It was told to my family and myself that my daughter (Chyanne) has Autism. Chyanne has a hard time dealing with changes and with emotion she gets so fustrated cause she can't express how she feels. We are having to try different type of therapy so she can get the help she need she is our blessing and I love her. She is one of the most unique people i have had the privlage to be around.
We have 2 boys, Ryan and Tyler, born 1 year and 5 days apart and both fall on the more severe end of the autism spectrum. Both were born premature, 5 and 7 weeks early and spent over a week in the NICU. Ryan wasn't talking by age 2 and the pediatrician didn't seemed concerned. We took him to the early intervention screening at the local health department and he failed every test but vision. The doctor spent 15 minutes with both boys and told us both boys were on the autism spectrum and gave us a list of books to read.
Those first 5-6 years were challenging for the boys as well as us. Illinois does not have a central agency that handles disabilities. Services were few and far between and we had to hunt to find them. At 6 & 7, we were able to get a few respite hours away each month. Besides respite & school services that are guaranteed through the IDEA act were the only services the state offered.
Ryan will be started junior high a few weeks ago in an autism program with peers his age. He still struggles with language, he can say almost anything but we have little to no conversational language. He struggles with sensory issues especially noise and self injury. Tyler attends a self contained special education school where. They bus students in from 15 school districts. He has more challenges, including ADHD and this program fits his needs.
We are fortunate to have a huge support network of family, friends and our church family. Special Needs Families are among the largest group of folks not attending church. I encourage families to keep looking for a good fit for your family, no matter what your faith. We feel blessed to have our boys and they continue to make us smile and show us the important things in life everyday. Celebrate the little things each and everyday!
My son Zach ,hes Autistic, he LOVES football, he started playing at the age of 8 at the recommendation of his dr to try and get him to learn from seeing and doing, communication was rough for Zach, he would listen and do as I said but to have a actual conversation with my son was unheard of . We signed him up on a jr league, and at first I was skeptical, then as days and weeks and years went by I saw something amazing happen , thru the consistency of playing with the same boys and the same team, a bond was formed.Having been informed of Zachs condition, His team mates accepted him and watched out for him helped him finish a lap when needed , they were always there to encourage, to help ,and to guide him to the proper position, in his last yr in jr league, they made him honorary team captain , because of his never ending enthusiasm and because even though he couldn't do all the drills as fast or as well as the other kids, he never ever gave up.
Zach started jr high this year and wanted to play on there team, I told him we would see, I called and spoke with the coach at school and he was all to happy to let him join the team . Having special needs and Autism didn't stop my son from doing what he loves , with some help , support from his family, along with understanding and acceptance from our community and team mates , he is living his dream, and as we are at wal mart , the mall or even at the park and anywhere public, people walk by and say hey to Zach ( who has a knack for remembering places cars and faces) he says hello to them all , as I am left wondering where he knows all these people from ,most he has met through school and football functions we attend.. he patiently tells me , and I listen in awe, as my son talks....
He is 16 and the sweetist kid you're. Every going to meet. He was taken from my mother's house because Cps supervisor was angry at my sister,who also lives with my mom.Anthony has been put into Foster care now he's in a boys home for troubled kids he does not belong there just because Cps throwing their weight around Anthony was in no danger at home with my mom if Cps said you need to kick out your daughter in order for Anthony to come home it would be done because they are punishing him not his mother.
Very recently Ethan, my oldest child, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I find myself looking back on how we got to this point in our lives without knowing there was something wrong. After a few minutes of contemplating this; it finally came to me.
I knew all along.
I knew and I am ashamed to say that I tried to pretend it wasn't. I didn't want it to be true for his sake. But he is so much stronger than me. For the first time, I am following his lead. And I couldn't be prouder!
While I had my suspicions, I didn't understand it. Thinking back, I remember when he was just four months old and was already fidgeting in ways 'normal' babies didn't. He was such a great baby that I put those worries in the back of my mind. As a toddler, all (and I do mean ALL) he wanted to do was spin toys or watch things that spin. At 2, the emotions inside him were, at times, so uncontrollable, that I wanted to cry with him. I thought it was "terrible two's" and tucked those emotions away, too. At 3, his aversions to touch, sounds, strange people or places made us avoid going out of the house unless we needed to. That's when I finally accepted that something wasn't right.
Although less frequently, deep down I could tell Ethan was struggling with the same issues. If there is something wrong with my child, if he needed help, then I wanted him to have it. Then we had our diagnosis. We knew what I had known all along.
If its one thing I learned from all of this its that Ethan is stronger than we ever thought. He made it through all this, too. He is my little superhero.
And he is still the same sweet, smart and caring little boy he always was. Now, he just also happens to have Autism. Ethan is going to be fine. He's got me. And Mommy will be there for you every step of the way, Baby Boy.
We knew very early that Brandon was different. He was our third baby so my husband and I felt pretty confident in our assessment. At 5-6 months when starting on cereal he wouldn't let you put the spoon in his mouth. He would eat the cereal off the spoon. Then the rocking started and the hand flapping. Pretty soon Brandon started showing other classic signs of Autism. Thus we began our battle. He started therapy at 2. Brandon was non-verbal until 3 yrs. old. He would make a throat clearing sound when he wanted to eat, other than that there was no communication. Then one morning, I said my usual cheery "Good Morning, Brandon!" He looked right in my eye and said in the very same tone "Good Morning, Brandon!" I was stunned. I started to cry. I'd waited 3 years to hear my last baby's first words. After that he started echoing everything he heard! After that he started to use appropriate responses and now at 12 yrs. old can have a pretty decent short conversation with people. He still echo's different phrases he hears but much less now. A new battle started this year, Middle School. We tried keeping him in gen. ed. but it was over-whelming for him and his academics suffered. He is much happier in the self-contained class. The academic work is much more appropriate also. One thing that never changes is everybody can't help but love Brandon! After being silent for so long now you never know what he's going to say!
