Our son Little D was diagnosed a little over a year ago with being in the autism spectrum. He is now believed to have Asperger's Syndrome. If you would have told me a year ago that he would be the kid he is today, I would have thought you were lying. A year ago I was unsure about LD's future. I didn't know if he would have even a glimpse of a normal life. Now....the sky is the limit for what LD can achieve.
One year ago at this time our son could not communicate any of his needs verbally. He had many behavioral issues. His sensory issues were so bad and we had no idea how to deal with them. We were at a loss.
Now, our son is talking overtime and won't shut up! LOL He still has behavioral issues but we are learning more about them each day. His sensory issues can still be trying but at least we have techniques that help him get through the incidences.
Here is a little tidbit about what our little man has....Asperger's Syndrome:
History
Asperger's Disorder was first described in the 1940s by Viennese pediatrician Hans Asperger who observed autistic-like behaviors and difficulties with social and communication skills in boys who had normal intelligence and language development. Many professionals felt Asperger's Disorder was simply a milder form of autism and used the term "high-functioning autism" to describe these individuals. Professor Uta Frith, with the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience of University College London and author of Autism and Asperger Syndrome, describes individuals with Asperger's Disorder as "having a dash of Autism." Asperger's Disorder was added to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994 as a separate disorder from autism. However, there are still many professionals who consider Asperger's Disorder a less severe form of autism.
Characteristics
What distinguishes Asperger's Disorder from Autism Disorder is the severity of the symptoms and the absence of language delays. Children with Asperger's Disorder may be only mildly affected and frequently have good language and cognitive skills. To the untrained observer, a child with Asperger's Disorder may just seem like a normal child behaving differently.
Children with autism are frequently seen as aloof and uninterested in others. This is not the case with Asperger's Disorder. Individuals with Asperger's Disorder usually want to fit in and have interaction with others; they simply don't know how to do it. They may be socially awkward, not understanding of conventional social rules, or show a lack of empathy. They may have limited eye contact, seem to be unengaged in a conversation, and not understand the use of gestures.
Interests in a particular subject may border on the obsessive. Children with Asperger's Disorder frequently like to collect categories of things, such as rocks or bottle caps. They may be proficient in knowing categories of information, such as baseball statistics or Latin names of flowers. While they may have good rote memory skills, they have difficulty with abstract concepts.
One of the major differences between Asperger's Disorder and autism is that, by definition, there is no speech delay in Asperger's. In fact, children with Asperger's Disorder frequently have good language skills; they simply use language in different ways. Speech patterns may be unusual, lack inflection or have a rhythmic nature, or it may be formal, but too loud or high pitched. Children with Asperger's Disorder may not understand the subtleties of language, such as irony and humor, or they may not understand the give-and- take nature of a conversation.
Another distinction between Asperger's Disorder and autism concerns cognitive ability. While some individuals with autism experience mental retardation, by definition a person with Asperger's Disorder cannot possess a "clinically significant" cognitive delay and most possess average to above average intelligence.
While motor difficulties are not a specific criteria for Asperger's, children with Asperger's Disorder frequently have motor skill delays and may appear clumsy or awkward.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of Asperger's Disorder is on the increase, although it is unclear whether it is more prevalent or whether more professionals are detecting it. The symptoms for Asperger's Disorder are the same as those listed for autism in the DSM-IV; however, children with AS do not have delays in the area of communication and language. In fact, to be diagnosed with Asperger’s, a child must have normal language development as well as normal intelligence. The DSM-IV criteria for AS specifies that the individual must have "severe and sustained impairment in social interaction, and the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities that must cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning."
The first step to diagnosis is an assessment, including a developmental history and observation. This should be done by medical professionals experienced with autism and other PDDs. If Asperger's Disorder or high-functioning autism is suspected, the diagnosis of autism will generally be ruled out first. Early diagnosis is also important as children with Asperger's Disorder who are diagnosed and treated early in life have an increased chance of being successful in school and eventually living independently. To learn more, see Consulting with Professionals.
This information is from The Autism Society of America. To find out more about autism...please go to: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer
One child in every 150 is diagnosed with autism. Out of every 5 children, 4 are boys. These children need your compassion and understanding and your support to be heard. Please don't let this month go by without informing yourself a little more about autism.
Thank you from our family and from my beautiful boy who just happens to live life walking to a different beat then the rest of us.
God bless you.
Showing posts with label Serious. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Serious. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Lost Little D for 10 minutes today
I was so scared that I thought I would throw up.
Hubby was in the prayer room praying about this decision of leaving us for school. I got the kids from the nursery and went to wait outside of the room for him. A lady that runs the grief counseling group that I know was talking to me about what was going on and wanting my phone number to get some information to me. I let go of the kids (we were by a wall and it was pretty open ~ not too many people right next to us) and wrote it down. Princess Grabby Hands started toddling away and Little D ran after her to grab her with me following close behind. I grabbed PGH and next thing I knew, LD was nowhere to be found.
