Re: Fulfilling my new years resolutions, well one of them

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/4/01 1:13:07 AM Eastern Standard Time,

pnewman@... writes:

<< Well, I'll end now. Sorry I took so long to fulfill my resolution. Wish

me

luck on my other resolutions: losing weight, quitting smoking, being

organized...........

, in Mississauga,Ontario Canada

>>

Welcome !

YOUR resolutions???? LOL They are MINE, only in reverse order! LOL Funny

how much in common everyone on this list has, other than our kids. I Can't

help with any of your questions. Doesn't seem like you get a lot of services

though. Seth is 4 years old and gets speech 5 times a week, PT 3 times a

week and OT 3 times a week. He is also at an average 18 month level and in

preschool. His teacher uses a combination of ABA/PECS it seems. It works

well for Seth. Looking forward to hearing from you often.

Gail, Mom to; Seth-4 DS/ASD/PDD/PICA, jo-8, Becky-10, -23, Jen-25,

Grandma to Errick-4

and wife to -my hero

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/4/01 1:13:07 AM Eastern Standard Time,

pnewman@... writes:

<<

I guess what I want from you guys is ideas and suggestions on what I should

be asking professionals, what I should be demanding from schools, etc.. Oh

ya, and do any of you know anything about ABA or is it ABM?? >>

Hi ,

Welcome!!! First off, you need to go to Joan's Disability Solutions site

and read the issue on DS/Autism. You will see a few of our kids in there too

(Mine is Madison Duffey). You can find it at <A

HREF= " http://www.teleport.com/~dsolns " >disability solutions</A> My daughter

is 7 years old and has been dx'd by Dr. Capone down at KKI at s Hopkins.

She was 5 at the time. Maddie fell well within the range for autism and it

was obvious to all her therapists and educators, as well as her pediatrician.

While her autism is so blatant, sometimes I count us lucky that we don't

have the doubt issue to deal with. It helps when everyone is clear on it.

Anyway, we currently are implementing the ABA method with Maddie (applied

behavioral analysis), using discrete trials. A couple of good books to start

with are " Right from the Start-Behavioral Intervention for Young Children

with Autism " , and " Targeting Autism " . Maddie received private sensory

integration therapy for 3 years and we had an incredible therapist who

introduced us to Stanley Greenspan's Floortime. We were finally able to

break through and reach Maddie with the Floortime method. In a nutshell,

floortime is essentially entering your child's world, mimicking her/his

behavior, and drawing them back into your world. There are a list of tips

for Floortime that I'd be glad to send to you if you are interested. I

copied this and gave it to all Maddie's teachers and therapists at her old

school as well as at her new one. Stanley Greenspan has a book called " The

Child with Special Needs " where you can get more information as well. The

school Maddie now attends implements ABA and she is doing FABULOUS with it.

I was opposed to it after reading as much as I could on it. It seemed like

" dog-training " to me, so I put it in the back of my mind. Then I witnessed

it at her school, and we are seeing wonderful things happen since she's

started. I would say her school uses ALL these methods when working with

Maddie (Floortime, ABA, discrete, and sensory integration), so we've been

real lucky in finding it. Not all these methods work for all kids and I feel

like Maddie is a child who needs a mixed bag. My neighbor's child has

autism and he is doing wonderful under ABA---Floortime probably would not

work for him. One of the things I've learned in all of this, is to try and

keep an open mind. But to trust my own instincts as well. A good lesson!!

I know this is overwhelming. Just take it slow and follow your gut.

Sara is not going anywhere and you have time to learn all that you can!! I'm

looking forward to hearing more about you, Sara, and the rest of your family.

Donna (Wife to Joe, Mom to (19), (17), n (15 next week),

Alison (8) and Madison (7, DS/ASD)

P.S. I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions!! It's safer that way...LOL

[Guest guest]

I'll keep on thinking to see if I have any suggestions. So far I don't,

sorry I wish I could.

>From: " Newman " <pnewman@...>

>Reply-egroups

><egroups>

>Subject: Fulfilling my new years resolutions, well one of them

>Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 01:08:14 -0500

>

>Happy New Year to Everyone.

>

>Well, time to start on my new years resolutions. One of my resolutions was

>to write to this group and introduce myself to you all.

>

>My name is . I have two children, , six and a half, and Sara,

>four years old. Sara has Down Syndrome and was diagnosed with Autism by

>her

>paeditrian in late September. I joined this group in October and have just

>been 'lurking' since then.

>

>I had a hard time accepting this 'news' as I'm sure many of you can

>understand. I guess what made it even harder is that both of her teacher

>aids from her nursery school didn't agree with the diagnosis. We all agree

>that Sara has lots of autistic tendencies, but not that they were enough to

>be labelled as Autistic. I had a second opinion by another doctor whom I

>totally trust, and she too felt that Sara was Autistic. So here I am.

>

>So, any help, words of wisdom, etc. would be of great help. I am on a long

>waiting list for an Autistic clinic which I believe is something along the

>lines of behavourial modification. Not real sure though. Sara recieves

>speech therapy, however only about once a month. It really isn't doing

>much, the therapist isn't really knowledgable with DS/Autism. Sara is

>physcially doing very well, however very delayed mentally (I think we're

>pushing it even to say that she is at an 18 month old stage, it is so hard

>to tell when there is no, or very little communication skills).

>

>I guess what I want from you guys is ideas and suggestions on what I should

>be asking professionals, what I should be demanding from schools, etc.. Oh

>ya, and do any of you know anything about ABA or is it ABM?? I heard about

>it on a local TV program and it is apparently the only proven method to

>help

>children with Autism, but I'm not sure if I even got that right. Too much

>stuff to think about and remember. ( has been diagnosed with ADHD

>in

>October so I have to think DS, ASD and ADHD - I'm sure glad they can all be

>abbreviated, saves on typing more letters).

>

>Well, I'll end now. Sorry I took so long to fulfill my resolution. Wish

>me

>luck on my other resolutions: losing weight, quitting smoking, being

>organized...........

>

>, in Mississauga,Ontario Canada

>

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Donna,

I would be interested in having a copy of the " Floortime " list, if you

wouldn't mind. We have tried so many approaches with but I haven't

heard of that one. Thanks for your help!

Terry

Mom to , 13 yrs. ds/asd