Guest guest Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Hi all, Just wanted to join in and say how glad I am to have found this group. We are having many similar issues with our 11 year old DS. School was great last year with a terrific teacher. This year has been frustrating to say the least. Middle School. No Fun...It is a long story. My son is doing well in regular classes. He is having trouble with another child in the spec ed room. His ocd is getting worse due to the stress of the spec ed room. I am hoping to get him out of that environment completely. We recently started a trial of lexapro. We have tried all the ocd meds over the last 6 years. They always seemed to cause " behavioral " side effects. Yet we had to try again due to school stress making his ocd a priority. In the meantime I am starting to think about trying to get some CBT for my son. Can anyone recommend anyone in the Phoenix area? Thanks for this support group, Tammy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 Hi Tammy, We use Tomi Hembree-Kigin, PhD. She's located in East Mesa near Superstition Springs Mall. Her telephone number is 345-0817. I've been very impressed with her and my 6-year-old (plus other kids I know who have seen her) absolutely love her. If you want, we can talk off-line and I'd be happy to answer any of your questions. Sue in Phoenix tuttleharry wrote: > Hi all, > Just wanted to join in and say how glad I am to have found this group. > We are having many similar issues with our 11 year old DS. > School was great last year with a terrific teacher. This year has > been frustrating to say the least. Middle School. > No Fun...It is a long story. My son is doing well in regular classes. > He is having trouble with another child in the spec ed room. His ocd > is getting worse due to the stress of the spec ed room. I am hoping > to get him out of that environment completely. > We recently started a trial of lexapro. We have tried all the ocd > meds over the last 6 years. They always seemed to cause " behavioral " > side effects. Yet we had to try again due to school stress making his > ocd a priority. > In the meantime I am starting to think about trying to get some CBT > for my son. Can anyone recommend anyone in the Phoenix area? > Thanks for this support group, > Tammy > > > > * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2004 Report Share Posted January 25, 2004 Hi and welcome to the list. Sometimes a child with obsessions does a lot of avoidance rather than repeated physical compulsions that are easier to see and pick up on. Are the thoughts and ideas he gets stuck on upsetting to him, do they cause him to not do things in order to avoid triggering them? If so, doing the things that he has been avoiding in a controlled, step-wise fashion can help reduce the obsessive thoughts. I think the easiest way to manage the board emails is to set your membership preference to " no mail " and go to the yahoo site to read, respond to and post messages. They are all archived so no matter how much time has gone by, you can find the ones you haven't read or the ones that deal with topics you have a special interest in. Again, welcome, Kathy R. in Indiana ----- Original Message ----- > Hi, My 8 yr old son was recently diagnosed with OCD, ADD, and other > learning disabilities. His OCD seems somewhat atypical in that he > doesn't have any compulsions, but is more obsessive. He gets stuck > on thought or ideas. He doesn't have any insight to his OCD. He > can't verbalize or explain his thoughts; just that he gets stuck. > He is on Prozac and that has been very helpful. He'll now even > acknowledge that he has OCD, where he wouldn't previously. I am > concerned because his lack of insight makes CBT difficult. We have > implemented a few other strategies that his psychologist and he > worked out and that seems to be helpful. I would appreciate any > guidance or suggestions that you would have. I look forward to > participating in this group. Where can I learn how to est manage > and kkep up with this board? Until next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 --- Laurie, My son has the exact same obsessions as your daughter. He feels like he has to confess everything-even silly things, but some things disturbing like you were describing, sexual thoughts, etc. When this first manifested itself about 3 or 4 years ago, he was afraid he wanted to stab me-it wasn't directed at anyone else-just me. I was horrified and didn't react too well. Didn't hide my broken heart too well, and that was a mistake. It is such a horror, a torture to experience this. I just could relate to what you were describing. The Zoloft is helping my son somewhat. He is 9. This site is so therapeutic in that it provides someone the tools to understand the disorder as well as such a great support web of people who can totally emphathize and relate to how hard it is. Take care and best of luck, W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hi a, Im happy you joined this group. 3 of my 8 children are autistic. A 20yr daughter,16yr son,10yr son. My 20yr lost her speech and quit eye contact around 1yr. She always had trouble with vaccinations. She had high fevers after and got very sick. Finally her pediatrician had to give her doses of human gamma globulin to aid or counter act her immuno deficiancy following vaccinations. I quit the vaccination schedule,exempted- under advice of our Dr. My 16yr son had a similar experience with vaccinations and had high fevers with convulsions. I believe vaccinations played a significant part in their autism. My 10yr son is a twin, was a preemie with a birth weight under 2lbs. I really relate to you and share your concerns about our children,their developement and our families relationships and interactions when our children are autistic. Thanks for sharing your lives. Sending you the warmth of understanding, Tishanne -- In AutismBehaviorProblems , a Calderon wrote: > > Hi Everyone, > > My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn't start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don't fully believe that these shots caused my son's autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA, PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn't respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him " no " and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom's hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says " aaahhhhh " and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets " overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and " mess up " things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn't seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet. > > I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he's only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won't be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums. > > I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it. > > It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children's father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan. > > I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that " they need their medicine " when in fact their body is going through withdrawal. > > I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>) > > I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services. > > Thanks for taking the time to read my story. > > a Calderon > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http:// www.mci.com. > ______________________________________________________________________ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hi , I really understand what you are going through. My son started therapy before he was 2 and nothing really happened. The therapists and I worked with him one on one 20 -30 hours a week with ABA, PECS, speech and OT. He just didn't seem to have any idea what we wanted and would get frustrated and angry. He couldn't even do an NVI (Non Verbal Imitation). You would touch your nose and say do this and he would just look at you blankly- You would hand over hand him and give him a reward and the next time the same response!! It was so frustrating. This went on for almost a year. Then one day he looked at us and got it! He smiled touched his nose and mastered the complete program in 3 weeks. It was like a light bulb went on in his head- OH that's what you want!! After that he did much better in therapy and now he is 8 and has some language (wants,needs,some commenting), he is doing well in a 2nd grade class with an aid. For the most part he is pretty happy. We had a lot of behavioral problems this summer but we put him on Adderall to help him concentrate, and 2.5mg of Prozac to help him calm easier. This is something I fought for a very long time but what a difference it makes for him. He doesn't want to feel so frustrated all the time and the Adderall helps him concentrate on his school work and on what we say to him. He is a much happier kid and you can tell he feels much more successful in school and at home. He even claps when the school bus pulls