Autism Speaks Official Blog

My grandson has autism and is also deaf. He is 10 years old and having some behavorial issues (slapping, unable to sit still) at school. I am not convinced that ABA therapy is the what we want to try. Is there some other therapy you might recommend?

I have been heavily involved with my grandson since his birth and am his advocate. That means, I am the one his mom turns to when we need to find information, resources, funding, etc. It takes lots of time but it is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. Thanks for the information. I just researched a little about the Son-Rise program last week and think that sounds like something I need to approach his mom about.

Is the Grandparent Support Tool Kit already available?

my son (4 1/2) just started back to school this week. he has an i.e.p. the school just informed me that the have no speech pathologist on staff. he NEEDS speech therapy and it is part of his i.e.p. what should i do?

thank you! sorry i went of topic

I’m the grandmother of a 3 year old boy that has been diagnosed with Autism this year. The only symptom I can see which would qualify him as being diagnosed with Autism is he’s slow in speaking. Would that still classify him as being Autistic?

Thank you very much.

Hi I am gramma to 2 boys both with autism 4 and 5 yrs old 5 yr old is pddnos and 4 yr old is an aspie, my question is how can I get through to school they say he is to smart for special ed but the arent looking at the whole picture

the 5 yr old and sorry I have sole custody of them

thats the whole issue, they wont do an IEP because he doesnt qualify for special ed services although he is listed as 504

HI! I have a 4 year old girl who is a fraternal twin. Her sister is her best therapist. She was diagnosed at 3 with autism. It seems mild as she’s very interactive with us, just doesn’t really communicate verbally and has a hard time with crowds (social gatherings). Going to a party or out to dinner or a function is so hard, because she can’t sit still and just wants to run around. I actually cringe when I’m invited to something as I know it will be a marathon of running after our little sprinter. My insurance won’t cover ABA which was recommended any tips on curbing that behavior? We’re planning a Disney trip for December and I’m concerned on how we’re going to handle that.

Sorry, I just realized this was a grandparent theme. so sorry for my long question :)

Thank you so much, will be interesting to read her experience.

Are there agencies that deal with autism that have advocates to help? I mean he has been in school 2 wks and injured 4 times by another student

My little girl was just diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder .

oh ok thank you this is my first time im sorry .

Thank you so much i took down the # i will be getting that .

My son has Aspergers and my dad comes from a different time…he just doesn’t understand. Do you have any suggestions? He loves him so much but always seems to be harsh because he doesn’t understand his behavior and thinks my son is just acting out.

Excited for our chat today! Thank you~

Did anyone else send their child to school for the first time this year?

He’s 4, and started pre-k this week.

He’s doing well, but his anxiety is through the roof. Overall I’m pleased with his reaction

We did that, we’ve been getting ready for a couple of months. I just can’t seem to quite reach him to … smooth his feathers.

Any good ways to handel anxiey over homework assignments? My son is in 8th grade and homework is so stressful to him.

We made my grandson, age 4, a book with pictures of his teachers and a story about the schedule of the day. He is in his 2nd year of pre-school throught the Special School District, and he likes going to school.

does this explain the special education rights of the parents as well as those of the child?

ok great because I always feel like the schools are not telling everything

My 7 year old son has Asperger’s. He’s entering 2nd grade. Although making progress in leaps and bounds with a great IEP and teachers and professionals, he is still very immature emotionally and tantrums in front of his friends. How can we help education not only his teachers, but his classmates on his condition. He still doesn’t understand himself.

My son had a teacher that played a video about Autism designed for children for her class. it really helped the other kids with how they treat him in a positive way.

it was her idea, she was a great teacher

My son is going to school for the first time and I’m worried because he doesnt speak yet

Hello! My name is April. I just wanted to ask right quick, I know the IEP is done yearly, but is is done on the yearly annaversary of the last one or is there a specific month. I am forgetful!

