Special Needs

Hey JonnieP,

i have a daughter with special needs for 21 years now, if you need to talk I am here. It is very difficult to talk to people that don't know how you feel. But I ahve been there. I would not change anything in my life, she brings me joy and happiness. She will never get married and have kids, but that is okay. She has me. My name is N. J.

Solving Behavior Challenges at Home--A free 4-week workshop series offered by TRIAD’s Families First program for parents of children ages 2-5 diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Learn how to increase desired behaviors, decrease undesired behaviors, and teach new skills every Tuesday night in the month of August from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in Room 241 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL Bldg on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Registration is required, and child-care is available. For information: ____@____.com or ###-###-####; For registration: www.kc.vanderbilt.edu/registration/ Parents must register by July 15, 2008.

Hi J.,

Special needs and autism will alter your life and "ideas" you had about being a parent and children. However they can be great gifts if you are open to connecting to what is going on.

1. Diet. Some children have completely recovered from autism by changing diet. There is lots about this on the web. So research. Basics are no glueten (a challenge and lifestyle change), milk, not artifical and no color additives.

2. Check into "Stimulus Deficit, Stimulus definciency disorder" I can't remember the full name. It explains autism from a whole different, quite helpful perspective. Autistic children may have a whole different perception of stimulation. The child I worked with for years had big successes from small interesting things. He couldn't read or even focus on books, until one day I took my camping headlight (flashlight but hooked to a head strap) and we went in a dark room with a book. So the only stimulation was the light shining on the book and him sitting in my lap (which he was used to and comfortable with). He could focus. He wanted to read, he could understand. It was such a beautiful miracle and a whole new beginning of our work together.

Use your intuition, research, talk with others, talk to your kids, talk to the spirit of the autism...

best wishes, honey in the heart,

J.

Hi, I am an interpreter for the Deaf. I don't know about the communication skills in your children, but if they are having a hard time communicating verbally, signing is a great resource. Let me know if you'd like more info on that.

I also know that Meredith College has a premier program for autistic children and they are doing WONDERFUL things there! That might be a great resource for you.

Go to http://www.autism.com

J.,
I also have a special needs child. He has about 30 % autism and I'm not sure of what it all is either but I've dealt with it for 17 years and just recently was told about the autism. I don't know where to send you for info but I have some encouraging words. Keep a smile on your face. God has blessed you with 2 beautiful children who love you. God obviously thought you were up for the job and could do it well. Everyday brings new challenges and concerns. Everyday you are able to look into their eyes and see a beautiful soul. When life is hardest remember those who are without their child or whose child is in so much greater need than ours. Special children have a special kind of love and you were doubly blessed with it!!!
It is so worth it!
A. - Mom of 2 teens

J.,
How old is your daughter? I am a pediatric speech therapist and I see children with autism daily. If you suspect that she might have this diagnosis, you should definately talk to your pediatrician. There are all kinds of therapies that she can and should be receiving to help her in her development and to help you as well. I live near Nashville and we have local chapters of the Autism Society that parents rely heavily on here locally. I would suggest you ask around in your area for similar services. I have a link on my website that has a checklist for signs and symptoms of autism as well as links to additional information on autism. Feel free to look at it, but definaely speak with your pediatrician about your concerns. They can provide you with a wealth of information.
Good luck and feel free to ask if you have any additional questions.
J. M.
www.jennifermcveyslp.com

J.,
My 8-yr-old son has mild autism. He was diagnosed through the school system. If your daughter is in school, talk to her teacher about your concerns and ask to have her evaluated. If she is not yet in school, talk to your ped. about your concerns and request a referral to have her evaluated. The sooner you pinpoint her diagnosis the sooner you can start to help her. The Autism Society has several chapters in NC. Check out their website www.autismsociety-nc.org. They offer support and information. It can be scary to know something is "different" about your child, but don't let fear keep you from researching your daughter's condition. The more you know, the better you can help her!
Good luck!

Here sre the websites that have helped me with my son, who is autistic: autism society of america (ASA)-
www.autism-society.org
Cure autism now- www.canfoundation.org
national alliance for autism research-www.narr.org
national info center for children & youth with disabilities-www.nichcy.org
autism society of middle TN- autismmidtenn.org
Hope this helps

Hi! My advice to you is to check out www.teacch.com. They have been a great help to me and my autistic son.
Best wishes!
Deb

I also have a special needs child and another w/Autistic traits. Not sure what her special needs are but mine has Down syndrome. I have been told and read that you have some of (Autism) the same symptoms/characteristics that you also have with Down syndrome. And I have noticed that over the years. You can gets lots of info on the internet (where I got most my info)or see if you have a local group for Autism.Please e-mail me if you would like to talk. ____@____.com subject:Autism.

You need to go to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (WFUBMC) in Winston-Salem. I too have a special needs child who is on the Autism Spectrum. He is six years old. Make an appointment with Dr. Ceasar Santos at ###-###-####. He is a neurologist. If you need a referral, ask your pediatrician to refer you. You may not though - so call and ask. We also see Dr. Mary Christiaanse. She is a Pediatric Developmental Specialist at Amos Cottage in Winston-Salem ###-###-####. This practice is on the same campus as Forsyth Medical Center -across from Hanes Mall. She is hard is get an appointment with, so talk to your pediatrician about making a referral. Get your appointment with her, and then try to get one the same day with Dr. Santos over at Wake Forest so that you don't have to make so many trips to W-S. You can take Hawthorne Rd. which runs beside Forsyth straight to WFUBMC. And lastly, we just finished going through a neuropsychological evaluation at the Epilepsy Institute of North Carolina ###-###-####, also in W-S. You will need a referral to this institution if the other doctors feel that it is needed. They conduct a series of tests to determine how each section of the brain works. It took us two - 3 hr. days, and one - 1 hr. day to complete this. You can do one 6 hr. day, but my son is so young, and has ADHD, so I knew he couldn't withstand that long of a day. You didn't mention how old your children are, but if your daughter is in school, call the Exceptional Children's department in your school district, and ask you child's teacher to request an Autism Evaluation. Many school systems have their own Autism Evaluation Team. Good luck!

