I am thinking of removing my son from daycare but he may be?

Question

autistic, he certainly shows signs of it, and will be tested in September. The doctors said he had signs that leaned more towards him having autism, and they advised that he stay in daycare so he is around "normal" kids his age. Have any other parents had experience with doing this with their autistic child or children. Or do you think it is better for him to be at home with dad. My husband will be doing work at night.

Answer 1

my son is 6 yrs. old and the dc said he has a touch of autism. it's fine to leave him at a daycare. let the teachers know and print out some info about autism b/c alot of people dont know about it. he should be treated like a normal child but accept that it may take him longer to understand things. my son is in speech therapy. autism kids need some one on one time with teachers. it is hard for teachers who have alot of kids but they need to work with him.

Answer 2

I have 2 autistic spectrum sons, both high functioning with only autistic features (PDD.NOS).  The social interaction is great, if its the right environment.  We tried my oldest 7, at a center based daycare and he was too overstimulated to handle it.  He did not interact, stood by himself, and wouldn't play.  My middle son 33m is also PDD.NOS and he is home with me but attended a free preschool through early childhood intervention that was all typical kids and made a lot of gains.  He will be attending the preschool for delays in the fall.  

The best thing to do is have him have some typical peer interaction regularly.  This can be a social skills group, prompt and play, floortime, collage, playdates,  preschool, or a class like gymboree

Answer 3

let the daycare know that you are aware of his condition and that you are willing to help.  i don't know of any day cares in my area that would refuse to at the very least try to help a child with autism.  the social interaction would be very beneficial.  dependent on his degree of autism, he may need more specialized help than the daycare can provide.  only an exam by a trained professional can tell you that.  i would say by all means, give the daycare a shot!  i have a mildly autistic child in my care and have seen him make great strides in the past 18 months.