April is Autism Awareness month

[timmymac24]

Thanks for the video link. I have been in public education for 30 years. Wrapping up my career as an eighth grade science teacher in public school setting. I have 100 students I see daily this year I have 3 students diagnosed with autism. Makes you wonder about the statistics. The students are way different as has been mentioned with their levels of autism. Thankfully the other students are very respectful of these students as well as other special Ed students in our school it gives a glimmer of hope for society I just pray it continues in high school. God bless all of you that have a student with special needs I only see them for 47 minutes a day for 175 days but they make a lasting impression on you in their own special way. One day at a time….

 

[bojangles808]

I am also an elementary special education teacher. A lot of admiration for the parents I work with and on this thread.

 

[Banded_spooney]

As far as if he will be interested in hunting. during the cognitive test my son put together a puzzle of a bear. When he finished, he got on the table stomped on it, and proceeded to tell the lady from UC Davis 'I'm gonna shoot it, then I'm gonna cut it" -- I'm in the other room freaking out... where are we going with this. then he stops and says 'then I'm gonna take it home and eat it"

She says are you talking about hunting, and he said "ya, I wanna go hunting"

So maybe there is hope he can one day pack an elk for me, my main reason for wanting sons.

 

[tuffcity]

The early years can be daunting. It's a whole new world of advocacy, patience (both with your child and others) set backs and big rewards. We had to battle local gov't, school boards and bullies- although his older brother "fixed" a few of those situations (which we found out about when the school called

With our son we found that, while it can be difficult, integration into events that the family does is key. Our family skiis so Marcus learned how to ski- that was an experience in itself. lol His brother and sister were competitive swimmers, and so was he. We like to travel and with repetition comes familiarity and he has traveled internationally by himself. Fortunately he a very outgoing person and is not afraid to ask for help.

He passed his hunter ed course about 6 years ago- fortunately there is a provision to do the exam orally as written tests are difficult for him. He can read very well and comprehend content but the translation from brain to page doesn't always flow well. He works at the local hospital. He is fully capable of looking after himself and our animals if we're away for for a while (as in a week or more).

Take pride in the little victories as well as the big ones (learning to tie his shoes ), protect but don't shield them from some of the adversities in your daily life and above all accept them for who they are- you'll probably be surprised in a good way more than you might think possible.

 

[Banded_spooney]

Thanks @tuffcity for starting this thread all those years ago

 

[mooretitan]

I daughter was diagnosed two years ago as mild moderate. She is a freshman now and the last two years have been very hard on the whole family. Academically she is doing well and is well above grade level in all her classes. The hard part is all the parts that come with it. As a young child she was able to cover a lot of it up but now socially she is struggling more. She is black and white thinker which makes things hard. Anyway good luck with all of it. It can be a rough ride. Its hard for very many people to understand how hard this is

 

[P Carter]

I daughter was diagnosed two years ago as mild moderate. She is a freshman now and the last two years have been very hard on the whole family. Academically she is doing well and is well above grade level in all her classes. The hard part is all the parts that come with it. As a young child she was able to cover a lot of it up but now socially she is struggling more. She is black and white thinker which makes things hard. Anyway good luck with all of it. It can be a rough ride. Its hard for very many people to understand how hard this is

Couldn't agree more.

I understood my son's reactions to things a *bit* more when I envisioned how stressful it would be to go through life entirely uncertain about how other people were going to react. Like, at any minute other people could respond with extreme kindness or could explode in anger with what you are doing, and you literally cannot predict that. And to the extent you can predict it, it's because you've thought it through; something like "Ok, last time Dad said we were running late and I asked for a yogurt parfait with fresh, diced fruit and nicely crumbled walnuts he totally flipped his crap and yelled at me, so this time I will not do that."

And that complete inability to read social situations is innate, real, and persistent. I think it can be dealth with but man, it's a tough one. Best of luck and you certainly have my thoughts and prayers!

 

[Banded_spooney]

"Ok, last time Dad said we were running late and I asked for a yogurt parfait with fresh, diced fruit and nicely crumbled walnuts he totally flipped his crap and yelled at me, so this time I will not do that."

I feel this one

 

[Scoot]

Man... some powerful posts in this thread. I don't have the kind of first hand experience many in here have, but I worked in a group home for 1 1/2 years, before starting grad school. That was eye opening and tough, rewarding work for sure. I applaud all of you who are living this- you deserve a pat on the back and an "atta boy" for the never ending effort you put in for the benefit of your kids. That comes with the territory of being a parent, but the job is different and in many ways greater for those who have kids with autism. Some absolutely awesome and inspiring info in this thread.

 

[Banded_spooney]

I’m now more determined than ever to try and make sure Billy gets to do the things I would have taken for granted had we not been given the diagnosis. He went on his first hunt this evening.

 

[tuffcity]

The interest in hunting is strong with this one. lol But he's also not deterred by lack of success. We did a week of moose hunting this fall and, while a shoulder replacement in June had me somewhat limited in where I could get to and realistically do, we got out and about. We called it the the No Hurry Hunting Trip. Found some moose but couldn't close the deal and Marcus got his first grouse. He was greatly fired up about that. He has his own licence and tags, can shoot very well (rim and centre fire) and next year- barring me doing something stupid to mess up another season- my focus will be on him getting his first big game.

 

[jnawalaniec]

What a great thread, I hope this one keeps going and more stories are shared. I don’t have children of my own but I’ve been working in the behavioral health field for the last 6 years. Currently working as the clinical director/BCBA of an Adult Autism Center in SLC. We primarily provide day treatment for individuals who are moderately to severely impacted by autism. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing clients make progress and have the opportunities to engage in/be apart of their community.

Parents keep sharing your stories, advocating for your children, and giving them the opportunities to engage in fulfilling activities.