Autism Spectrum - Black Diamond,WA

I don't really have anything to offer, but something that might help a little to understand how his brain works - there is a movie called Temple Grandin on HBO. She has also interviewed many times on National Public Radio. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin - she was born in 1947 - WAY before people knew much of anything about autism. She's very highly functioning - has multiple degrees, etc. Good luck and take care.

check with your local public school. Most have free preschool for children with special needs. He would get therapies and socialization there.

I like the following book: "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders" by Kenneth Bock, MD and Cameron Stauth.

Your mention of playing under blankets or boxes made me think of sensory issues too. You may want to look for a book called "The Out of Sync Child."

The good news is your child is still very young and you have time to help him. Continue to research and seek qualified professional advice.

Good luck.

Inquire your local school district,they have free & very good program for kids who need little help.

There is much more therapy, and medication is helpful. Those two drugs are used freqently, the risperdol may help him with frustration and.aggression. paxil is an antidepresant it may help with anxiety too. We have always had better care from child psychiatrists than neurologists, so I would find one right away. If you do not have a.full evaluation from a Developmental Pediatrician, O would.get one, that kind.of.evaluation will be ten to twenty pages long and will identify many areas that he can work on in therapy. Play therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy may be helpful as.well. ABA is expensive because it.is very intensive, as many forty hours.a week. It is used.for.the most.severe artistic.disorders.

Write to your.school district and request an evaluation. They may serve him for speech and if they have a preschool program and he qualifies, this will be.better.for.him than private preschool, which may be difficult. start reading about advocacy at www.wrightslaw.com. because you will need some skills and information as he goes.to.school.

Once you make these other doctor contacts, many more therapeutic options will open up for.him. it sounds like you neurologist has limited.desire to.assist you, and they are not the most connected to therapies, so get the full developmental evaluation, and connect with a psychiatrist and you will find.that there is a lot of help outthere. School is going.to be helpful.to, but don't.depend on that evaluation to tell you everything he needs, and don't expect them to provide total care. They only have to make him functional in the classroom, and you should always provide private therapy too.

M.

Hi A.,
If you want playtime with your child, there's a method called "Floortime" that is getting extensive research, and is very satisfying for parents and kids in the spectrum.

I don't have the space (and would probably bore you with all the details), but here's the basics: First, always let your child direct the play activity. If the two of you are playing with some cars, and he switches to dinosaurs, don't try to keep him on cars: switch to dinosaurs the second he does and go with it.
Second, don't let play get "repetitive." If he just wants to line cars up, start driving a car up his arm to draw him into meaningful play.

If he's difficult to engage in play (to get his interest), organize his play area so you limit / control what the two of you will play with together.

Good luck, and HAVE FUN!
t

I know how you feel!!!, Well, what works for me is of course more therapy, I would suggest you look for another therapy place if you are not getting enough therapy for your children, I'm not sure if your insurance will cover it but I know of a couple of parents who go to two therapy places. School has been really helpful for my kids, and believe it or not, play dates, yes!!, I know they are not that interested in playing with other kids, I take my kid on play dates often, with other therapy moms and even though they don't play together all the time, sometimes they just seat close to each other, and after 2 years of doing this mine and another one are starting to follow each other, is not playing, but its something!!!, Also when the tantrums come, mine hits himself, and it is beyond scary!! but one of the moms in this site told me to get a blanket and hold him with it, and I tried it and it has really, really worked for me, that pressure, and rocking him for a little while really soothes him it takes a while, but it works wonders for mine. Also look for places for him to play besides the park, there is a place called bounce close to my home and its just inflatables for kids to jump and my son absolutely loves it!!!, I guess its just whatever one can find for their children around the area, Hope its helpful, Good Luck!!!