In November 2003, my son was born. He was a skinny little baby who cried a lot. Since I was a new mom, I didn't think anything of his crying except that it was normal to me. My son happily played, hugged everyone, and seemed fine. He responded to people, tried everything at least once, but we started to notice he did things on his terms. Over the next few years, we noticed he was behind on a few things. He never crawled..he rolled around until he learned how to pull himself up. But he seemed to be communicating fine, talking, laughing, crying, etc. When we did air travel, he cried alot on the plane, anything new seemed to be a big effort for him.
In the first week of Kindergarten, a meeting was held at school where they first told me he was autistic. I didn't believe school because he talked so much. He seemed to understand everything that was said to him. He liked physical contact, etc. I dismissed the school. In first grade, we had him evaluated by his primary doctor who just said he was behind but not to worry about it. In second grade, I was urged again to have him see a specialist because something wasn't right. During all of this time, I wasn't aware of Aspergers. I started doing research on it and realized he had just about every trait. I had him evaluated by a private therapist who diagnosed the Aspergers. She continues to work with him on social skills. He has 2 hours a day of social skills assistance at school as well.
It's a struggle at times to deal with his outbursts, his non-understanding of what we are saying, and his inability to talk to the kids at school. I hope in time he will learn to understand people. He is smart, funny, caring.
I need some help!! Advice anything at this point!! The state took my son from me! He was diagnosed with Autism in 2011. I've had him on several waiting lists to obtain services for his condition but the state seems to think I wasn't doing enough to get him the help that he needs. They have had him since August 16th 2013 and I have court on October 17th part of my requirements to be able to get him back home is to obtain services for him. But with my income and his insurance that has been impossible!! My son is my entire world and I don't know what to do with out him!! Please help me!! I need my son to come home!!This is my son! He's not doing well were he's at. He's regressed back to biting himself and had one of the directors at his daycare bite his ear because he bit her shirt. He would follow me around my home with his hand in my back pocket and my shirt in his mouth. Some times he'd sit by his dresser with shirts or sweaters in his mouth for long periods of time. It's a sensory thing he has.He's my entire world!! I need him home and he wants to come home. They allowed me to walk him to their car after our visit on Wednesday and he thought I was taking him home! He looked up at me and kept smiling and I kept smiling at him with tears rolling down my face! When he realized who's car it was he started bawling!! It ripped my heart out!!I've prayed and prayed everyday all day long. When I walk through stores I've never been in without my kids and when I come home and cook for 1 and when I fall asleep in tear soaked pillows and when I wake up to a broken heart and empty house! They said it would get easier but this has only gotten harder! I've accomplished every task they've required of me yet I can't accomplish this one!
My baby boy Charles is a blessing from God. He was born on June 8th
2009, weighing 8lbs 4oz and 20in long. When we went for his one year checkup
the doctor asked us how many words he was saying. Charles had started saying
Mama but then stopped. She said for a one year old they usually say 15-20
words. words. Even though Charles never showed signs of being behind, but he
still didn't communicate verbally. When we went to the doctor's when Charles was
2 the doctor was concerned when she asked how many words he was saying.
Charles was 2 and didn't talk yet. We we're told to go to have his hearing checked. Immediately thinking that our baby
wasn't hearing us and thinking this is why he can't talk we went for multiple
hearing tests at both Children's Hospital and St. Christopher's. Some proved
hearing only in one ear and others showed he was too little to be sure.
We realized at home that Charles was hearing the television, our family, and
and other sounds. He was our fourth child and so we also thought maybe
everything Charles needed was always given right away so maybe that's
why he didn't talk. My husband and I wanted to make sure it was
definitely not his hearing, so I took him for one last test at Children's Hospital.
After the test the doctor asked about Charles behaviors at home. She said I think
he has Autism. Charles is now 4 and is still non-verbal. He goes to a private school
just for Autism and is doing exceptional. He is receiving an award this week for all of
his accomplishments in one year. My husband and I are more so grateful that God gave Charles
to us! Having the diagnosis of Autism hasn't slowed Charles down, it has
made us all stronger. Our family welcomed baby William this past winter.
Charles is now a big brother w/so many wonderful giftts to share w//everyone that loves him.
Charles you are my hero, I love you more than words could ever say...
My mum told me I got diagnosed with autism when I was about 2 years old. I was put into care at 3 and nobody was told about my autism.
When I was fostered my foster parents thought I was just a naughty child so my foster mother thought hitting me was ok but it made me worse. I grew up knowing I was different from other people but not knowing what was wrong with me. I finally met my birth parents when I was 19. My mum told me about the autism. My sister had told me when I was 17 but I didn't believe her. I finally got re-diagnosed when I was 29. Now I understand what was wrong with me all these years. It was a great relief to know I wasn't crazy. I have better understanding of my autism. I gets me down sometimes but I cope with it ok. My husband is a great support and so is my wee mum in law. I have an autism co-ordinator whom I can see if things get tough for me. iam am proud to be autistic.
