Autism / Autism Spectrum Support Group
Autism is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder which manifests itself in markedly abnormal social interaction, communication ability, patterns of interests, and patterns of behavior. Although the specific etiology of autism is unknown, many researchers suspect that autism results from genetically mediated vulnerabilities to environmental triggers.
The bottom line:
Speech Therapy once per week
Occupational Therapy twice per month
needs to have an audiology screening (hearing)
needs to see a nuerologist
(these are just to rule out any medical problems)
As far as diagnosis, so far none. they need to do further evaluation. He has a few red flags for autism (headbanding, spinning, repetative behaviors, hating his hands or face washed, hating sand and grass and other textures, lining things up, staring, etc..) they were able to see all this during his 2 1/2 hour evaluation.
Also he is too young really for a diagnosis they can really only say he is delayed and that he needs services. So I dont really have any "answers" other then all the things I was worrying about arent "in my head" and its not "because he's a boy"
more details if anyone else is interested:
(i got copy of all the paperwork from today)
the following is based ONLY on their perception of Joey today. There is more in the report but those are things they only know based on what Dave and I told them.
Things they like and he is doing well:
He is able to sit and stand by himself without support
He is able to feed himself
He is displaying a lot of independant behavior
He discriminates against familiar faces
He is able to do simple puzzles
He uses gestures to communicate his needs.
Thigns they dont like and he needs help with:
Joey does not seem to hear when he is being spoken to.
He is not scribbling
He is not distinguishing between food and non food
He is not calming himself down when he is upset
He is not touching pictures when asked
He is showing deficits in receptive and expressive communication.
He is not babbling.
Goals for Joey:
in three months he should be able to not do headbangining two or less times in a24 hour persiod more then once a week.
in three months joey should be able to identify at least 10 objects
strategies:
more rough housing with dad (dave hanging him upside and rolling with him) because joey seems to like this they thing dave should do it more i think its hilarious stratagy
mom and dad should label things like cup, cracker, drink when communicating with joey.
there scale is based on 100 being average. anothing under 78 qualifies him for help.
Eligibility Evaluation Results:
Gross/Fine Motor Skills: Low Average (84)
Self-Help/Adaptive Skills: Low Average (80)
Social/Emotional Skills: Mild Delay (72)
Academic/Cognitive including pre-literacy Skills: Low Average (80)
Receptive and Expressive Communication Skills: Significant Delay (61)
any further questions just ask.
Speech Therapy once per week
Occupational Therapy twice per month
needs to have an audiology screening (hearing)
needs to see a nuerologist
(these are just to rule out any medical problems)
As far as diagnosis, so far none. they need to do further evaluation. He has a few red flags for autism (headbanding, spinning, repetative behaviors, hating his hands or face washed, hating sand and grass and other textures, lining things up, staring, etc..) they were able to see all this during his 2 1/2 hour evaluation.
Also he is too young really for a diagnosis they can really only say he is delayed and that he needs services. So I dont really have any "answers" other then all the things I was worrying about arent "in my head" and its not "because he's a boy"
more details if anyone else is interested:
(i got copy of all the paperwork from today)
the following is based ONLY on their perception of Joey today. There is more in the report but those are things they only know based on what Dave and I told them.
Things they like and he is doing well:
He is able to sit and stand by himself without support
He is able to feed himself
He is displaying a lot of independant behavior
He discriminates against familiar faces
He is able to do simple puzzles
He uses gestures to communicate his needs.
Thigns they dont like and he needs help with:
Joey does not seem to hear when he is being spoken to.
He is not scribbling
He is not distinguishing between food and non food
He is not calming himself down when he is upset
He is not touching pictures when asked
He is showing deficits in receptive and expressive communication.
He is not babbling.
Goals for Joey:
in three months he should be able to not do headbangining two or less times in a24 hour persiod more then once a week.
in three months joey should be able to identify at least 10 objects
strategies:
more rough housing with dad (dave hanging him upside and rolling with him) because joey seems to like this they thing dave should do it more i think its hilarious stratagy
mom and dad should label things like cup, cracker, drink when communicating with joey.
there scale is based on 100 being average. anothing under 78 qualifies him for help.
Eligibility Evaluation Results:
Gross/Fine Motor Skills: Low Average (84)
Self-Help/Adaptive Skills: Low Average (80)
Social/Emotional Skills: Mild Delay (72)
Academic/Cognitive including pre-literacy Skills: Low Average (80)
Receptive and Expressive Communication Skills: Significant Delay (61)
any further questions just ask.
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I have been here before, a long long time ago and now I am back.Forgive me for not just saying what I want to say,even under a triple dose of antidepressants it is still raw and seeping and I am hesitant at revealing it as at least under the bandages around my heart I don,t have to look at how raw and wounded.My child was cleaved from my heart by his own actions. my child of ten,turning eleven...
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I gave my 2 week notice last Friday 13th. Now to join you fine people in a life of leisure and nothing else to do but to look out for myself....is it just me or does that sound pretty boring? My goal was to live to retire and I guess having to take early retirement because of health reasons wasn't exactly the way I had planned things. I just can't stay in that building that is reeking mildew...
I was also repeatedly told the same thing " leave him alone mom he's just a boy, or he's just 2, he'll be fine. I really had to fight his dad to get a dianosis and then it was a constant battle with all of my family to get them to believe me. My brother wanted me to leave him with him for a couple of hours one time and I refused he got rather mad at me, but Zach was really good at escaping and they wouldn't have been ablet to second quess where he would go and they live on a very busy street. It took him a long time to get use to the idea that Zach had a problem, he even called me to discuss the meds Zach was on.
My family now believes me mainly because I ended up just sitting back and letting them experience Zach as he was and not intervening. It didn't take them long to figure it out.
You have to advocate for your children no matter what everyone else says. No one else is going to do it for you.
You are doing the right thing by getting all the info you can and going about it aggressively. More power to you and I hope you get your answers and get him all the help he needs.