Hi A.,
Blessings to you as you start on this journey with your son. It is obvious you love him very much and want the best for him. I don't really have a lot of personal experience with autism, but my son, also three, has started displaying some questionable behaviors and has asthma during respiratory illness (and has been hospitalized twice), so I have been working with a pediatric homeopath in Bellevue. In June, I was ready to take him to Children's (again) for respiratory problems but we put our trust in homeopathy and it totally worked! He only had a cough for two days and never had any breathing problems after we started the remedy (Tuberculinum). I was pretty amazed at the results. So, now I am fascinated about homeopathy and want to learn more. The doctor, Dr. Michael Baker, suggested I read a book called "Impossible Cure" by Amy Lansky. It is a TRUE story about how her son was CURED FROM AUTISM by homeopathy. So, if this an avenue you are interested in, I would recommend reading this book to get you started. Homeopathy is VERY complex but VERY effective if you get the correct remedy. Good luck to you and your kiddo!

Don't feel bad. They said the same thing about my son. I took a stand and decided I don't want to go through the silliness that the Bright Horizon wanted. Just and FYI, if my parents (same situation, my mother speaking Spainish and my dad born in the States) realized that I had the same thing, I may have gone through the silliness too. Just pay attention to what they are telling you and see if it is of value. You and your husband can decide how to move forward. I didn't find their classes helpful and decided not to parcipate. It might a foolish decision on my part, but I asked the question, when can this child be a child? My son is now at homecare 10 hours of day, and I am expected to take time away from work to go to Seattle for speical classes. I can't do that and I do not feel comfortable wiht my son taking the bus that far for something that I don't see value in.

In part, all anyone could talk ot me about my child's weakness and never mentioned his strenghts. That was bothersome to me. Maybe it was strange of me to bring that up, but as an engineer, I do see life differently.

What really angered me the most was, doctors told me that I have great insurance (I too work at Boeing) and they wanted me to do testing only because I had great insurance. When I asked what benefit will we get from they the testing, many of the people gave me a funny look. Most people say "yes" without asking what it the benefit or what purpose these test serve. Please do not put your child though testing such as blood work if it does not bring valve. It is not worth it.

Just understand becuase your child is on the spetrum, it means that he'll learn different. He might get some tips how to learn better or work on his emotions if he goes to classes. The speech might be of benefit, but if you are a stay at home mom, and spend time working with your child, that might be enough. My son is now at an awesome homecare. He has excelled nicely there. My son needs more attention and a little help. He still has another year before starting kindergarden. Maybe I will put him in the speech class. He works best in small group settings. I am considering private school over public for the smaller class size when he starts grade school. Maybe that is all what they mean by the austic spectrum. What a stupid name for something doctor cannot really explain.

A.
Por una mujer no nacerlo aqui tu escriba muy buen. Don't apologize you have learned well. You will continue to improve over time.
The University of Oregon has one of the best programs for Autistic children in the country. They take children from everywhere. You and his father should apply so that one or both of you go to learn what they can do to help.
My niece is autistic. She still has many problems making friends, she has none. She in not maturing emotionally. When her speech was delayed and other types of development too I gave her Baryta Carb. 10M and within six month she had the language skills of other children her age.
It is not the remedy for every child with autism. There are others that might work better for your son. Get a good homeopath and keep going so that he can develop social skills and learn the keys such as a smile means happy and a frown is anger.
Ask people to recommend a homeopath with at least ten years experience with autistic children. Seattle has a naturopathic college that trains homeopaths they might be able to recommend someone with TEN YEARS of experience in practice. It does take ten years to become a really good homeopath.
It is possible that Washington state has physician homeopaths which would definately be covered by your insurance.
I wish you well.

hi~
first know that you are NOT alone in any of your feelings there are lots of parents that feel like you.

here is some information on autism in Spanish:
http://www.autismspeaks.org/espanol/

as for your older son, many behaviors occur due to lack of communication, changes in routine, sensory processing, etc. put structure/routine in your day to make things more predictable for him. keep your voice calm even when he is yelling. talk to your occupational therapist about the sensory difficulties (for example - not being gentle/rough with items/people can be a sign of proprioceptive difficulties). Avoiding other children - very common. it maybe due to not knowing how to play with them and/or maybe due to sensory issues (e.g. tactile defensiveness).