My son is 9 & going into 4th grade. I’m concerned about his ability to focus on non-preferred tasks in class (i.e. math). We worked on his summer workbook yesterday & it took him at least 45 minutes to complete 10 problems . . . and that is with me right there with him to keep him on task. He can do the work, but is so distracted it takes forever.

Thank you – I will pull up last week’s chat and check in with the people in charge of the IEP.

my son got dxsd autism and autustic spectrum disorder does he qualify for social security benefits ??

I will be attending the IEP meeting next week. Any streategies that will help me get through the process?

Quick Question Is a child with a developmental disability such as autism entitled to a blue handicapped placard from the DMV

How do you get the school to participate in the use of the school tool kit?

Do I have to wait for the yearly IEP? Can I request sooner??

My son was taken out of a regular school in grade 2 he should now be grade 5 level. They have had him in an environment where he is with children who have been banned from all schools here. He has been out of school now for near 2 months with me fighting tooth and nail to try to get him integrated into a regular school with no relief. I have tried through politicians, the autism network in my state education department complaints etc. Any suggestions ?

My grandson’s school told my daughter that even though she had an IEP from the end of this past school year that they would still have to evaluate him for 90 days to decide if they are going to impliment the recommendations from his last IEP. Why is it they just don’t go ahead and impliment that IEP while he is being evaluated?

how do we go about getting them to do this?

Am I able to attend this IEP meeting. My daughter knows nothing about autism.

we have been told by the school that I am not able to attend. I actually have three grandsons with autism two that are in school. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Won’t be shut out again. this is sure nice to know.

Thanks for all the info and links

Thanks to you we have a better acknowledge about Autism !!

thank-you for having this forum available to us

What is considered an appropriate education plan for a 6 year old boy diagnosed with pdd nos and adhd combined type? He did veru well in kindergarten almost all E’s on his report card terranova scores

My son was just diagnosed with autism, he will be attending school for the first time in september. How can i make his transitioning easier since he will be going 5 days a week from 8 to 2. He just turned 3 years old.

My daughter is an 8 year old ppd nos with ADD – high functioning autism. She is in a regular 3rd grade class. We had quite a few issues with behavior and working with others last school year. The doctor keeps bringing up the topic of meds, but right now im against that. Do you know of any resources in memphis, tn? I work so hard to find her things she can fit in. Any suggestions on what I can keep doing with the school to make sure my child receives a quality education?

My 14 year-old sister with Aspergers and ADHD will be starting public high school next week. She has not been in school since December (homeschooled) or public school in 2 years (private, homebound, homeschool). How can we help her make a sucessful transition to a very different environment?

Another question. He has this repetitive behavior where he runs back and forth throughout the day, just running.

Hello

I have a 25 years old brother who is nothing productive.

How can i help my 7 year old son, with his emotions. i know he is going to cry those first few days back to school. He will be in mainstream 1st grade. Even though his has the Autism diagnosis, they say he no longer needs to be in the ASD classroom, nor need a para pro. I’m a little nervous about this.

The Department of Rehabilation said he is low-level skill

how can i make the transition to kinder for my son easy? he use to have an assistant and now he won’t. plus he was not accepted for summer school, so i think it is going to be hard on him to go to school full day.

when my son comes home with home work what might take another kid 30mins is taking my son 2 hrs… how can i address this with his teachers with out looking like i want them to take “pity on him”?

I am having a problem with my daughter the teachers talked me into having her go to a different school than the one i had chosen saying it would be a better fit for her. now they are telling me because they have no room they are going to have to send her to this other school (the school i did niot want her to go to at all) because of the comments madre from other people in my asd parent group please help

Hi there, is the school tool kit specific to the States, I am writing from Canada and am hoping for something like this for my daughters school

is there something that i can do to help my son understand that not all the toys he sees he can have? he is autistic troughs tam trams everywhere.