up!! At the end of last year he was hiding his shoes in the morning so he couldn't go to school. I guess I'm trying to say sometimes it takes a little longer to get them going but don't get to discouraged the light bulb will go on. Kellie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hi, Kellie, this is a beautiful story of perseverance...thank yo sooooo much for sharing it with us. Way to go !!!!!! Way to go mommy!!!!! e Re: New to Group,_._,___ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hi , Thanks for sharing your story. It does seem like and Donovan have some things in common as do we. We are both young mothers dealing with autism. And yes, I have learned to accept and love all my kids no matter what. My 2 year old daughter likes to rock in a rocking chair and likes to feel fabrics, but I’m not too worried either because she has great eye contact, is very social, counts to twenty, says her abc’s, responds well to everyone, but still doesn’t talk as much as my oldest daughter did at her age. We will see how things go. Donovan does not have too many sensory issues. He is a good eater and is not picky when it comes to textures. He does like to put things in his mouth and struggles to give up the bottle at bed time. Each time we try to eliminate the bottle, the longest time we went was 3 days with no bottle, he would spend each night crying for 3-4 hours non-stop, hitting himself really hard in the forehead and top of his head, kick the wall and scream all night. I regretted letting his dad give him the bottle on that third night because although it was very rough and the Donovan kept waking the other kids, I wish I would’ve just kept at it because I hate that he uses the bottle at night time. I understand their dad though because we are all so exhausted all the time and never get sleep, so it’s one thing to have Donovan crying all night and it’s another when he wakes up Mya (my two year old) and Devin (my 4 month old) and three kids are crying all night, then we have to wake up early. My hope is that my parents will keep my other three kids for like a Friday, Saturday and Sunday and we can try to eliminate the bottle again. But my parents are having martial issues right now so I’m not sure how soon this will happen. That’s awesome that he has some words and is doing well with PECs. My son never responded to PECS, he would just stare at the picture he wanted, so we would hand-over-hand make him touch it for almost a year and he never touches the picture, just stares. Donovan goes to a developmentally disabled preschool 4 days per week for three hours each day. He receives speech and occupational therapy and is in a class of 3 kids with one special ed instructor and two paras. However, I feel that my child is considered the “problem kid” because he requires so much attention and often requires full physical assistance to make him do things that the other two kids will do naturally (like sit down for circle time or at the table for snack time). I really want help on daily living skills for Donovan. His IEP goals are so basic (like put personal belongings in cubby, attend for circle time for 15 minutes). True, he struggles with basic tasks like this but and I would like help on how to get more services that will actually make a greater impact on his future. a From: AutismBehaviorProblems [mailto:AutismBehaviorProblems ] On Behalf Of Tibbetts Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 9:22 PM To: AutismBehaviorProblems Subject: Re: New to Group Hello a, My name is , I am a 21 year old mother of two kids aged 1 year-girl and a 2 year old boy. My son also has Autism. Diagnosed at 18 months.My son also spoke as a very young child (about 9 - 11 months ) saying things like mama ,baba dada, sometime with the meaning of the word and other times just to say it. Then very suddenly around his 1st bithday he stopped all words and we noticed how he was always in his own little world and didn't make eye contact and was very affraid of other people. We soon found out why. It was very hard for me still is sometimes. But I was able to move forward and relialize that he was still the same I have aways known and loved and I would love him no matter what. As I'm sure you have. Your son's symptoms sound alot like my son's as well.... He is a stimmer. He stands on his tippy toes alot when he is excited, he flails his arms and makes very loud vocalizations and yells as well, he also runs back in forth when excited (while yelling ) he is very lovey to us and he is very rough.... he does pull hair sometimes or kick also not on purpose but we are usually able to control his aggresiveness. He is usually a very happy boy but can throw small tantrums here and there. Those are also usually easily nutrealized. is able to express what he needs in a very small manner right now. does some signs.... " more " and he has almost conqeured " all done " ,he also is doing well with the PECS system ((( goes to a developmentally disabled pre-school locally 5 days a week for about 3 hours every morning. He recieves ABA style teaching. He is recieving Speech, Occupational therapy, and one on one developmental therapy.He has been going for a year in December. It is really doing him good.))) Anyways.... hope i haven't lost you yet...haha has just recently been giving us a few words and sounds! He said " mama " once at school, he has also been saying " mo " for more and using the sign as well as saying the " baba " sound ALOT and saying it here at home and at school " bubbles " . ( jason is a big fan of bubbles) When it comes to our family people are just curios and accepting but get togethers can be hard. I am very sorry to hear that your family is not very accepting and weary of your son.My daughter..... well she has her up and downs with him. When she was a baby she would get very scared and cry while jason was beeing very over excited and loud but over time she seemed to overcome it and except it. She still can get a litlle fussy sometimes. As for how they get along... most of the time they are together and knows she is there but does not really bother with her and other times they will fight over something and he will try to move her and if she does not move he will shove her causing her to cry for a good 10 minutes sometimes. But most of the time they are nice. I do catch him holding her hand sometimes or trying to hug her, some sort of affection so I know he must love her. My daughter, andria, also does not talk yet she is 18 months.. I know she is still young so I'm not super worried. She does have a few words and sounds but I think she is too lazy sometimes to say anything. She does say " mama " , " baba " " yeah " ,and makes the " e " sound but like I said not alot because I think she doesn't have the example from her brother and also being lazy.I am not worried about Autism though . She makes good eye contact and just doesn't have many syptoms. She is very curious of and always wants to do what he is. She definitaly loves him and has grown to be understanding of his loudness and over excitability. My son has alot of sensory issues... what about your son??? My jason is a very picky eater. Having a very small food selection. All food alike in texture and color, he always wants things in his mouth. We have chewies for him and he still sucks on a binky at nap and bed time. throws little crums and things while eating..... he just doesn't seem to like them I guess. haha. I also share your feeling with not wanting to medicate your son.. I don't think I ever will. Right now my sons treatment seems to be working.Besides the speech improvements he has regained eye contact and is improving motor skills and so forth. He has also opened up more socially to other people wich I think is the biggest improvement he has made. I am sorry to hear about your son's treatment not working so well. I am interested in what he is getting right now for help. There were so many alike features in your story to mine and I really hope that we could get to know each other well. I have been hoping to find someone with the same struggles as myself. I wish you the best and I hope to hear from you soon! Thanks for reading... i know it was very long haha. New to Group Hi Everyone, My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn’t start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don’t fully believe that these shots caused my son’s autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn’t respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him “no” and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom’s hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says “aaahhhhh” and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets “overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and “mess up” things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn’t seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet. I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he’s only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won’t