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There's a saying among those who become familiar with Autism. "If you've met one kid with Autism, you've met one kid with Autism" There are certainly clear ca

by hoopism 12y ago

There's a saying among those who become familiar with Autism. "If you've met one kid with Autism, you've met one kid with Autism" There are certainly clear cases... but the trouble is identifying the non-traditional and less severe cases. These methods are great, but with early intervention being so critical it's doesn't help with diagnosing younger children (from what I read... seems patient would need more cognitive ability). As a parent who has recently run the gauntlet of diagnosis the most frustrating part of the lack of awareness for younger children. Based on all my reading early intervention can have a tremendous impact of future outcome (before 3y/o is really the sweet spot). There's so much stigma on classifying young children early that parents are often reluctant to seek out diagnosis and treatment. My daughter was diagnosed at 15 months and has since made amazing strides. If there was one thing I wish I could pass on to every parent it's that there is absolutely no harm or shame in doing diligence if you feel something isn't right. Therapies are play based and are great for even nuerotypical kids. If you suspect a delay or risk... talk to a specialist ASAP.

aidos 12y ago
This is very good advice. My wife is an Early Years Speech and Language therapist, so she is regularly exposed to children with autism. Your daughter is lucky to have a proactive parent. Even when cases are identified within the system, by nursery staff for example, it seems to be more common than not that parents become very defensive about the idea of seeking further help. And actually, as a parent, I can understand it - but having seen first hand the difference professional help can make, especially in those early years, I would do everything in my power to get expert advice. In the UK we have the NHS, and even though the waiting lists can be long (because these are the areas that tend to be the first to go during budget cuts), help is freely available. And it's not just autism we're talking about. There could be all manner of things that can contribute to a delay in those early years. There are people who can literally make the world of difference to the rest of child's future, and they really want to help.
- hoopism 12y ago
  In Massachusetts, and many other state, there is free therapy available to children under 3. That applies to any developmental delay. I encourage any parent to make full use of these resources. Having experienced them first hand it's been nothing but positive.
  - lotharbot 12y ago
    From what I understand, Early Intervention services (not limited to autism) are available in all 50 states (funded federally through IDEA). http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/100-day-kit/early-intervention http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/100-da...
    - hoopism 12y ago
      Thanks, you are correct.
- jerf 12y ago
  "In the UK we have the NHS, and even though the waiting lists can be long (because these are the areas that tend to be the first to go during budget cuts), help is freely available." Help is also generally, if not universally (I just can't guarantee it since this is often state-level), available in the US for all manner of developmental issues. And, uh, I didn't have any problems with waiting lists, either, with either of my children. (The portrayal of the US as some sort of vast health-care wasteland often has more roots in politics than reality, which is not to say that there aren't problems, and even in some cases severe problems, but nevertheless, the problems are often greatly oversold because it benefits certain people very much to do so, a fact that should never be forgotten in these discussions.) The biggest problem with these resources is people knowing they exist at all, and also, as mentioned by others, denial on the part of the parents. (My wife and I have generally avoided denial but we can certainly see it in our extended families.) My wife and I know of at least two other children that we believe are probably autistic or something (not trying to diagnose, just observing an awful lot of similarities to the other autistic children we know... you get to know many of them when you go to the meetups), but the parents won't even hear the word "autism", let alone have it checked.
- musername 12y ago
