has worked okay, I guess, since Adderall definitely didn't, but the p-doc didn't want him taking 3 meds, so she switched Tenex out for Zoloft. As for discipline, I try using the sending to the room approach most often, but since he's taller than me, weighs a good 190 lbs, if he's in the mood to ignore me, there's not much I can do. So, I take away valued things, trying to keep it as relevant to the situation as possible, but unfortunately, the kid doesn't seem to get cause and effect. When he took the pan lid, it wasn't because I needed it. It was the closest thing to him as he beat it out the door. He sometimes threatens suicide if it's a very valued item. Lists, as in positive behavior supports, have helped in the past, and so I will probably use them again, but as I'm basically unemployed at the moment, it's difficult to do the rewards. All this complicated by the fact that I'm a 24/7 single mom who is going through menopause, still grieving the loss of my 21 year old son to bacterial endocarditis (congenital heart defect) some 3 years ago, and I have little support from anyone, as my parents are dead and my best friend lives in Kansas, 8 hours away. Oh, and I'm not independently wealthy and his insurance sucks. In fact, we're technically homeless because we're living in transitional housing.I don't want to warehouse my kid. I already lost one, you know? I love him very much and there are times I look at him and think that all this is worth it. Most of the time I embrace his unique way of looking at the world, way before I learned the diagnosis and I don't feel the need to 'fix' him. In fact, Friday afternoon didn't change anything very much at all. Other than I have a lot of calls to make Monday to assorted professionals, teachers, school social workers, the p doc. For them it is a life changing event. The alternative school will probably be relieved that they now have the excuse to toss him back in the district's lap again, which means more meetings with a budget strained, uncooperative group of people, (who openly wishes that I would permanently just go away), a 5th school we will have to transition to, again. And, of course, another feeling of failure for Ben, again. So, I am here, on this listserve, hoping for support from a friendly group of people who know what I'm talking about and know that not all of this is my fault. I'm hoping to pick up some ideas along the way and hopefully be able to offer some support to others, too. My greatest wish for Ben is to be happy and to develop a long lasting friendship. Thanks for listening!Sheila Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

July 26, 2011

Lucky You - You have an iPad!!

I'm green with envy!!

http://stores.ebay.com/Cammys-Clothing-Treasures

Cammy

> >>

> >>>

> >>> Welcome sheila! I am mom to JJ () age 23 with autism. it sounds like

he is having a hard time due to puberity.. My JJ was very laid back (with

autism) until he hit 12 and puberity hit him. We have went thru

agression....still do!. J also has dieabities due to a med he took. He takes

reaperdal too but only 0.5mg in the morning and the same at night....Plus his

suger meds. He also gets a 1mg of lorazapam around 3pm. Lois

> >>> Hello

> >>>

> >>> I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself

and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2,

a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben,

who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses

answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others.

> >>> My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly

usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's

had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs

going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that

explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a

clue how he knows the sound.

> >>> I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and

muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our

apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after several

requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.

> >>> He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at

night. The Zoloft is a recent addition; he has been on Risperadal for several

years. Concerta, Adderall, etc have been used in the past but they made him

aggressive and irritable. I'm feeling that Zoloft is also a bad choice. It's not

that I want to have my son sad and anxious, but I don't want to say no to things

only to have him do it anyway, chase my pot's glass lid down, or keep small

children away to avoid the repercussions of a huge young man (he looks like he's

16-17) asking them if they've ever had sex. Tenex (a blood pressure med used for

his impulsivity) has worked okay, I guess, since Adderall definitely didn't, but

the p-doc didn't want him taking 3 meds, so she switched Tenex out for Zoloft.

> >>> As for discipline, I try using the sending to the room approach most

often, but since he's taller than me, weighs a good 190 lbs, if he's in the mood

to ignore me, there's not much I can do. So, I take away valued things, trying

to keep it as relevant to the situation as possible, but unfortunately, the kid

doesn't seem to get cause and effect. When he took the pan lid, it wasn't

because I needed it. It was the closest thing to him as he beat it out the door.

He sometimes threatens suicide if it's a very valued item. Lists, as in positive

behavior supports, have helped in the past, and so I will probably use them

again, but as I'm basically unemployed at the moment, it's difficult to do the

rewards.

> >>> All this complicated by the fact that I'm a 24/7 single mom who is going

through menopause, still grieving the loss of my 21 year old son to bacterial

endocarditis (congenital heart defect) some 3 years ago, and I have little

support from anyone, as my parents are dead and my best friend lives in Kansas,

8 hours away. Oh, and I'm not independently wealthy and his insurance sucks. In

fact, we're technically homeless because we're living in transitional housing.

> >>> I don't want to warehouse my kid. I already lost one, you know? I love him

very much and there are times I look at him and think that all this is worth it.