We are at the point with are Grandson who is non-verbal, looking into the ipad to communicate with each other. Any recommendations on where and how to get one free or cheap?

i have a 7 yr daughter non verbal and she has had a paro pro for 4 yrs and now they want to change her and give her a aid that knows nothing about autisum very nervice

My daughter is in senior kindergarten, she is neither high or low functioning, she is just in the middle. She has lost her educational assistant because of this. I am not allowed to send professionals in to consult with the classroom helper for confidentiality reasons. Everything is a hurdle. She is not recogized by her school board as having autism, even though she has a diagnosis. She has no IEP. She is slipping through the cracks and I feel I cannot properly advocate for her. Any suggestions, or more important, what exactly are her rights?

Any resources out there for advocating on school issues?

Is it possible to overload our child with services?

Hi – Do you have any resources, esp online resources for parents of Autistic kids who want to home school their child, esp middle school kids

thanks – I tried that

As the school year nears and I take more notice of how my 8 year old with Autism has regressed a bit and his behavior has altered some, I’m struggling with the delicate balance of what is CODDLING and what is UNDERSTANDING when it comes to his behavior, reactions and his meltdowns. Any tips?

Thanks, I’ll check that out! He’s a very sweet and understanding boy, and I think I struggle with his returning to school more than he does, but we had a horrible experience with his 1st grade teacher and it’s made me so gunshy of new teachers and even new students, as she allowed them to make fun of him with no consequence.

Hi, My son is 19 autistic and mr, he lives in avella pa, washington co., his exit iep from public school is on aug 30 2011, he doesn’t want to go till 21, he wants to work at gainful employment–he was working at job lifes work while in school–that stopped at end of school yr 2011, he had his meeting monday with Supports cord-for ISP info……can you tell me how to get funding for paid transportation for him to get back and forth to work…..and how to get job search help and job coah to get him acclimated to his work schedule and routine-for him…he wants to work in a local fish market-Wholey’s-in pgh pa. thanks so much….

I am working on potty training my daughter who is mildly autistic. Do you have any suggestions or tips

I have a son who is non verbal most of the time, but we keep getting denied by our local state grants to buy him some communication devices. Any ideas on other places we can look? We cannot afford to buy him one on our own.

can i ask for a para pro for my son in his iep and get one even if the school states theres “no funding”

Where can a college bound child on the spectrum get grant / financial assistance for college in Idaho?

Hi, My son is 5 and was just diagnosed PDD NOS. Where can I have information mailed to me on this autism spectrum disorder?

California has IHSS, a program that essentially pays a parent to stay home to take care of a child with Autism. Is there an equivalent in Pennsylvania? I am home with my son all day, and I am struggling.

just got it open

I have a 2 year old little boy who has shown sighns of autisum since he was born we are fighting with his physitianas well as his neuralogist about having him refered for testing. is there a way to have him tested with out their referal.

we live in arkansas

Is there assistance for adults with autism who have reached 18 years of age and are being denied SSI benefits?

I’ve heard about families getting an “Autism Advocate” to help with various issues, getting services, etc. I haven’t had much luck in finding out exactly what that is and how to get one.

Are there resources in Florida in order to seek an adult diagnosis?

thank you. Michael is currently in EI,OT,PT and speach. we just want to make sure we are getting him all the help he needs

I take care of my 5 year old grandson who was diagnosed with Autism last year. He has made tremendous progress but one thing we just can’t seem to get is him staying dry at night and during rest time. He is trained otherwise during the day and rarely has an accident. He also has big problems with chronic constipation… Any tips on how to help him stay dry? He wears pull ups at night… but not during naptime.

thanks for the tool kit–printing now and will sit back and red it this afternoon….much appreciated…….

I will ask again. when I go to my new pediatrician. The last one gave medication for it, which my grandson hated and I ended up not giving. He is very sensitive to taste and smells and this stuff was awful…

I hope his new pediatrician will be able to help further.

One last question, do you have any advise on how to make dentist visits easier?