  Lacking comprehension of the problem and the causes, it seems reasonably carefull not to blindly admit your child into care based solely on the authoritive argument. Possibly, doctors cannot explain it propperly either and I'm under the impression that the causes aren't really known. Now, if the parent's lack of proficiency in childcare was responsible, that would be embareassing indeed, and if the percentage of autism
  - lotharbot 12y ago
    autism therapy isn't something where you "blindly admit your child into [another's] care". It's typically family therapy -- really, a form of parent training. Our speech language pathologist was fond of reminding us that she spent one hour a week with our son and we spent over a hundred waking hours with him. I would say the best outcome of Early Intervention was that I had better techniques to help my son learn to communicate, express himself, respond to stressful situations, etc. And the techniques are actually useful for all children, not just on the autism spectrum. I found I was able to use the same techniques to great effect when I taught math in the public schools.
  - hoopism 12y ago
    As my parents said when they saw the therapy my daughter was receiving (and took part actively): "I wish we had this type of training when raising our kids". If we have another child and they are neurotypical... we'll raise them using the same techniques we've learned in supporting my daughter. I encourage any parent who wants to build a stronger bond and more thoughtful kid to read up on play therapies (floor time, speech therapy, OT, PT)... it's been some of the most rewarding and fun time I have had as a parent.
spdustin 12y ago
I'd also pass along, for those in the US, that an "official diagnosis" qualifies your child as having a learning disability, which means that you have a unique opportunity to form an actual team of people at your child's school who will be better equipped to manage your child's particular idiosyncrasies, and who will all make whatever modifications and accommodations are necessary to ensure your child gets the best education they can. Of course, individual schools may still have a poor array of teachers, but in my experience as a father of a nine year old boy with autism, being a proactive and considerate parent who wants to be part of the school support team goes a long way to making the most of your child's time in school. My son had made a comment that, taken literally, seemed like a threat to another student. He was, in fact, verbalizing one of the many random thoughts we all have but most of us filter before it becomes spoken aloud. The other child's parent rallied to have my child removed from THE SCHOOL (my kid isn't violent in any way, nor does he show anger physically) but the presence of an IEP [1] protected my son, and the school district administration came to his aid. My role as a member of his IEP team (as opposed to just being an ornery parent) made sure that my son's needs were met, and his behaviors were evaluated in the context of his differently-wired brain. Be an advocate for your child. Don't be defensive, and don't be a dick. You'll be surprised at how many people sincerely want your child to succeed. [1] https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/ieps/understanding-individualized-education-programs https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-servic... Edited to add IEP link
pygy_ 12y ago
Have you heard of this study [0] on the effectiveness of Bumetanide in autistic children? The thinking behind the trial is brillant, and the results are impressive in some cases [1]. Bumetanide treatment for autism is currently undergoing a phase III trial in France. ———— 0. http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v2/n12/full/tp2012124a.html http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v2/n12/full/tp2012124a.html 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pChAJqEiyY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pChAJqEiyY
lucasgw 12y ago
100% agree. As a parent of a child with Autism, I can't stress enough the importance of strong, early intervention. We received our diagnosis at 2yrs,8mo. Our son was frankly autistic by any definition. We dove in hard, and for many years had close to 40hrs of various therapies per week. (OT, PT, Speech/Language, Behavior, Social, etc.) He had an IEP, and we advocated, because you have to. He's 11 now, is in a neurotypical classroom with no formal support and thriving. He (and we) still work hard at his challenges... but we all have challenges. Neuroplasticity is a very real thing, and strong early intervention is sooooo important.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