be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums. I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it. It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children’s father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan. I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that “they need their medicine” when in fact their body is going through withdrawal. I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>) I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. a Calderon ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Thanks for your kind words, e. I am no longer sad that my son has Autism. In fact, his diagnosis makes me appreciate the smaller things in life and has taught me to accept others much more than I did before. I look forward to connecting with all of you. a From: AutismBehaviorProblems [mailto:AutismBehaviorProblems ] On Behalf Of Two Blessings Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 10:46 PM To: AutismBehaviorProblems Subject: Re: New to Group Hello...and Welcome to the group It is a wonderful group. I have a child who is very young yet, so I have no suggestions...other than to say welcome --- take a look, as there are many here who have walked similar paths...we are all in this together, and while I'm sad that so many of our children are diagnosed with ASD, I'm so very grateful for all the mother's who have walked this path before, and can teach me. Blessings to you... e New to Group Recent Activity 14 New Members Visit Your Group Meditation and Lovingkindness A Yahoo! Group to share and learn. Yahoo! Health Achy Joint? Common arthritis myths debunked. Yahoo! Groups Cat Zone Connect w/ others who love cats. .. ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Beautifully put, and very true for me as well. Talk soon... e New to Group Recent Activity 14 New Members Visit Your Group Meditation and Lovingkindness A Yahoo! Group to share and learn. Yahoo! Health Achy Joint? Common arthritis myths debunked. Yahoo! Groups Cat Zone Connect w/ others who love cats. .. ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hi Stacie, I am from Blue Springs, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. What is SI? That must be difficult for your daughter to deal with having ticks I hope that she has made some friends that accept her. And the seizure disorder? It’s hard enough helping our kids deal autism but to have other disorders, which must be very challenging for your you and your children. I hope you have a support system in place. Do you children speak? Do they have sensory issues? a From: AutismBehaviorProblems [mailto:AutismBehaviorProblems ] On Behalf Of hawkie6@... Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 11:03 PM To: AutismBehaviorProblems Subject: Re: New to Group a, I can relate in so much you have said. I have 3 kids. is is almost 13, is 10 and is 5. was diagnosed with ASD in May and also SI. She also has a tick disorder. has autism, a seizure disorder and also SI. I am married to Jim and we live in Aurora IL. Where are you from? Welcome to the group. Stacie In a message dated 9/16/2008 6:05:58 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, lcalderonnational (DOT) edu writes: Hi Everyone, My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn’t start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don’t fully believe that these shots caused my son’s autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA, PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn’t respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him “no” and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom’s hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says “aaahhhhh” and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets “overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and “mess up” things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn’t seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet. I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he’s only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won’t be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums. I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it. It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children’s father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan. I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that “they need their medicine” when in fact their body is going through withdrawal. I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>) I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. a Calderon ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog, plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com. ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. 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Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hi Tishanne, I’m curiouis to know how your children are functioning, especially since they are much older than mine. Like I said before I often wonder and worry about the future. I would als like to get more information on vaccinating on an alternative schedule for my 4 month and two year old. If you know where I should look, please tell me. My two year old has only had one “thimersol-free” vaccine. But we go from doctor to doctor because I cannot find anyone to support my beliefs and be a partner to help my kids- just criticism and usually “the American academy of pediatrics” says spiels with each new PCP visit. a From: AutismBehaviorProblems [mailto:AutismBehaviorProblems ] On Behalf Of tishannepatterson Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:28 AM To: AutismBehaviorProblems Subject: Re: New to Group Hi a, Im happy you joined this group. 3 of my 8 children are autistic. A 20yr daughter,16yr son,10yr son. My 20yr lost her speech and quit eye contact around 1yr. She always had trouble with vaccinations. She had high fevers after and got very sick. Finally her pediatrician had to give her doses of human gamma globulin to aid or counter act her immuno deficiancy following vaccinations. I quit the vaccination schedule,exempted- under advice of our Dr. My 16yr son had a similar experience with vaccinations and had high fevers with convulsions. I believe vaccinations played a significant part in their autism. My 10yr son is a twin, was a preemie with a birth weight under 2lbs. I really relate to you and share your concerns about our children,their developement and our families relationships and interactions when our children are autistic. Thanks for sharing your lives. Sending you the warmth of understanding, Tishanne -- In AutismBehaviorProblems , a Calderon wrote: > > Hi Everyone, > > My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn't start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don't fully believe that these shots caused my son's autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA, PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn't respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him " no " and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom's hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says " aaahhhhh " and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets " overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and " mess up " things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn't seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet. > > I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he's only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won't be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums. > > I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it. > > It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children's father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan. > > I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that " they need their medicine " when in fact their body is going through withdrawal. > > I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>) > > I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services. > > Thanks for taking the time to read my story. > > a Calderon > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________________ > This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http:// www.mci.com. > __________________________________________________________ > ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. 