Mom W/spec Needs Toddler Needs Support!

I am a mom with two sons with high functioning Autism. One is eight and one is three. I just recently attended the Autism workshop in Cobb county. Did you attend? Anyways, if you need someone to talk to about what comes next, let me know. I've been through it all!

Hi,

I live in the Aiken, SC area and am an Applied Behavior Therapy consultant and provide therapy services as well to local families.

Unfortunately, more and more toddlers and young children are being diagnosed with autism as the medical community learns and discovers more about this "baffling" disease - and I hate to call it a disease, but it's really becoming an epidemic with 1 in 150 children being born with autism each year now. And it comes with several sensory issues. But there is hope and many resources to assist you - including parents who are more than willing to welcome you and your family with open arms!

For the GA area there is the organization, Babies Can't Wait, and for the SC area we use BabyNet. There are also Family Connections, The Autism Society in Columbia, SC, Believe Support Group, and The Walk for Autism which helps families with therapy costs through grants. Each of these organizations can be found via the Internet. Or I can give you the name and contact information if you'd find that easier.

There are also gluten and casien free diets to help those children with "tummy" problems as well as behavior issues.

If you'd like to message me back directly with more details about your little one, I can try to direct you to someone who can help you with your specific needs or help you myself. I have many contacts with young children that I work with and some that are just helpful "listeners!"

There are many ideas and materials that can be made to help with communication and daily schedules, diets other than the GF/CF that I mentioned, parent mentors, Early Interventionists, Occupational and Speech therapists, ABT therapies, etc. out here locally, but I would need some more information about your little one to "point" you in the best direction.

I can be reached at ____@____.com and also wish you the best of luck! (One good fact is that your diagnosis being at such a young age gives you a "head start" on treating this...)

R.,

I am so happy that you posted you situation. I have a 3 year old that has SID and delayed speech. He has not been diagnoised with Autism, but I totally understand about what you are saying about not having anyone with a special need child. It has been quite a process getting people informed about my son's situation.

He has just started speech and OT therapy at our elementary school and he loves it. Needless to say, that I was a basket case. Of course no one wants believe that their child has a problem and when I went to the Special Needs class room it hit me like a ton of bricks. But, we have adjusted day by day and it is getting better. He has really done well with everything.

My e-mail address is ____@____.com if you would like to e-mail me sometime. We live in Suwanee, so I am not sure if that is close to you?

Look forward to chit chatting....

R. R.

I'm an SLP and just wanted to see if you've gotten any support with therapy services. Since your son is 2, you can get services from the Babies Can't Wait program for PT, OT, and/or ST. Best of luck to you!

My name is K. and I am a single mom with a 9 year old son that has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder/PDD and ADHD. I completely understand what it's like to feel alone as I don't truly have a support system near me and pretty much keep to myself. I don't know if I live anywhere near you (I live in Columbus) but feel free to email me at anytime!

I am a member of Autism Society of America, which offers different kinds of support, including support groups. It seems like the closest one to you is in Columbia, SC, but I'm sure there are members close to where you live. You could also check the GA chapters.... It's definitely worth joining, if you haven't already. I joined because I used to do ABA therapy for children, and the organization really does a lot and keeps its members informed. The website is www.autism-society.org.

Also, if you work with any therapists, you might want to mention to them that you're interested in starting a support group (or playgroup). They could then mention it to other parents who might be interested.

Hi I am J.. I have a 22 month old who in my eyes is special. She has hypothyroidism. She was born with it. We did not know about it until she was 9 months old. By then she had miss a lot of mile stones and is behind in her gross motor skills. She can not walk or stand alone. She is not talking. Every once in a while she will say a new word and then will not say it again.

R.,

I'm mom to a beautiful 16 month old daughter who is not yet walking or talking. My daughter has been in the Babies Can't Wait program since she was 9 months old for her delays in gross motor skills. I think Early Intervention goes until 3 years old or longer. I know my daughter's therapist helps me because she knows what we're working on helps me when I get frustrated. It might be worth looking into.

Hey R.,

I know this was a loooonnnngggg while ago that you sent your question in, but I was just wanting to see how you guys are all doing?

You've probably found that there is a huge vein of support amidst all the moms here, many of whom share the same issues as you do.

Let me know how you're doing, okay?

E.

I'm not sure where you live, but in Walton County there is a wonderful group called FACES that would meet your needs. The website is http://www.georgiafaces.info/.

My name is C. and both of my children have Sensory Integration and my son has high functioning Autism. Gabe, my son, is 6 and my daughter, Savannah, is age 3. I live in Lawrenceville, Ga and just started my own catering company, focused on serving organic foods - no artificial stuff, etc. It is emotionally draining, taking care of these children but if I'm not their champion - who would be? You keep hanging in there and pray!!! Feel free to contact me: ____@____.com.

Sincerely,

C. Palmer

Hi,
I am in the West Ga area and have a daughter with Severe Sensory Integration Dysfunction as well. We have been working with it for almost 7 years! First you need to have an Occupational Therapist (OT) that is qualified to do a SIPT (Sensory Integration Praxis Test) for your child to see what the over / under responsiveness areas are. The OT recommendation should come from the caregiver that diagnosed your child. There are a few good books on SID-- Sensational Kids by Lucy Jane Miller, The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz. Both are available in the Pines system library and are on Ebay and Amazon as well.
You might try contacting Parent to Parent of Georgia as well. They are listed as the same name on the web. These are parents that can be matched up to you based on your child's diagnoses, they have been there done that and can offer advice and support.
Ask the person that diagnosed your child for help and recommendations of where to get help. They should have all kinds of info for you!

Best of Luck,
G.

If you live in the Cumming, GA area, please contact me by e-mail. I work with a single mother's group and we have two mothers with boys with similiar disorders.
M.