Anyone here with an autistic child?

[Phaedra]

My DS is 7 and will be 8 in November and was diagnosed as autistic when he was about 2. He is now considered high-functioning, and is in a "regular" 2nd grade class with a one-on-one aide. And the milestones that he has reached and is continuing to reach makes me not take anything for granted. Everyday, something occurs that he didn't do or say before. He's my only child, and very large for his age (I'm 5' 4", and he comes to my chin; the other kids in his class come just above my elbow!) and while consistency plays a huge role in our lives, I try to help him realize that not everything will or can stay the same. It does help that the daycare he attends has been the same since he was 8 weeks old.
So, I'm just giving a holler out to anyone who has a loveone on this very BROAD spectrum.

[Mariblue]

My sister is severely brain injured and also autistic.
And my 7 yr old son, although not autistic, has some sensory processing issues like a lot of autistic kids are typically bothered with.
It is a broad spectrum, isn't it? It's kind of like unraveling a mystery, what helps one child might not help another.
I know that some kids, not all, are really helped by eliminating gluten and casein (basically wheat and dairy) from their diets. I've done a lot of reading about Autism and diet and it's really helped my son, who is allergic to gluten and dairy.
Have you read the book "The out of Sync Child"? It has some great information about sensory processing issues of all kinds.

[Sewing Angel]

My DD is not Autistic, but is very physically and developmentally disabled. She is also deaf. It is such a challenge to help her with new situations and other changes. I don't have any particular help for you, but I wish you much success with your son. It sounds like he is doing really great.
Angel

[Phaedra]

Have you read the book "The out of Sync Child"? It has some great information about sensory processing issues of all kinds.

Yes, I have that book. I always try to empathize with what effect any situation might have on my DS. Not to shield him from it, but to be aware and maybe help him work his way through it. He's becoming very independent (so I am learning to back off) and his verbal communication has greatly improved. I'm just getting "why" questions---I DON'T mind them.
You know, I see alot of myself in him (I have some sensory things that bother me---like crowds, and I still have diffculty looking one in the eye. I guess that's why this forum is a blessing for me) and I had found out later that my DH had/has some of the characteristic traits. WOW!
It was difficult when I had a limited knowledge what my DS felt or thought. And he still has problems with speech and some reasoning, but with his IEP at school and the speech/language therapy he get there, he has really grown.
His dislike for elevators and escalators can really wear one down though.

[Shandeh]

My oldest son is 22 years old now. He was diagnosed as High-Functioning Autistic when he was about 5 years old. We have since learned that his more accurate diagnosis is Asperger's Syndrome.

He graduated high school successfully, receiving awards for excellent academic accomplishments. He is now studying Biochemistry in college, and is doing part-time work as a computer consultant. He's a good guy.

[Phaedra]

Shandeh, that is fantastic!

[meearnol]

Shandeh, that is awesome! My brother is 18 and was diagnosed with autism when he was around 3 or 4. I remember when he was around 2 and just suddenly stopped talking. It was very strange.

He's a senior in high school now, and has a part time job (arranged through a class he's in at school) at McDonald's. He won't be getting a diploma, but he will "graduate" with the rest of his class, and will receive a certificate of attendance.

The other day he told me that since he's 18 now, he's going to start smoking. I think I talked him out of this though when I explained that it would make his asthma worse. It's strange to think that if he really wanted to though, he could. He also told me he's going to start drinking beer when he's 21. I guess we'll get to that discussion in a few more years.

He's a cool kid, and I'm a better person for knowing him. I have 3 sisters, and we're all very, very close. He's the youngest and we've been really protective of him his whole life. A few months ago he found my youngest sister passed out in the hallway of my parents' home. He checked for a pulse and had my mom call 911. I didn't know he would know what to do, but he surprises me every day. After the ambulance came and took her to the hospital (she passed out from dehydration), he gave me a hug, which is extremely unusual for him, and told me not to worry because the doctors knew what they were doing. In that moment he changed from a little boy in my eyes to a perceptive, caring young man.

[Shandeh]

He also told me he's going to start drinking beer when he's 21.

My son said the same thing. I guess he felt that it would make him appear more normal, like the rest of the people his age.

When he turned 21, I took him out to eat a steak at Hop's restaurant, and allowed him to order a beer in a pilsner glass. He thought it was so cool that I did that. He said it's nice to be able to go out to eat with me, and have a beer if he wants.

He experimented with alcohol at college, and soon taught himself to do it in moderation. He didn't like not being able to follow through with his schoolwork if he was drunk or had a hangover. It made him feel incomplete.

When he was originally diagnosed, the specialists said that he has a very high intelligence, which compensates for his disability. He knows when his actions are "weird", and corrects himself. He's blessed that way.

A few months ago he found my youngest sister passed out in the hallway of my parents' home. He checked for a pulse and had my mom call 911. I didn't know he would know what to do, but he surprises me every day.

Autistic and Asperger's people are smarter than we think! Also, they have "hidden" emotions, that are just like ours. They just don't know how to express them.