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Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Thanks for sharing your story, Kellie. I truly hope that Donovan’s light bulb will come on! Shine on me baby!! I know it must be frustrating to him not being able to communicate what he wants and trying to understand what we want from him. What services does your son get now? Does he stim a lot? If so, how do you handle stimming? Thanks, a From: AutismBehaviorProblems [mailto:AutismBehaviorProblems ] On Behalf Of Kellie Folkerts Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 5:51 AM To: AutismBehaviorProblems Subject: Re: New to Group Hi , I really understand what you are going through. My son started therapy before he was 2 and nothing really happened. The therapists and I worked with him one on one 20 -30 hours a week with ABA, PECS, speech and OT. He just didn't seem to have any idea what we wanted and would get frustrated and angry. He couldn't even do an NVI (Non Verbal Imitation). You would touch your nose and say do this and he would just look at you blankly- You would hand over hand him and give him a reward and the next time the same response!! It was so frustrating. This went on for almost a year. Then one day he looked at us and got it! He smiled touched his nose and mastered the complete program in 3 weeks. It was like a light bulb went on in his head- OH that's what you want!! After that he did much better in therapy and now he is 8 and has some language (wants,needs,some commenting), he is doing well in a 2nd grade class with an aid. For the most part he is pretty happy. We had a lot of behavioral problems this summer but we put him on Adderall to help him concentrate, and 2.5mg of Prozac to help him calm easier. This is something I fought for a very long time but what a difference it makes for him. He doesn't want to feel so frustrated all the time and the Adderall helps him concentrate on his school work and on what we say to him. He is a much happier kid and you can tell he feels much more successful in school and at home. He even claps when the school bus pulls up!! At the end of last year he was hiding his shoes in the morning so he couldn't go to school. I guess I'm trying to say sometimes it takes a little longer to get them going but don't get to discouraged the light bulb will go on. Kellie ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hi , I know what I'm about to say isn't going to be popular but I have to say it. I'm not trying to scare anyone or change anyones mind on anything but groups are about sharing your personal experience and I really feel the need to share this with you all. was 2 and we had just started seeing a DAN doctor. My daughter had just been born and he recommended no vaccines for her. We were (and still are) very afraid of having another autistic child so we didn't give her any. When she was 10 months I asked about giving her some on a different schedule(not so many at one time) and he said yes when she was 2 we would start them. On Dec. 8 2003 I put to bed she was fine and the next morning she was gone. She had contracted Strep which turned into meningitis and it went so quickly it only took hours from onset to death. We will always regret not having her vaccinated and we can't take it back. Our daughter Paige was born in 2005 and we had her vaccinated at a slower rate. I'm really not trying to scare anyone. I just needed to tell you what we have experienced. Kellie>> Hi Everyone,> > My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn't start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don't fully believe that these shots caused my son's autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn't respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him "no" and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom's hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says "aaahhhhh" and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets "overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and "mess up" things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn't seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet.> > I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he's only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won't be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums.> > I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it.> > It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children's father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan.> > I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that "they need their medicine" when in fact their body is going through withdrawal.> > I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>)> > I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services.> > Thanks for taking the time to read my story.> > a Calderon> > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com.> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Oh, Kellie. I too vaccinate for this very reason. has never regressed after his vaccinations...did they trigger his Autism, I'm afraid we may never know, but I do know that I don't want to lose his life, and that is why I choose to vaccinate.. It is not a popular stance in the Autistic community, but I do believe that there must be a place for all of us...we all choose to do Autism differently....Thank you so much for sharing. God love you! e RE: Re: New to Group Hi , I know what I'm about to say isn't going to be popular but I have to say it. I'm not trying to scare anyone or change anyones mind on anything but groups are about sharing your personal experience and I really feel the need to share this with you all. was 2 and we had just started seeing a DAN doctor. My daughter had just been born and he recommended no vaccines for her. We were (and still are) very afraid of having another autistic child so we didn't give her any. When she was 10 months I asked about giving her some on a different schedule(not so many at one time) and he said yes when she was 2 we would start them. On Dec. 8 2003 I put to bed she was fine and the next morning she was gone. She had contracted Strep which turned into meningitis and it went so quickly it only took hours from onset to death. We will always regret not having her vaccinated and we can't take it back. Our daughter Paige was born in 2005 and we had her vaccinated at a slower rate. I'm really not trying to scare anyone. I just needed to tell you what we have experienced. Kellie>> Hi Everyone,> > My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn't start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don't fully believe that these shots caused my son's autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn't respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him "no" and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom's hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says "aaahhhhh" and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets "overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and "mess up" things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn't seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet.> > I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he's only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won't be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums.> > I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it.> > It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children's father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan.> > I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that "they need their medicine" when in fact their body is going through withdrawal.> > I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>)> > I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services.> > Thanks for taking the time to read my story.> > a Calderon> > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com.> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 a, Thank you for reading my story. I too have had struggles with the bottle with my son but fortunately, two weeks ago that struggle finally ended. My son is 3 in january and I just got him off the bottle completely 2 weeks ago I did only about 2 days before he gave up the fight and excepted that the bottle was not coming back. I think what you need to do is take the bottle away agian as soon as you can (having the kids at someone elses house would probably be a good idea) keep all other bottles for younger children out of his sight at all times and just really try to comfort him with trying to drink from something other than a bottle but you do need to be stern with not giving it back!! Giving it back may allow people to go to sleep now but its not helping in the long run. He has to know the bottle is gone and not coming back. I know its hard believe me I know and I feel for you and your family but with lots of love , patience, and perciverience I KNOW that you can make it happen. The longer he is on the bottle the harder it will be for everyone. I really hope that you do try agian soon and that you are strong this time. I am here for you. I totally understand. I wish you luck. I hope to hear from you soon! ~ New to Group Hi Everyone, My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn’t start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don’t fully believe that these shots caused my son’s autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn’t respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him “no” and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom’s hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says “aaahhhhh” and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets “overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and “mess up” things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn’t seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet. I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he’s only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won’t be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums. I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it. It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children’s father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan. I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that “they need their medicine” when in fact their body is going through withdrawal. I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>) I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. a Calderon ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ ______________________________________________________________________This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. 