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Anyone have an autistic child?
ChadTower:
--- Quote from: SNAAKE on December 04, 2007, 10:06:21 am ---here is a random idea..get him to play video games..its the ghetto diagnosis and fixes ANY problem
--- End quote ---
Pinball! Pinball seems to speak to autistic kids. Many will open up in front of a pinball machine in ways they never have before. The flashing lights, the physics of the ball, the simple interface to the game, it's perfect for them. I've seen it a few times now.
Ninten-doh:
Chad, not sure what voluntary vs involuntary means in this context. Seems like certain things "trigger" specific echos. If he sees a block with a letter for example,. that might make him do the ABC song. If we talk about the Christmas tree, he might start reciting a children's book about Christmas. It's pretty hard to interrupt him, as he seems to just want to complete whatever it is he's scripting, but honestly, we haven't tried too hard to stop him because we're not sure if it's a bad thing to force him out of it. He doesn't do the "ask him a question, he repeats it, and then answers it" thing. Most times he comes up to us and we know he wants something, so we ask "What do you want?", and he'll respond "Want juice", or "Want crackers", etc.
Haven't noticed any echopraxia or tics (unless jumping up and down with excitement when we turn on his fake fish bowl is considered a tic). The OT that came to evaluate him said he was a "sensory seeker".
ChadTower:
--- Quote from: Ninten-doh on December 04, 2007, 10:14:58 am ---Chad, not sure what voluntary vs involuntary means in this context.
--- End quote ---
It would be whether or not he has control of what he is doing. It may be too early for an untrained eye to determine.
--- Quote ---It's pretty hard to interrupt him, as he seems to just want to complete whatever it is he's scripting, but honestly, we haven't tried too hard to stop him because we're not sure if it's a bad thing to force him out of it.
--- End quote ---
For some kids, interrupting them isn't a problem. With others it can cause a meltdown. This sort of thing is why autism is so hard on the others around the kid - every kid's capabilities are different, every kid is an individual with a unique personality underneath, and they are constantly changing as they grow up. The problem is that as the parent you can't see it in order to adjust smoothly. Where a typical kid is basically a transparent window - you can see what is going on in there if you know them - the autistic child has to be seen through a fog of unknown depth and thickness. He's in there but you don't know exactly where or how to get in and find him.
--- Quote ---He doesn't do the "ask him a question, he repeats it, and then answers it" thing. Most times he comes up to us and we know he wants something, so we ask "What do you want?", and he'll respond "Want juice", or "Want crackers", etc.
--- End quote ---
Do you read to him? Read him stories - a lot. Engage him fully and directly at his level. Read a page, ask him questions about the illustrations, see what he retains and what his recognitions are. Have him point to the red pig - when he does, you know he can recognize the pig, the color, and that he understood the words pig, red, and what the request was asking of him. Don't dumb down your language for him. Speak in a regular manner - the more 1-1 direct verbal communication you can have with him the better. Strengthen his verbal abilities now.
--- Quote ---Haven't noticed any echopraxia or tics (unless jumping up and down with excitement when we turn on his fake fish bowl is considered a tic).
--- End quote ---
Doesn't sound like a tic. A tic is more like rocking back and forth or a repetitive hand movement. Jumping up and down is good - full large motor skill. He is probably going to have to do a good amount of fine motor therapy. A good occupational therapist will do wonders with that.
--- Quote ---The OT that came to evaluate him said he was a "sensory seeker".
--- End quote ---
Is it limited to certain senses? Does he display sensitivity or discomfort in the face of sensory input you would consider reasonable? Sounds, lights, touch? Something to consider - some autistic kids can hear things you probably can't. Sometimes those things are painful. Things like fluorescent lights and television scan chatter.
Ninten-doh:
Chad, we do read to him a lot. We're worried that it's too much. We're fearful that it was all that reading that has now caused the echolalia where he repeats them. And we have a variety of books, so it's not like we just read one over and over and he has it memorized.
He's very good at labeling. He knows his colors, shapes, alphabet, and numbers up to 20.
Things we are working on while we wait for the meeting next week are his fine motor skills and his play. For fine motor, my wife fills a bowl with rice and hides little toys in it for him to find. He loves it, and it works on his fine motor and his sense of touch. He's not a big fan of getting his hands dirty, but has really started to enjoy this and playing with Play Doh.
For his play, we're working on doing things that require taking turns and sharing. We have also tried to spur some imaginary play by getting him to treat his Elmo like we treat our 6 month old daughter ("give Elmo some milk". etc.)
So far, he doesn't really have tantrums or meltdowns. He'll cry when he's not happy ("okay, time to put the train tracks away"), but the crying is short-lived.
In terms of senses, he doesn't appear (to my untrained eye) to be sensitive to lights or sounds and such. He walks up to the Christmas tree and likes looking at the lights and ornaments. We're just bummed that he doesn't show more emotion like a normal 2 1/2 year old. We took him outside for the first snow of the year over the weekend, and he didn't crack a smile. I know there was a lot for him to digest (what is all this white stuff? Why am I stuffed into a snowsuit like some kind of sausage? Why is it so friggin cold?), so maybe I was expecting too much.
saint:
--- Quote from: ChadTower on December 04, 2007, 09:14:07 am ---One thing to burn into your brain right now: You are his best and most effective advocate. School systems are hard to navigate for autistic kids. It's hard to get them placed, it's hard to get them their appropriate services, and the school will often take months of runarounds and cancelled meetings before you get in where you need to be. Don't tolerate that. Be respectful but as aggressive as you need to be to get their attention when you need it and not on their schedule. They want to help you but they are so overwhelmed and undertrained that if you're not your son's biggest advocate he is not going to get what he needs.
--- End quote ---
This is the best advice you could possibly listen to. There are no systems that are on your side. There are many wonderful people in any particular system, but any particular system (schools, therapists, hospitals) has many many clients and you are just one of them. You'll probably get their best effort when they're focused on you, but when you're not directly on their radar they're working on someone else. It's just human nature coupled with bureaucracy inefficiencies. Being your child's advocate is one of the most important things you'll ever do.
editI don't mean this to sound depressing and that there's no one out there to help you -- on the contrary a good hospital/doctor/therapist/school will be a good partner for you with your child. You just need to be extremely proactive.
--- saint
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