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.

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Developmental & Learning Disorders
/ Autism / Autism Spectrum Support Group

stress

deleted_user
deleted_user
i wonder if, God i cant believe i am saying this, but anyways, i wonder if maybe people are doing too much? what i mean is right now i am in the "Adam needs sooooo much therapy, he needs this and that and he needs it now" mode. then i read about families here that are under so much stress trying to juggle all the therapies and school and family and so many things. i see how stressed everyone is and have to wonder if the kids that are getting all this help are just as stressed. adam is doing along ok, slow but sure. i tend to think that if i threw anymore at him he would go into overlaod and burst. it seems like no matter how hard i work to teach/help him learn things and get better at things he is still only learning it at his pace. i guess what i am saying is maybe, just maybe, everyone should stop and take a deep breath and slow down. i understand how important therapies are, dont get me wrong, but i wonder if there might be too much therapy for a child, too much at one time. its a lot to process going to speech and occupational and scouts and buddyball and trying to keep it all sorted in thier little heads. hell, i would go into loverload if it were thrown at me non-stop. it seems like our kids have a real problem here, not enough is bad too much is bad where is the happy medium? i am seriously thinking about making sure that only two things above and beyond school is going at adam at a time. he is in buddyball, and on a waiting list for speech and occupational therapy outside of what he gets at school. i just cant see running him ragged everyday after school for a few hrs, i dont think he would handle it well, and i wonder if out of love some people think that the more they get done asap is what is best when really it may be part of the problem concerning behavior problems. i dont know, i just hate to see all of my dear friends here under so much stress knowing that everything they do is because they love their kids so much they just want to make sure that they are doing everything possible for thier kids. slow down, have fun along the way, and you know what, if little johnny only makes it to one therapy a week, thats ok, that means he spent extra time at home with you having fun and just being a kid with now worries! i know it isnt always that peachy, but i wonder if all the hustle and bustle is just as hard on the kids and maybe it makes things a little harder then they have to be. hugs,
trudy
deleted_user
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loverload....roflmao! yall know i meant overload ;)
deleted_user
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P, I totally understand you, and yet I have mixed feelings as well. I was told that Alex would NEVER: walk, talk, play, socialize, or have any quality of life. The doctors even went as far to say that I needed to place him in a State School. I was 19 years old when he was born and knew that his developement was severly delayed. Although I was young, and naive I stood firm : He will walk, tallk , play, etc. I took him non-stop to therapy, it was tiresome and many a times I'd pull my van aside the road and just cry, WHY GOD? When will you give me a sign that I am doing the right thing? Well , p, 14 years later , I have living , walking, jumping, talking, socializing ( in school) and etc. I think we all need aslow-down from time to time, and there is nothing wrong with family-time, we do tend to get wrapped up in this world with our kid's and what effects them also effects us, so if we need a break, so the kid's don't have to go through the hell of a constant car ride to therapy , just to come home and have the hugest mmeltdown, then so be it. We are human, and we learn by trial and error, so I understand when you say the hustle and bustle being hard on our kids, and to tell ya the truth, it makes my patienence run thin, so you have a good point here, I have built my life around Alex, lost myself, and lost the real meaning of quality family time. You know what, I think I will take Alex to the movies tomm. , Just because you made me realize the value of time, we are so limited on time in this world, and time I shall spend with Alex!!!! Luv Ya!
deleted_user
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yearsoftears: there ya go, i just think that every so often we need to stop and smell the roses, so to speak, take a break, not from your kids but with your kids. i have been thinking about taking adam to the movies, he has never been. it would be an adventure for us!
deleted_user
deleted_user
I couldn't agree more with what has been said. Sometimes it's hard to find a balance. I wonder when my son and I are both crying because of frustration if sometimes it's just too much (for both of us). Then he'll do something I didn't think he could do and it gives both of us the engery to keep going. I found this great quote and think it's a good reminder about life. "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming "wow - what a ride." Have a good day everyone.
deleted_user
deleted_user
momto2kids: i love that quote!
deleted_user
deleted_user
Wow, you hit the nail on the head. This was my concern when they said that my 10 month old grandson needed speech therapy 2 times a week. That is on top of his O.T, P.T, and D.T. Plus. we do therapy with him 3 times a day. We do therapy when he is at play but when does he get a chance to just be a baby? Between therapies and Dr. Visits? I too worry about overload since he has been through this since he was 2 months old. There are days when he cried through the whole therapy and I am left wondering what kind of help is this if it leaves him so emotional?
deleted_user
deleted_user
i think therapy is the key to success for our kids, but i also think that there is such a thing as too much, at one time. never stop the therapy but maybe slow it down a bit. right now adam gets no therapies after school. he has buddyball on friday. i want him to get more ot and sp, but it will not be everyday after school. it will have to be just a couple of days a week. he needs to be able to come home and be a kid just like all kids. its kind of like the 'soccermom' thing. always on the go. i see my neighbors everyday load the kids up right after school going to soccer, cheerleading, scouts, and weekends its the games, i never, ever see those kids out in the yard playing, how sad. i dont want adam to not experience being a kid!
deleted_user
deleted_user
I also wanted to add that making the best of outings and social enviornments works! In a sense, when I take Alex out in the community, I encourage him to say "hello" "i'm Alex" etc., this is also reinforcing hia speech goals! and communication skills, social skills, etc. So think of it this way: We don't have to stop therapies; just change the method for a while!
deleted_user
deleted_user
Yes, please give breaks...All people can do these things throughout the day w/out overload. Its good in school, then when you get home, just use that and spread it out throughout the day... I do go to a O.T., but its not everyday. I would flip out, although I like my O.T. a lot. Sometimes people can do too much, so I would say the constant appts. could be replaced by spreading it out throughout the day in your own environment while incorporating it into fun.

Kris
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