Most of the time I embrace his unique way of looking at the world, way before I

learned the diagnosis and I don't feel the need to 'fix' him. In fact, Friday

afternoon didn't change anything very much at all. Other than I have a lot of

calls to make Monday to assorted professionals, teachers, school social workers,

the p doc. For them it is a life changing event. The alternative school will

probably be relieved that they now have the excuse to toss him back in the

district's lap again, which means more meetings with a budget strained,

uncooperative group of people, (who openly wishes that I would permanently just

go away), a 5th school we will have to transition to, again. And, of course,

another feeling of failure for Ben, again.

> >>>

> >>> So, I am here, on this listserve, hoping for support from a friendly group

of people who know what I'm talking about and know that not all of this is my

fault. I'm hoping to pick up some ideas along the way and hopefully be able to

offer some support to others, too. My greatest wish for Ben is to be happy and

to develop a long lasting friendship.

> >>> Thanks for listening!

> >>> Sheila

> >>> Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

> >>>

> >>

> >

>

July 26, 2011

Awwww - Drissia! I feel your pain! I'm 42 and feel 100!!

http://stores.ebay.com/Cammys-Clothing-Treasures

Cammy

> >

> >>From: Rhonda Irvin <rhondarvn@...>

> >>Subject: Re: Hello

> >> " autism "

> >>Date: Sunday, July 24, 2011, 10:26 AM

> >>

> >>Â

> >>Hi

> >>I am so sorry for what you are going through - I know receiving a diagnosis

can be a relief but it also brings more questions, concerns, and lists of things

that need to be done.Â This list is wonderful and hopefully it will offer you

the same support and understanding it has offered me.Â I don't post a lot, but

the understanding and compassion they offer is priceless.Â They also have

wonderful ideas and suggestions - my philosphy on any suggestion (in anything in

my life) is weed through everything and use what will work for my family.Â

> >>

> >>My husband and I have four children - two are diagnosed with autism.Â

Madison is 16 (autistic, MR, and bipolar), Jordan is 15, Destiny 14 (PDD,

borderline MR, and dyslexic), and Conner 10.Â

> >>

> >>Madison currently resides in an RTF.Â I know I struggled with the decision

for 1 1/2 years, but she became so out of control she put my life and her own at

risk.Â My advice is to make a list of all the calls and people you need/want to

speak to and prioritize.Â Take all the help and support you can get; with the

cuts being made it is sometimes hard to get the help you will need.Â Also - get

a binder and document, document, document!Â I have a section where I keep a

list of all her meds - when she started them, dates of increases/decreases, and

any side effects.Â Another section I keep a list of all the doctors that she

sees - date of first appt. and what they do.Â I know when we applied for

certain services they wanted a list of past doctors we had seen (and she had

seen a TON) it was a nightmare trying to remember everything:)Â The last

section I use to just document her day - good or bad.Â When we tried different

meds and diets it helped us

> to be able to see if it made a different in her behaviors over time.Â The

book is not pretty - but I know where everything is:)

> >>

> >>Also - I would go to the library and get books out on autism and surf the

net.Â There is a ton of info out there to give suggestions for diets, therapy,

etc.Â I know we live in a rural area and our pediatrician didn't really suggest

a lot.Â When I brought up the gluten-free diet he supported it and explained it

- I asked why he hadn't suggested it he said it is expensive and hard to

follow.Â Parents would always say they weren't going to mess with it so he

stopped suggesting.Â I realized then I needed to be informed of all the options

out there so I could pick what would work best for us.Â This group is EXCELLENT

for offering ideas and and suggestions.

> >>

> >>I know Maddie started to have a lot of problems when she turned 13 -

puberty:)Â It is such a hard time for any kid and when they don't always

understand what is going on makes it so much worse.Â Remember - don't worry

what other people think and do what you need to do for you and your other

kids.Â This group will offer a ton of support, prayers, and love (and hopefully

suggestions!)Â

> >>

> >>Praying for your and your family,

> >>Rhonda

> >>

> >>>________________________________

> >>> From: " somesheila65@... " <somesheila65@...>

> >>>autism

> >>>Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 9:06 AM

> >>>Subject: Hello

> >>>

> >>>Â

> >>>I just joined this group and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself

and my son, Ben. My name is Sheila and I am the 46 year old full time mom of 2,

a typical daughter who is about to turn 12 in a couple days and 13 year old Ben,

who was diagnosed Friday afternoon as having autism. I found that the diagnoses

answered a few questions, but now I am overwhelmed by many others.

> >>>My weekend, as I am grabbling with these new questions, has been fairly

usual fare of behavior for Ben. He's asked his sister about 10 times if she's

had sex yet. Well, sort of- what he says is 'have you ever (noises of springs

going up and down)'. He started a relationship class a couple weeks ago, so that

explains the preoccupation (sort of) but I haven't had sex since 2003. Haven't a

clue how he knows the sound.

> >>>I took away his remote to the tv because he was turning it off and on and

muting it on his sister so he took the lid of my pan and ran downstairs of our

> apartment complex. Later, I finally got him to take out the trash after

several requests and he came back 10 minutes later wearing a different shirt.

> >>>He takes Risperadal, 1 mg in the morning with 50 mg of Zoloft and 2 mg at