Julie V.
08-23-2005, 04:08 AM
My five year old son was diagnosed with ASD about a month ago. He has been receiving speech therapy since the age of 3 1/2. He also has attented a special ed. pre-school beginning just befor he turned 4. I am having a difficult time accepting the diagnosis. Prior to getting the actual diagnoses, I had done a lot of research about Autism, and I pretty much knew that he did have some form of Autism. However, it does not make it any easier for me to deal with. I am also having difficulty with potty training him. He has had trouble with constipation since he was an infant, he also refuses to use the potty anywhere else besides home or his grandma's house. I guess I'm feeling overwhelmed. Anybody have any suggestions on how I can get passed this saddness, so that I can get on with helping him to have the best life possible?
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claste
08-23-2005, 08:35 AM
hi juliev, i was pretty much in your shoes with my daughter, i knew she was autistic from around 20 months - 24 months old, yet it took about another 7 months to diagnose her, i too read everything i could before her diagnosis, i remember a health visiter coming to see me and saying "what do you want to hear us say about your daughter when she comes for her assessment?" i said " that shes a normal little girl", of course the specialist didn't tell me what i wanted to hear. people close to me said "you were right, you must be so relieved." of course i wasn't relieved my world had just fallen apart. it's taken me about 18 months from diagnosis to finally accept who she is and her autism, to begin with she was like this little alien i couldn't relate to, but with time shes shown me how to appreciate the little things in life, and i've learn't to walk with her at her pace rather than drag her at my pace, i watched a programme and a mum said " if i had a magic pill to take away his autism i wouldn't give it to him" i remember thinking "what rubbish any parent with an autistic child would give a pill to make them normal" but now i'm not so sure after all if i gave her a magic pill i would have a child i wouldn't know, a child i couldn't marvel at as things would be taken for granted, a child that makes me feel so blessed every single day, you see i'm no longer wanting what i can't have with my daughter, i've accepted what i've got therefore i've made my peace with her autism, therefore i can move on with life and enjoy it. alls i can say is that it takes time, tears, and alot of grieving for the child you've lost and alot of accepting the child you have, god bless.
marissamm
08-23-2005, 10:05 AM
well said claste well said, hang in their julie its a bumpy road but you will be fine, my son is high functioning autism he is 16, i was in denial for 1 minute than got my stuff together and found him some help and learned how to "walk with him". you will get thru this.
aridus
08-23-2005, 10:43 AM
Did you read mercury theory and chelation treatment? How do you think of it?
pops
08-23-2005, 11:05 AM
My son is 9 and has had fetal valporate syndrome since birth. He was recently diagnosed with ASD. He is different to other children, I've always accepted that but thought in time he would get through and catch up with his peers.
2002 his mum was diagnosed with cancer and she died in july 2004, having to look after him on my own made me realise exactly how different he is and change the way I support him with school work etc. He has always had a special needs statement, the ASD diagnosis has helped get more support and allowed me to research into something tangible to understand how I need to handle it.
2002 his mum was diagnosed with cancer and she died in july 2004, having to look after him on my own made me realise exactly how different he is and change the way I support him with school work etc. He has always had a special needs statement, the ASD diagnosis has helped get more support and allowed me to research into something tangible to understand how I need to handle it.
AggieMom
08-24-2005, 06:15 PM
Your comment about the potty training caught my eye. My son is now 7 and is potty trained, but we still have issues with "other bathrooms". He was potty trained at about 3 1/2, but when we moved when he was about 4 I had to physically drag him into the bathroom and put him on the pot with his eyes closed at the new house the first 2 weeks. I still have to do that anytime there is a "new bathroom" like at the doctors, the mall, Six Flags, someone elses house, etc...He will pull away and say no the whole time, but eventually he gets used to the new place and has less of a problem. We always thought it was strange that he loves to play in the bathtub so much, but has this problem with toilets. He would close his eyes to get past the potty to take a bath and even walk against the oposite wall to pass the door to the new bathroom. He seemed to get over most of the issue when he was going through a phase where he was drawing pictures all the time. First it he would look at the different potties from all angles even getting down on all fours or (yuck) laying on the floor to look at how it was connected. Then for about a month he would draw pictures of different toilets and bathroom fixtures (some with tanks, like at home and some with pipes going into the walls, like public restrooms). I feel like exposure is very important in some situations- you have to make them do somethings that are uncomfortable to them to get them used to it so that they will be able to function. Although there are some adults I know that are "normal" and won't use a public bathroom! Good Luck, it will get better.
km604
08-26-2005, 06:11 PM
Julie, Keep in mind that getting the correct diagnosis was probably half the battle. My 5 yr old was recently diagnosed with ASD as well. We too have potty issues. For a while it helped if we used a cushioned potty seat (the type that fits over a regular toilet seat.) The good part was we could take that with us. But then the cover ripped and we were back to problems! He actually helded it in for so long that he caused a bowell obstruction!
I can't say that it actually gets easier, but the challenges change. My son will now use the potty for #1, but #2 is still an issue. For now, I take the easy route. He wears a pull up to bed and does #2 while he's sleeping. It's a temporary fix. I am hoping that once his system adjusts to the Trileptal and Strattera he will be more open to use the potty for #2. My doctor said that when he sees other kids using the bathroom in school, he may be more open to it and that maturity will help this also.
You know, academically your son will probably do well. Because their minds process info on a different level, our kids have the ability to retain a great deal of knowledge. I realize that doesn't help the other aspects, like socialization skills, but it is a positive aspect of this disorder.
I am currently looking into RDI? Have you researched this at all?
Kathi
I can't say that it actually gets easier, but the challenges change. My son will now use the potty for #1, but #2 is still an issue. For now, I take the easy route. He wears a pull up to bed and does #2 while he's sleeping. It's a temporary fix. I am hoping that once his system adjusts to the Trileptal and Strattera he will be more open to use the potty for #2. My doctor said that when he sees other kids using the bathroom in school, he may be more open to it and that maturity will help this also.
You know, academically your son will probably do well. Because their minds process info on a different level, our kids have the ability to retain a great deal of knowledge. I realize that doesn't help the other aspects, like socialization skills, but it is a positive aspect of this disorder.
I am currently looking into RDI? Have you researched this at all?
Kathi