I live in Ga, my grandson is 10 years old, could you please tell me where I can find assistance with medical and doctors visits. Where can I find support in my area I live in a small town..

my son Andrew 2 1/2 just passed away he had ASD and epilepsy, and there is no transition assistance no foundations I could find to help single parents or parents who were not able to work due to caring for thier child, are there foundations that help financially in my area churches donate to CARES but they help $50 for rent or electric but not both… What am I to do?

This is awesome! Thank you! I signed up for your newsletter too. I am so grateful for all these resources. Caring for my grandson is an ongoing learning experience and all of this helps tremendously.

I have a 6yr old son who was diagnosed 3yrs ago. We just moved from wisconsin to saint paul minnesota. I am having trouble finding a new doctor and programs here. Any ideas

Are there any grievance assistance for the loss of an ASD child?

finincial and different support group with special help

Thank you for your assistance he passed on the 23rd of July and everything seems unreal…

My son was diagnosed last week with high functioning Autism, he will be 4 Aug 25. Not potty trained yet among other things, any tips on potty training??

I will come back chat has been very helpful.

My son is 16, moderately autistic but 95% non-verbal at the moment, and within the last year has developed several patterns that look less autistic and more O.C.D.ish. Also, at the same time, although his speech has never been great– he’s gone from being about 60% non-verbal.. to about 95% to sometimes we cant get anything out of him. He tries, but it’s as if he cant the word out. Then, when he does it becomes like a “tick” that he repeats over and over for about a minute- literally. We’ve done brai scans… which were normal. Everyone I’ve talked to here in Okc is clueless- as am I. Any advice…?

Yes

What kind of professional would you suggest..? He is on state medicaid– so our resources are pretty limited

Hello: I have a daughter who is 19 years old. She was diagnosed as ADD. She started college 2 years ago about an hour and a half away from where we live. She had a real hard time adjusting and locked herself away in her room without going to any of her classes for two months. She anxiety when it comes to speaking with people and has been exhibiting some Autistic like behaviors. We also have a son who is 16 with Aspergers and my daughter stated that she has some of the same feelings as he does. Nevertheless, we are beginning to think that she may have Aspergers also and was just misdiagnosed. Where can I get her evaluated for Autism as an Adult? We live in NC

My son 8 yrs old and newly diagnosed with ASD. We are trying to find OT for him, to help with his handwriting and social skills. There isn’t ANYWHERE in our county that takes our insurance. How do people find help when they can’t pay $70 or more per sesion?

I am hoping that we will be able to get him help through the school. I have a meeting set up, but from what I am told, it is very difficult to get approved for it where we live. (palm beach county). It is mild, so I am trying to prepare myself ifthey don’t approve it

Thank you for providing this service. It’s great to see others’ questions, too, and to see your answers. I downloaded quite a few things just from following the links.

This is sooo cool, THANK YOU!!! I don’t know why, but I’m sitting here in tears. –Thank you!

hi i live in england. i have a 3 and a half year old son with autism. our family is under continues stress, all due to my sons behaviour, he is still not talking propley and has lots of tantrums due to his different understanding. i need help but have nowhere to turn.

My daughter has serious texture/gag reflex issues with her mouth. It really limits her food… any advice?

Thanks. Is this something a pediatrician would know, or do I need to have someone specializing in Autism?

Thanks so much!

hi! The only problem my son doesn’t seem to have is eating!! He does, however, have a vocabulary of zero and looks like a third-base coach with his sign language. He’s working with a speech teacher but we seem to be at a stand-still… are there any suggestions or resources that you can recommend to help us develop his speech more?

My son is now 19 and he wants to fit in with other young people however, they simply take advantage of him and manipulate him into things that are destructive and hurtful to him. Still, he wants to be with them. How can I get him to see the danger? How do I NOT lose patience? He has always been this way. ANYONE can manipulate him, take his property and coerce him into doing things.

my son is 6 and entering 1st grade. I worry about his aggression. He is currently taking Stratera. Any thoughts or suggestions?

I’m searching for info for adults, all I can find is chidren’s resources