by hoopism 12y ago

aidos 12y ago

This is very good advice. My wife is an Early Years Speech and Language therapist, so she is regularly exposed to children with autism. Your daughter is lucky to have a proactive parent. Even when cases are identified within the system, by nursery staff for example, it seems to be more common than not that parents become very defensive about the idea of seeking further help. And actually, as a parent, I can understand it - but having seen first hand the difference professional help can make, especially in those early years, I would do everything in my power to get expert advice. In the UK we have the NHS, and even though the waiting lists can be long (because these are the areas that tend to be the first to go during budget cuts), help is freely available. And it's not just autism we're talking about. There could be all manner of things that can contribute to a delay in those early years. There are people who can literally make the world of difference to the rest of child's future, and they really want to help.

hoopism 12y ago
In Massachusetts, and many other state, there is free therapy available to children under 3. That applies to any developmental delay. I encourage any parent to make full use of these resources. Having experienced them first hand it's been nothing but positive.
- lotharbot 12y ago
  From what I understand, Early Intervention services (not limited to autism) are available in all 50 states (funded federally through IDEA). http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/100-day-kit/early-intervention http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/100-da...
  - hoopism 12y ago
    Thanks, you are correct.
jerf 12y ago
"In the UK we have the NHS, and even though the waiting lists can be long (because these are the areas that tend to be the first to go during budget cuts), help is freely available." Help is also generally, if not universally (I just can't guarantee it since this is often state-level), available in the US for all manner of developmental issues. And, uh, I didn't have any problems with waiting lists, either, with either of my children. (The portrayal of the US as some sort of vast health-care wasteland often has more roots in politics than reality, which is not to say that there aren't problems, and even in some cases severe problems, but nevertheless, the problems are often greatly oversold because it benefits certain people very much to do so, a fact that should never be forgotten in these discussions.) The biggest problem with these resources is people knowing they exist at all, and also, as mentioned by others, denial on the part of the parents. (My wife and I have generally avoided denial but we can certainly see it in our extended families.) My wife and I know of at least two other children that we believe are probably autistic or something (not trying to diagnose, just observing an awful lot of similarities to the other autistic children we know... you get to know many of them when you go to the meetups), but the parents won't even hear the word "autism", let alone have it checked.
musername 12y ago
Lacking comprehension of the problem and the causes, it seems reasonably carefull not to blindly admit your child into care based solely on the authoritive argument. Possibly, doctors cannot explain it propperly either and I'm under the impression that the causes aren't really known. Now, if the parent's lack of proficiency in childcare was responsible, that would be embareassing indeed, and if the percentage of autism
- lotharbot 12y ago
  autism therapy isn't something where you "blindly admit your child into [another's] care". It's typically family therapy -- really, a form of parent training. Our speech language pathologist was fond of reminding us that she spent one hour a week with our son and we spent over a hundred waking hours with him. I would say the best outcome of Early Intervention was that I had better techniques to help my son learn to communicate, express himself, respond to stressful situations, etc. And the techniques are actually useful for all children, not just on the autism spectrum. I found I was able to use the same techniques to great effect when I taught math in the public schools.
- hoopism 12y ago
  As my parents said when they saw the therapy my daughter was receiving (and took part actively): "I wish we had this type of training when raising our kids". If we have another child and they are neurotypical... we'll raise them using the same techniques we've learned in supporting my daughter. I encourage any parent who wants to build a stronger bond and more thoughtful kid to read up on play therapies (floor time, speech therapy, OT, PT)... it's been some of the most rewarding and fun time I have had as a parent.

spdustin 12y ago

I'd also pass along, for those in the US, that an "official diagnosis" qualifies your child as having a learning disability, which means that you have a unique opportunity to form an actual team of people at your child's school who will be better equipped to manage your child's particular idiosyncrasies, and who will all make whatever modifications and accommodations are necessary to ensure your child gets the best education they can. Of course, individual schools may still have a poor array of teachers, but in my experience as a father of a nine year old boy with autism, being a proactive and considerate parent who wants to be part of the school support team goes a long way to making the most of your child's time in school. My son had made a comment that, taken literally, seemed like a threat to another student. He was, in fact, verbalizing one of the many random thoughts we all have but most of us filter before it becomes spoken aloud. The other child's parent rallied to have my child removed from THE SCHOOL (my kid isn't violent in any way, nor does he show anger physically) but the presence of an IEP [1] protected my son, and the school district administration came to his aid. My role as a member of his IEP team (as opposed to just being an ornery parent) made sure that my son's needs were met, and his behaviors were evaluated in the context of his differently-wired brain. Be an advocate for your child. Don't be defensive, and don't be a dick. You'll be surprised at how many people sincerely want your child to succeed. [1] https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/ieps/understanding-individualized-education-programs https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-servic... Edited to add IEP link

pygy_ 12y ago

Have you heard of this study [0] on the effectiveness of Bumetanide in autistic children? The thinking behind the trial is brillant, and the results are impressive in some cases [1]. Bumetanide treatment for autism is currently undergoing a phase III trial in France. ———— 0. http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v2/n12/full/tp2012124a.html http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v2/n12/full/tp2012124a.html 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pChAJqEiyY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pChAJqEiyY

lucasgw 12y ago

100% agree. As a parent of a child with Autism, I can't stress enough the importance of strong, early intervention. We received our diagnosis at 2yrs,8mo. Our son was frankly autistic by any definition. We dove in hard, and for many years had close to 40hrs of various therapies per week. (OT, PT, Speech/Language, Behavior, Social, etc.) He had an IEP, and we advocated, because you have to. He's 11 now, is in a neurotypical classroom with no formal support and thriving. He (and we) still work hard at his challenges... but we all have challenges. Neuroplasticity is a very real thing, and strong early intervention is sooooo important.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]