Here is information on sensory processing:
http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/ (English)
http://www.spdfoundation.net/flyer_docs/Redflags-Spanish.pdf (Spanish)
http://www.spdfoundation.net/flyer_docs/Me_Conoces.pdf (Spanish)
http://www.integracionsensorial.es/ (Spanish)

ABA does work however i have read the research and it is uncertain if it is actually ABA that works or the intensity of therapy (40 hours a week) that works. Look into your state resources (e.g. department of education). Some states have “autism scholarships” that will pay for the additional therapy.

unfortunately they still are unsure about the cause of autism. One researcher I know feels that environment is impacting our children (e.g. pesticides in food, microwaves, etc). I know many children who have benefited from a gluten-casein free diet (and others who have NOT benefited from the diet). BUT the kids it has helped have increased eye contact, social skills, decreased tantrums, etc. it is up to you if you want to explore this. You may want to consider finding a DAN doctor to help your son - http://www.autism.com/index.asp That being said each doctor is different many follow the same “protocol” for every child while others work with the families and if something doesn’t work for the child they change it – you may want to find others in your area and ask for a “reference” to a doctor.

Good luck and I wish you all the best!

Have you gone to Children's in Seattle or are the doctor you are seeing at Valley Medical affliated with Children's?
Some people find using vitamin or herbal supplements instead of drugs. Some find cutting out gluten and dairy help. You could go to a Naturopath if covered by your insurance and if you want to explore other options.
Some people say playing classical music helps keep them calm. Especially playing it during nap and bedtime. It seems you have to see what works for you and how severe the case. Just explore all avenues and pick the path that helps you and your son.

If you are not already receiving services through the state Department of Developmental Disability, get in touch with them. Also, in most area school districts, there is an early intervention program. That would be a great resource for him, and for your family. Have you talked with your pediatrician about that? If not, make an appointment and talk with them. Also, talk to one of the doctors (or many) about what to look for in your younger child. Blessings to you as you go through this journey.

My heart goes out to you as you continue down this path of learning to help your son and your family. I have know Dr Devorah Steinecker DO http://www.healthierchildren.com/autism.htm for 14 yrs. She is an excellent hands on doctor for autism. Devorah is my doctor and mentor. I am a CranioSacral Therapist that takes Regence. I can offer you care for your child, share resources from other parents and steer you in the direction of natural therapies to support your son. Please ask me any other questions.

I know you love your kids and there is nothing wrong with feeling frustrated and finding a place to turn. I work in the special education field and I highly recommend the option to participate in the ABA program. I've seen it in action and been a part of it many times and it can change everything, when implemented with all the other available therapies. Personally, I believe your son is much too young to begin medication but that is a parental decision. You have to do what is best for your family. Keep the faith. God bless.

Here is a book I would suggest you buy. Detox with Oral Chelation by David Jay Brown and Gary Gordon, MD

Also, here is some other info you might find helpful.

Books and Sources for Autism
Speaker at convention on 8/5/09 was Laurence Becker
Gluten-Free and Casein Diet
Unraffling the Mystery of Autism
Overuse of Antibiotics can cause Autism
David Kerby – Evidence of Harm
Beautiful Mind
Ann Millian – Autism: Believe in the Future
NVIC.com – National Vaccine
Fox.searchlight.com/adam
www.autismathome.com
Andrew’s Story (book)
Autism.com
Kim Lesso Book on autism – I wish my kids had cancer
The Unhealthy Truth – the Diet – I believe the author is Robyn O’Brien – I believe she said 1/3 of autistic children have autism because of diet.
The Missing ingredient – Lee Euler (EZ Gest and Optiflora)

She does phone consults
Also, I have excellent resources so I can help you with information
Excellent doctor for Austim, diabetes, candida, etc, etc.
Dr. Sandra Bevacqua – World Integrated Systems in Health – WISH
Tuscon, Arizona – ###-###-####

N.

He sounds in some ways like my oldest son who is now 13 and we are thinking has asperger's syndrome. He had very early speach, but the tantrums and inability to deal with others same.

We have found a diet with no wheat, high protein, lots of omega fatty acids, plenty of fruits and veggies, being out doors and active and keeping things very neat in his work areas has helped alot.

We also pray with him alot and praise all he does right, will be interesting if he is diagnosed.....

Have also heard some of this can be caused by a child's bite being wrong. He has improved with craniosacral work and has improved with homeopathy too.