To the moms of Autistic children!?

Question

When you found out that your child or children had autism what did you do and how did you react? what were your children's first signs? and what makes them autistic? have you done anything with your child or children to help them come out of the autistic world? Do you believe that it is a gift? why do you think god choose you to be the parent of an autistic child?

Answer 1

im not a mum of an autistic child, im an aunt of an autistic child. but me , my sis and nephew all lived together at my parents from when he was born till he was 3.

when i found out my nephew was autistic, it never sunk in, my sister was crying and i just said - its still kyle, he is still the same little boy. i never exactly understood what autism was, so i couldnt be upset about it.

my nephews first signs were that his speech development was significantly behind his peers. no mum or dad, no bus, car words - nothing at all. his play was also very regimental, instead of zooming cars about, he would line them up in a perfect line, put them all back in a box, then do it all over again - he could do this for hours on end. he was extremely dependent on his routine, my sister got him into a routine, then noticed that if she deviated from the routine, he would be fussy and very frustrated all day. loud noises also really really bothered him and he used to walk around with his hands on his ears.

nothing can be done to take a child out of the 'autistic world'. an autistic child will become an autistic adult. things can be done to make it easier for the child day to day.

i dont believe it is a gift neither do i believe it is a burden. my nephew in himself is a gift, as is his non autistic sister and my daughter.

i think God only gives you what he thinks you can handle. it takes a strong person to care for any child, but caring for an autistic child takes just that little bit extra insight like how you talk to them, how you deal with their tantrums and understanding how our normal world is extremely fast and confusing to them

Answer 2

Hmmm well lets see, i seen signs at birth really.  I have taken  care of autistic children since i was 12 years old so i knew some of the signs and knew something was right when my oldest son was a day old.  The Dr's wouldn't listen said i was paranoid.  Really he developed on time on everything except he wouldn't really talk and didn't like to be held after he was about year old and he also was an extremly difficult baby to take care of.  He is very "special" and i wouldn't trade him, he has been a very important part of my life and makes me smile everyday.  He was diagnosed finally about 2 months ago (he will be 6 in August) with Aspergers and i was just glad someone was finally listening to me.  I agree with the current studies that show autism is caused by a gene passed down by the parents and that more children are developing autism because more people are born carrying the gene which gets stronger with each generation.  I think that autistic children are special in their own ways and each seem to have their own ways of communicating and have a knowledge of things we can't fully understand.  They go off into a different world and know more than we could ever know.  I think that God can't fix every problem in this world and that when children are born with special needs they are here to teach us a lesson and we should listen and try to find out lesson from them.

Answer 3

Hi. I am not a parent of an autistic child, but I work with autistic students. I am assuming you have an autistic child, and I know how confused and scared you must be. However, with early diagnosis, aggressive care, and love and support, your child has a great chance at leading a terrific life with minimal hardships.

Autism usually isn't diagnosed until about age 3, although some experts believe that some children begin to show subtle signs as early as six months of age. Some of the early signs are:

not smiling by six months of age

not babbling, pointing or using other gestures by 12 months

not using single words by age 16 months

not using two word phrases by 24 months

having a regression in development, with any loss of language or social skills

avoiding eye contact

not seeming to notice as people come and go around them

sometimes having a smaller head, then a period of rapid growth during months 6-14

In many cases, the child will develop typically until the toddler stage, some may even be advanced in some areas. Then you will notice a regression, generally a change in social behavior and speech are what stand out the most.

I know that autism is hard for both the parent and the child, but I have never met people more interesting and special than the students I work with. They have tantrums and don't like change, sure, but if you think about it this is just an exaggerated behavior of how a typically developing child acts, anyway! Autistic children, in my opinion, are more loving (yes, there are often violent outbursts) and so much more innocent. When they smile, you know that something TRULY made them happy! I live for the smiles I see from my students because they don't just hand them out for nothing!

It's very important to find a GREAT school district. Often, if you're not happy with the district you live in, the school will transport your child to another district. You want to make sure the school has a DESIGNATED class for autistic students where they child has the option of a 1:1 aide, depending on the severity of the disability (I work in a 6:1:1). In the right classroom, your child will be taught basic educational skills, as well as how to behave socially. DO NOT put your child in a school that follows the "no child left behind" philosophy. Autistic students deserve to have the time they need to develop and learn at a pace that is conducive for THEM. Not every child will learn at the same pace, and they need to get special attention and time, not swept along through their school years, never getting a real grasp on what they're learning.

The biggest thing that you can do for your child is to keep them socially active. Sometimes it's ok to "bribe" your child to do something that he/she doesn't like. It's not technically bribing, but that's kind of how I see it. For example, if your child doesn't like hugs, find something he/she LOVES, such as a preferred game or snack. Each time your child wants this, he/she will give you a hug. Eventually your child will usually begin to tolerate hugs. Don't be afraid to reward good behavior! One student of mine particularly likes Goldfish. If he's stitting quietly, etc, I give him a reward. It doesn't need to be anything big, but if you are constantly rewarding the positive behavior it will become the norm for your child. Schedules are huge for autistic children. If you have him/her on a great schedule, your day will go much more smoothly.

There is no real known cause of autism, but there are several theories. I do believe that each autistic child born is a gift. If you are the parent of an autistic child, God knows you are strong enough to give that child a good life and chose you because he knows you are capable! You will see some major challenges, but every milestone your child passes will mean so much more because you know you have both worked so hard for it! Good luck!

Answer 4

Thomas was three when he was diagnosed and in the end it was a relief to know that it wasn't my fault i think as a mum you blame yourself for your child not being potty trained not talking and not doing what other kids do, Thomas was different from birth very quiet hated being cuddled and didn't feel pain as his twin did, Its not that easy if you have a child with autism they have it for life its not something that can be cured just improved with time, I don't see it as a gift its just who Thomas is he is happy with himself i should be happy too, i was told this that god choose me as a special parent ..i don't see myself as being special all parents are special as long as they love and take care of their child the best they can xx

Thomas on You tube in the link below ..see for yourself Happy little man x