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Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 a, Thank you for reading my story. I too have had struggles with the bottle with my son but fortunately, two weeks ago that struggle finally ended. My son is 3 in january and I just got him off the bottle completely 2 weeks ago I did only about 2 days before he gave up the fight and excepted that the bottle was not coming back. I think what you need to do is take the bottle away agian as soon as you can (having the kids at someone elses house would probably be a good idea) keep all other bottles for younger children out of his sight at all times and just really try to comfort him with trying to drink from something other than a bottle but you do need to be stern with not giving it back!! Giving it back may allow people to go to sleep now but its not helping in the long run. He has to know the bottle is gone and not coming back. I know its hard believe me I know and I feel for you and your family but with lots of love , patience, and perciverience I KNOW that you can make it happen. The longer he is on the bottle the harder it will be for everyone. I really hope that you do try agian soon and that you are strong this time. I am here for you. I totally understand. I wish you luck. I hope to hear from you soon! ~ New to Group Hi Everyone, My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn’t start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don’t fully believe that these shots caused my son’s autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn’t respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him “no” and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom’s hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says “aaahhhhh” and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets “overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and “mess up” things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn’t seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet. I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he’s only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won’t be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums. I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it. It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children’s father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan. I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that “they need their medicine” when in fact their body is going through withdrawal. I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>) I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. a Calderon ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ ______________________________________________________________________This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. 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Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 e, Thank you, Thank you. I'm sitting here in tears because that was so hard to write. Not just because it isn't popular but because even though it will be 5 years soon just writing about it breaks my heart. More then autism losing devastated my life. I will always miss her, always wonder what if?. Thank you again for your wonderful heart. Kellie>> Hi Everyone,> > My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn't start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don't fully believe that these shots caused my son's autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn't respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him "no" and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom's hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says "aaahhhhh" and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets "overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and "mess up" things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn't seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet.> > I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he's only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won't be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums.> > I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it.> > It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children's father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan.> > I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that "they need their medicine" when in fact their body is going through withdrawal.> > I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>)> > I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services.> > Thanks for taking the time to read my story.> > a Calderon> > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com.> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Dear Kellie- I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. I’m sure your angel is watching over you and your family now and knows that you love her so much. It sounds like you made the best decision that you knew of at that time. The decision to vaccinate is very personal and should be made by the parents. It is a struggle for many people in the autism community- it seems that people mostly feel strongly one way or the other- or they are stuck in between and don’t know what to believe. I hope that as parents of children with autism that we can unite in that sense and support each other throughout our struggles. Take care, Kellie. a From: AutismBehaviorProblems [mailto:AutismBehaviorProblems ] On Behalf Of Kellie Folkerts Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:15 PM To: AutismBehaviorProblems Subject: Re: Re: New to Group e, Thank you, Thank you. I'm sitting here in tears because that was so hard to write. Not just because it isn't popular but because even though it will be 5 years soon just writing about it breaks my heart. More then autism losing devastated my life. I will always miss her, always wonder what if?. Thank you again for your wonderful heart. Kellie > > Hi Everyone, > > My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn't start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don't fully believe that these shots caused my son's autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn't respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him " no " and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom's hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says " aaahhhhh " and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets " overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and " mess up " things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn't seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet. > > I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he's only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won't be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums. > > I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it. > > It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children's father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan. > > I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that " they need their medicine " when in fact their body is going through withdrawal. > > I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>) > > I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services. > > Thanks for taking the time to read my story. > > a Calderon > > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _ > This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http:// www.mci.com. > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _ > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com. ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com. ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Dear kellie. I too am very sorry to hear of your daughters passing.I am acually crying alittle myself. it was very sad to read. I don't know what I would do if I lost one of my kids.I am sooo sorry. You've made me so sad. My heart really goes out to you and your family. I wish you and your family all the strength and happiness. If you ever need someone to just pour it all out on I'm here for you and I'm sure others are as well. I have thought about whether I should stop vaccinating my two children or not and have always struggled with the decision but your story has made me believe that my son is the way he is and I wouldn't want to change that ever and that vaccinations are very important whether they MAY OR MAY NOT cause autism in the long run. Please take care of yourself and your beautiful children and know that is always watching you and your family. ~ RE: Re: New to Group Dear Kellie- I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. I’m sure your angel is watching over you and your family now and knows that you love her so much. It sounds like you made the best decision that you knew of at that time. The decision to vaccinate is very personal and should be made by the parents.. It is a struggle for many people in the autism community- it seems that people mostly feel strongly one way or the other- or they are stuck in between and don’t know what to believe. I hope that as parents of children with autism that we can unite in that sense and support each other throughout our struggles. Take care, Kellie. a From: AutismBehaviorProblems [mailto:AutismBehaviorProblems ] On Behalf Of Kellie FolkertsSent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:15 PMTo: AutismBehaviorProblems Subject: Re: Re: New to Group e, Thank you, Thank you. I'm sitting here in tears because that was so hard to write. Not just because it isn't popular but because even though it will be 5 years soon just writing about it breaks my heart. More then autism losing devastated my life. I will always miss her, always wonder what if?. Thank you again for your wonderful heart. Kellie>> Hi Everyone,> > My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn't start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don't fully believe that these shots caused my son's autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn't respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him "no" and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom's hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says "aaahhhhh" and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets "overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and "mess up" things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn't seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet.> > I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he's only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won't be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums.> > I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it.> > It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children's father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan.> > I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that "they need their medicine" when in fact their body is going through withdrawal.> > I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>)> > I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services.> > Thanks for taking the time to read my story.> > a Calderon> > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com.> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ ______________________________________________________________________This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com.______________________________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 My son is now 14 years old and for a very long time I just refused to give in to the fact that he needed to be on medication. It is very difficult to give your child 5 or 6 different medications, but sadly, it is sometimes necessary. Our son couldn't get along without it. I hope that your situation will be different, but just remember that we do whatever we can to help our child, and sometimes that includes giving meds. Subject: Re: New to GroupTo: AutismBehaviorProblems Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 9:21 PM Hello a, My name is , I am a 21 year old mother of two kids aged 1 year-girl and a 2 year old boy. My son also has Autism. Diagnosed at 18 months.My son also spoke as a very young child (about 9 - 11 months ) saying things like mama ,baba dada, sometime with the meaning of the word and other times just to say it. Then very suddenly around his 1st bithday he stopped all words and we noticed how he was always in his own little world and didn't make eye contact and was very affraid of other people. We soon found out why. It was very hard for me still is sometimes. But I was able to move forward and relialize that he was still the same I have aways known and loved and I would love him no matter what. As I'm sure you have. Your son's symptoms sound alot like my son's as well.... He is a stimmer. He stands on his tippy toes alot when he is excited, he flails his arms and makes very loud vocalizations and yells as well, he also runs back in forth when excited (while yelling ) he is very lovey to us and he is very rough.... he does pull hair sometimes or kick also not on purpose but we are usually able to control his aggresiveness. He is usually a very happy boy but can throw small tantrums here and there. Those are also usually easily nutrealized. is able to express what he needs in a very small manner right now. does some signs...."more" and he has almost conqeured " all done " ,he also is doing well with the PECS system ((( goes to a developmentally disabled pre-school locally 5 days a week for about 3 hours every morning. He recieves ABA style teaching.. He is recieving Speech, Occupational therapy, and one on one developmental therapy.He has been going for a year in December. It is really doing him good.))) Anyways.... hope i haven't lost you yet...haha has just recently been giving us a few words and sounds! He said "mama "once at school, he has also been saying "mo" for more and using the sign as well as saying the "baba" sound ALOT and saying it here at home and at school "bubbles". ( jason is a big fan of bubbles) When it comes to our family people are just curios and accepting but get togethers can be hard. I am very sorry to hear that your family is not very accepting and weary of your son.My daughter.... . well she has her up and downs with him. When she was a baby she would get very scared and cry while jason was beeing very over excited and loud but over time she seemed to overcome it and except it. She still can get a litlle fussy sometimes. As for how they get along... most of the time they are together and knows she is there but does not really bother with her and other times they will fight over something and he will try to move her and if she does not move he will shove her causing her to cry for a good 10 minutes sometimes. But most of the time they are nice. I do catch him holding her hand sometimes or trying to hug her, some sort of affection so I know he must love her. My daughter, andria, also does not talk yet she is 18 months.. I know she is still young so I'm not super worried. She does have a few words and sounds but I think she is too lazy sometimes to say anything. She does say "mama" ,"baba" "yeah" ,and makes the "e "sound but like I said not alot because I think she doesn't have the example from her brother and also being lazy.I am not worried about Autism though . She makes good eye contact and just doesn't have many syptoms. She is very curious of and always wants to do what he is. She definitaly loves him and has grown to be understanding of his loudness and over excitability. My son has alot of sensory issues... what about your son??? My jason is a very picky eater. Having a very small food selection. All food alike in texture and color, he always wants things in his mouth. We have chewies for him and he still sucks on a binky at nap and bed time. throws little crums and things while eating..... he just doesn't seem to like them I guess. haha. I also share your feeling with not wanting to medicate your son.. I don't think I ever will. Right now my sons treatment seems to be working.Besides the speech improvements he has regained eye contact and is improving motor skills and so forth. He has also opened up more socially to other people wich I think is the biggest improvement he has made. I am sorry to hear about your son's treatment not working so well. I am interested in what he is getting right now for help. There were so many alike features in your story to mine and I really hope that we could get to know each other well. I have been hoping to find someone with the same struggles as myself. I wish you the best and I hope to hear from you soon! Thanks for reading... i know it was very long haha. New to Group Hi Everyone, My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn’t start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don’t fully believe that these shots caused my son’s autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn’t respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him “no” and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom’s hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says “aaahhhhh” and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets “overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and “mess up” things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn’t seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet. I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he’s only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won’t be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums. I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it. It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children’s father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan. I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that “they need their medicine” when in fact their body is going through withdrawal. I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>) I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. a Calderon ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Hi Susie, I appreciate your insight. Just like vaccinating, I believe that medicating should be personal, informed choice that should be made by the parents. a From: AutismBehaviorProblems [mailto:AutismBehaviorProblems ] On Behalf Of Susie Mattern Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:02 PM To: AutismBehaviorProblems Subject: Re: New to Group My son is now 14 years old and for a very long time I just refused to give in to the fact that he needed to be on medication. It is very difficult to give your child 5 or 6 different medications, but sadly, it is sometimes necessary. Our son couldn't get along without it. I hope that your situation will be different, but just remember that we do whatever we can to help our child, and sometimes that includes giving meds. From: Tibbetts <tibbeysgirl26> Subject: Re: New to Group To: AutismBehaviorProblems Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 9:21 PM Hello a, My name is , I am a 21 year old mother of two kids aged 1 year-girl and a 2 year old boy. My son also has Autism. Diagnosed at 18 months.My son also spoke as a very young child (about 9 - 11 months ) saying things like mama ,baba dada, sometime with the meaning of the word and other times just to say it. Then very suddenly around his 1st bithday he stopped all words and we noticed how he was always in his own little world and didn't make eye contact and was very affraid of other people. We soon found out why. It was very hard for me still is sometimes. But I was able to move forward and relialize that he was still the same I have aways known and loved and I would love him no matter what. As I'm sure you have. Your son's symptoms sound alot like my son's as well.... He is a stimmer. He stands on his tippy toes alot when he is excited, he flails his arms and makes very loud vocalizations and yells as well, he also runs back in forth when excited (while yelling ) he is very lovey to us and he is very rough.... he does pull hair sometimes or kick also not on purpose but we are usually able to control his aggresiveness. He is usually a very happy boy but can throw small tantrums here and there. Those are also usually easily nutrealized. is able to express what he needs in a very small manner right now. does some signs.... " more " and he has almost conqeured " all done " ,he also is doing well with the PECS system ((( goes to a developmentally disabled pre-school locally 5 days a week for about 3 hours every morning. He recieves ABA style teaching.. He is recieving Speech, Occupational therapy, and one on one developmental therapy.He has been going for a year in December. It is really doing him good.))) Anyways.... hope i haven't lost you yet...haha has just recently been giving us a few words and sounds! He said " mama " once at school, he has also been saying " mo " for more and using the sign as well as saying the " baba " sound ALOT and saying it here at home and at school " bubbles " . ( jason is a big fan of bubbles) When it comes to our family people are just curios and accepting but get togethers can be hard. I am very sorry to hear that your family is not very accepting and weary of your son.My daughter.... . well she has her up and downs with him. When she was a baby she would get very scared and cry while jason was beeing very over excited and loud but over time she seemed to overcome it and except it. She still can get a litlle fussy sometimes. As for how they get along... most of the time they are together and knows she is there but does not really bother with her and other times they will fight over something and he will try to move her and if she does not move he will shove her causing her to cry for a good 10 minutes sometimes. But most of the time they are nice. I do catch him holding her hand sometimes or trying to hug her, some sort of affection so I know he must love her. My daughter, andria, also does not talk yet she is 18 months.. I know she is still young so I'm not super worried. She does have a few words and sounds but I think she is too lazy sometimes to say anything. She does say " mama " , " baba " " yeah " ,and makes the " e " sound but like I said not alot because I think she doesn't have the example from her brother and also being lazy.I am not worried about Autism though . She makes good eye contact and just doesn't have many syptoms. She is very curious of and always wants to do what he is. She definitaly loves him and has grown to be understanding of his loudness and over excitability. My son has alot of sensory issues... what about your son??? My jason is a very picky eater. Having a very small food selection. All food alike in texture and color, he always wants things in his mouth. We have chewies for him and he still sucks on a binky at nap and bed time. throws little crums and things while eating..... he just doesn't seem to like them I guess. haha. I also share your feeling with not wanting to medicate your son.. I don't think I ever will. Right now my sons treatment seems to be working.Besides the speech improvements he has regained eye contact and is improving motor skills and so forth. He has also opened up more socially to other people wich I think is the biggest improvement he has made. I am sorry to hear about your son's treatment not working so well. I am interested in what he is getting right now for help. There were so many alike features in your story to mine and I really hope that we could get to know each other well. I have been hoping to find someone with the same struggles as myself. I wish you the best and I hope to hear from you soon! Thanks for reading... i know it was very long haha. New to Group Hi Everyone, My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn’t start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don’t fully believe that these shots caused my son’s autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn’t respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him “no” and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom’s hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says “aaahhhhh” and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets “overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and “mess up” things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn’t seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet. I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he’s only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won’t be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums. I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it. It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children’s father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan. I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that “they need their medicine” when in fact their body is going through withdrawal. I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>) I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. a Calderon ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com. ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com. ______________________________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 a, First sorry for misspelling your name. used to stim a lot with wheels and lining up toys when he was younger and we would use redirection. If he was playing with the wheels on a truck I would turn in over and do something else I knew he liked with the truck like crashing the 2 cars together. At first this was very difficult because he was constantly stimming and it seemed like I couldn't get anything else done but eventually it got better. I also tried to use the things he was interested in to encourage language. We used to line up all his favorite toys on the fireplace mantle and we used velcro to line up pictures where he could reach them. If he wanted the toy he had to give me the correct picture, I would then label it (you want truck) and give him the toy. Eventually he was able to ask without the card first just truck and then I want truck. Now he is interested in making things with play doh and he loves to look at videos of elevators on the computer. We use the play doh as a reinforcer- when homework is done he can play with play doh or use the computer. He now has post intensive therapy at home as well as all day school. We usually have 9 hours a week of therapy which is divided between community trips(working on his behaviors in public) and working on specific skills ( reading, math, emotions etc.) It is still somewhat ABA based but not true ABA. I hope this helps some. I know you are doing your very best with your little guy and his light will shine on and on..... Kellie Hi , I really understand what you are going through. My son started therapy before he was 2 and nothing really happened. The therapists and I worked with him one on one 20 -30 hours a week with ABA , PECS , speech and OT. He just didn't seem to have any idea what we wanted and would get frustrated and angry. He couldn't even do an NVI (Non Verbal Imitation). You would touch your nose and say do this and he would just look at you blankly- You would hand over hand him and give him a reward and the next time the same response!! It was so frustrating. This went on for almost a year. Then one day he looked at us and got it! He smiled touched his nose and mastered the complete program in 3 weeks. It was like a light bulb went on in his head- OH that's what you want!! After that he did much better in therapy and now he is 8 and has some language (wants,needs, some commenting), he is doing well in a 2nd grade class with an aid. For the most part he is pretty happy. We had a lot of behavioral problems this summer but we put him on Adderall to help him concentrate, and 2.5mg of Prozac to help him calm easier. This is something I fought for a very long time but what a difference it makes for him. He doesn't want to feel so frustrated all the time and the Adderall helps him concentrate on his school work and on what we say to him. He is a much happier kid and you can tell he feels much more successful in school and at home. He even claps when the school bus pulls up!! At the end of last year he was hiding his shoes in the morning so he couldn't go to school. I guess I'm trying to say sometimes it takes a little longer to get them going but don't get to discouraged the light bulb will go on. Kellie ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Gosh Kellie! How hard. I am so very sorry. How sad! Stacie B Aurora IL Hi , I know what I'm about to say isn't going to be popular but I have to say it. I'm not trying to scare anyone or change anyones mind on anything but groups are about sharing your personal experience and I really feel the need to share this with you all. was 2 and we had just started seeing a DAN doctor. My daughter had just been born and he recommended no vaccines for her. We were (and still are) very afraid of having another autistic child so we didn't give her any. When she was 10 months I asked about giving her some on a different schedule(not so many at one time) and he said yes when she was 2 we would start them. On Dec. 8 2003 I put to bed she was fine and the next morning she was gone. She had contracted Strep which turned into meningitis and it went so quickly it only took hours from onset to death. We will always regret not having her vaccinated and we can't take it back. Our daughter Paige was born in 2005 and we had her vaccinated at a slower rate. I'm really not trying to scare anyone. I just needed to tell you what we have experienced. Kellie>> Hi Everyone,> > My name is a, I am a 24 year old mother of 4 kids aged 4 months (boy), 2 years (girl), 4 years (boy with ASD) and 5 years (girl). My 4 year old son Donovan was diagnosed with Autism when he was 25 months old. He never really spoke as a baby other than mama and dada (with no meaning), but he didn't start to lose eye contact or start stimming until after he had his 12 month and 18 month vaccinations. I don't fully believe that these shots caused my son's autism- but I know they played a role is poisoning his system. Since his diagnosis he has made much less progress than we had hoped. The most progress he has made is regaining eye contact, bringing things he wants opened to us, pushing a chair to climb and get something he wants and sometimes pushing buttons on a communicative device with pictures to say what he wants every now and then. He is non-verbal with no real functional communication for daily needs and desires. We tried ABA , PECS and signing for the first year and he wouldn't respond. He throws frequent tantrums, often for no apparent reason. When he gets upset he will sometimes hit at me. Donovan is affectionate though. He will come to me for hugs and kisses and likes to be tickled. But sometimes when giving or receiving affection, he will pinch me or grab and pull my hair all of the sudden- when he does this, he is still smiling and does not seem to understand that he is hurting me. I tell him "no" and I think he understands what no is, but he continues to do this. He has recently pulled my mom's hair and she was shocked- I never told her that he pulled my hair because my family is already weary to be around him because of the behaviors he exhibits. Donovan also stims all the time. He stims by flicking his spit with his finders in front of his eyes and especially in streams of indoor and outdoor light. When he stims he gets so excited that he stands on his toes and you can almost feel the excitement and energy building up in him and he says "aaahhhhh" and other vocalizations when stimming. He also gets "overstimulated when he stims and will go from being excited to crying really loudly. Donovan also likes to knock things off of tables, turn cups filled with liquid upside down, and "mess up" things by moving them back and forth real fast under his hands. He used to be totally infatuated with strings and would flick them in front of his face, now he only flicks them in light and doesn't seem to be obsessed with them anymore (which is great, he used to unbraid the hair on his older sisters dolls, tear it out and leave it all over the house and tear up the strings in carpet.> > I often think about his future and fear that my family will never truly be comfortable around him because he requires so much attention and tends to destroy their houses. I fear that as he gets older that, since he is so big (he's only 4 taller than my 5 year old and weights 49 pounds from height and stature, not fat) that his dad and I won't be able to physically handle him like we can now, especially during tantrums.> > I often hear how autistic kids tend to have an area they excel at or have high interest in- I have yet to see what that area might be for Donovan. I hope and pray that he will grow to be accepted by my family and his peers, communicate with us in some way and stop his aggressive behaviors. I have also heard that stimming is neurodegenerative, so when he tries to stim all the time, I keep thinking that he is ruining his brain or something by doing it.> > It is difficult to say the least, raising four kids that already have health issues like sever eczema and asthma, sleeping issues, etc. then to worry about Donovan all the time and how his future will be is enough to really stress me out. On top of everything else, I go to school full-time, work full-time and never seem to bet sleep. My children's father is a tremendous help, but both of us are exhausted and we often get discouraged at the lack of progress for Donovan.> > I do not want to medicate my son. I have read how often these stimulants and anti-depressants are medicines made for adults, but given to children in lower doses- with no real un-biased studies of their efficacy in children. I have also seen first hand how children who are on medicines as kids, grow up and stop taking their medicine, and the chemical imbalance is a sort of shock to their system and they act out violently. And that these acts of violence or rage make people think that "they need their medicine" when in fact their body is going through withdrawal.> > I want to snap Donovan into our world naturally and soon, with out causing so much stress on his siblings. (His tantrums make the other kids cry and get scared>)> > I hope someone can relate to my situation and give me some advice on how to help my son. I would also like to know what services your children get through the school district and if you get daily living skills assistance also and if so, how did you get those services.> > Thanks for taking the time to read my story.> > a Calderon> > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci.com.> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____This e-mail has been scanned by MCI Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on MCI's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.mci. com.____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ____ Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog, plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Kellie, you are so welcome. Thank you for sharing your heart with us... Take good care, e Re: Re: New to Group Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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