My great nephews have been diagnosed autistic. My neice has the patience of Job, and reads everything she can get her hands on. She is actually going to school to become a speech therapist for special needs children, now that she is having to personally deal with it. There are many organizations for Autism, as the country becomes more aware of the issues. Here is some info... http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/research/index.php

Hi J.- I have grown children and believe me it is not easy for young people to succeed in the real world without stress, depression, anxiety and confusion. Recently I head about the mangosteen fruit and the wonderful results adults and children have benefited from taking this juice. I am sold on it and you can contact me if you would like to learn more - ____@____.com, or if you would just like to listen to testimonials re: depression, ADHD, ADD, autism and more you can check out: www.insidemangosteen.com/judy0114.

Hope you can find the information and results you are wanting for your children.

J. H

My son hasn't been diagnosed with autism but has alot of the same characteristics and biomedical issues that children w/ ASD have. I've been doing alot of reading and research on the subject and am pursuing treatment for him as if he had the autism diagnosis. I've run across alot of great websites that you should definitely check out:
http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/home.htm - you can do alot of testing to see exactly what is going on with your child's body (food allergies/sensitivities, yeast overgrowth, bacteria, leaky gut, inflammation of the intestines, etc..); they provide an explanation of the findings of the tests; you then can talk with their nutritionist who can recommend the proper probiotics and other supplements to clear up whatever is going on biochemically; they also have free webconferences from Dr. Kurt Woeller where he will cover a topic and you can then ask him questions if there's enough time; I've gotten lots of great info from the webconferences;
http://www.nbnus.com/ - they have some of the supplements I use for my son
http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/ - I use other supplements from Kirkman
http://www.autismrecoveryvideos.org/index.html - this website has great info from a parent's perspective; Stan Kurtz has done lots of research and this is what he did to help his son; he has some great presentations and videos that are worth the time to watch
http://www.stankurtz.com/ - more great information from Stan Kurtz
http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/index.htm - a wealth of information!! This website has lots of great info on helping you start the GFCF diet, helping you figure out how to read the labels, etc.
http://www.gfcfdiet.com/ - more diet information
http://www.autism.com/ - This website has lots of great information, too; you can look for a DAN! doctor in your area who is qualified to help you figure out what is going on with you child's body
You should definitely read Jenny McCarthy's book 'Louder than Words'. That is what got me started pursuing having my son tested, getting him on supplements. I'm learning so much from these sites and the books I'm reading. It turns out, my son has probably had serious food sensitivities from day one. Kids with asthma and food allergies and excema and lots of these sorts of things can be helped by the gluten-free casein-free soy-free diet and the supplements, even if they aren't autistic. Also, my son has been involved in the early intervention through our state since he was about 22 months old. He has been in special instruction and speech therapy and occupational therapy and they have helped him tremendously. He's officially been diagnosed with sensory issues. So these therapies have helped him out so much even before I started him on the diet and supplements.
I'm currently reading 'Children with Starving Brains'. We have an Autism resource center in Cordova, TN that has several books they require you to read in order to see the DAN! doctor who will be coming to town. This book is one of them. The other books they recommend are 'A Work in Progress' by Ron Leaf and 'Unraveling the Mystery of Autism' by Karyn Seroussi.
I'd say you'd be best to check out the websites I mentioned before buying the books (other than Jenny's McCarthy's book - great to read from the start). I have been able to understand more of what I'm reading in the books because of what I have read on the websites first.
Hope this information has helped. Good luck!

I recommend joining the autism-mercury yahoo group, they are a tremendous support to me and many others.

While I don't have any information for you about Autism, I just wanted to say that I can relate to having a child with special needs. My 8 year old daughter has Down syndrome. You may want to do a search online for Autism specific message boards or support groups to talk to some other parents online. I have a couple Down syndrome groups online that are great resources for me. Best of luck with it.

The first thing you need to do is get your children officially tested to see if in fact they have a disorder like autism. I have a 6-year-old son and and 2 1/2 year old daughter and my son was officially diagnosed at 4 with an autism spectrum disorder called PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder-None Otherwise Specified). I knew at 2 he was not talking like he should so when I told his pediatrician my concerns he ordered an evaluation by a speech therapist and then he began speech therapy and started an early intervention program. By getting help early before being diagnosed, it has helped him tremendously. Just get them tested and ask alot of questions and get all the help you can.

Hi J., my son has severe autism, he was diagnosed before his 3rd birthday and it has been a roller coaster ride every since. He is considered nonverbal, but he can say a few words. He can not tell you his name but he can write it. He can count to over 100, he knows his colors, and all the characters on Thomas the train series. He can recited things he has memorized from tv. Plus he is beginning to read. Small stories like Nat is a Cat or the Cat has a hat. But it is a start, he is always exceeding my expectations. He does the hand flapping when he is excited. Automatic doors at grocery stores or the Walmart get him really excited. If he had wings he could take flight. Most of the time he is happy, but when he does not get his way he head bangs or head buts. But that use to be all the time, now just a couple of times a day. By the way he now 9.

A little about me , mother of two, one each married 13 years, small town.

I have a nephew with autism, here is where i go to get most all my info. Www.autismspeaks.org

god bless you and your family

My 3 yr old son has autism and the teacch agency has been a godsend

Hi, have six girls,all autistic. I get information from there therapists and www.autism speaks.org.