LD, being not even 3 years old yet and with autism, is completely fearless. I was petrified that he ran outside or any other worse situation that goes through a mom's mind when their kid is missing. I started dodging between people. There were so many there b/c it was right after the 9:30 service ended and people were coming in for the 11:00 service. I am shouting for LD at this point with everyone looking around to see who I was yelling for.
A woman from my retreat yesterday saw me and knowing my LD is autistic started searching frantically with me. She saw one of the security people (my hubby is on security too so we know them) and they went outside and alerted the greeters to look for him.
10 minutes seemed like 10 hours at this point. I must have made the rounds around the church at least 15 times. I had PGH in my arms and left the diaper bag by the prayer room door. I pass by the prayer room door on another pass and guess who is there trying to lift the diaper bag.....YES MY SON!!!! PRAISE THE LORD!
I just grabbed him and hugged him so tightly. I shoved both of the kids in the prayer room with daddy at this point (don't know why I didn't get him when this first happened but my brain was mush) and went to find those who were looking to tell them he had been found. By this time, my friend from the retreat was in tears herself and security was getting someone in a golf cart to drive around the parking lot. THANK YOU LORD FOR THOSE THAT CARE SO MUCH.
Needless to say, my eyes are red from crying now. We got to the van and buckled the kids in....I just lost it. I bawled for 5 minutes.
Yes, LD got "the lecture" about staying near mommy and never running off. And people wonder why I usually have him on a harness backpack thingy.
CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!
Hubby was in the prayer room praying about this decision of leaving us for school. I got the kids from the nursery and went to wait outside of the room for him. A lady that runs the grief counseling group that I know was talking to me about what was going on and wanting my phone number to get some information to me. I let go of the kids (we were by a wall and it was pretty open ~ not too many people right next to us) and wrote it down. Princess Grabby Hands started toddling away and Little D ran after her to grab her with me following close behind. I grabbed PGH and next thing I knew, LD was nowhere to be found.
LD, being not even 3 years old yet and with autism, is completely fearless. I was petrified that he ran outside or any other worse situation that goes through a mom's mind when their kid is missing. I started dodging between people. There were so many there b/c it was right after the 9:30 service ended and people were coming in for the 11:00 service. I am shouting for LD at this point with everyone looking around to see who I was yelling for.
A woman from my retreat yesterday saw me and knowing my LD is autistic started searching frantically with me. She saw one of the security people (my hubby is on security too so we know them) and they went outside and alerted the greeters to look for him.
10 minutes seemed like 10 hours at this point. I must have made the rounds around the church at least 15 times. I had PGH in my arms and left the diaper bag by the prayer room door. I pass by the prayer room door on another pass and guess who is there trying to lift the diaper bag.....YES MY SON!!!! PRAISE THE LORD!
I just grabbed him and hugged him so tightly. I shoved both of the kids in the prayer room with daddy at this point (don't know why I didn't get him when this first happened but my brain was mush) and went to find those who were looking to tell them he had been found. By this time, my friend from the retreat was in tears herself and security was getting someone in a golf cart to drive around the parking lot. THANK YOU LORD FOR THOSE THAT CARE SO MUCH.
Needless to say, my eyes are red from crying now. We got to the van and buckled the kids in....I just lost it. I bawled for 5 minutes.
Yes, LD got "the lecture" about staying near mommy and never running off. And people wonder why I usually have him on a harness backpack thingy.
CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!
Friday, September 7, 2007
The ER needs an overhaul!
I am so frustrated right now. Princess Grabby Hands had a good fall and hit her head. After a short while she wasn't seeming right but I couldn't tell if it was because of the fall or if there could have been other reasons.
After debating back and forth between hubby and myself for about 20 minutes, we decided that I should take her in to the ER just to get checked out. A "better safe then sorry" moment.
I get to the ER and it's got some people in the waiting room but not super crowded or anything. I sign her name on the clip board and just ask the security guard if someone can just talk to me for a minute to make sure she doesn't need to be seen right away due to it being a one year old with a potential head injury which can go from bad to worse relatively quickly. He said he'd tell the nurse.
I wait and wait and wait and wait. 30 minutes go by and I don't even see a nurse anywhere. Yes, I'm still in the waiting room and nobody has looked at PGH (not even a quick flashlight in the eyes check). I finally see a nurse calling up the next person on the list who happens to be about four people ahead of us and it is the first person to be called since I walked in. He says he needs to use the restroom and I take that moment to go up and talk to the triage nurse.
The triage nurse looks at my daughter for two seconds, says she's alert, seems fine and we'll see her when we get to her. Ok....since when do you know all that from looking at a child for two seconds? She was over a foot away from her. I wasn't expecting for us to by pass everyone there but would it have hurt them to look at her for at least a minute or two just to determine if there was a more immediate need because of it being a head issue?
I sat back down and waited about another 20 minutes and nobody else was called so I just left. I figured at this point if my PGH was going to have anything big happen, it would have happened and she was getting mad at me for holding her because she wanted to go explore the waiting room. I figured she was fine at that point.
This is the second time in that ER that I felt completely neglected. I understand ER's are busy but when someone comes in with a child with possible head trauma they should at least pretend to care because that is nothing to fool around with.
I've been there before waiting to see if I broke my ankle and had nobody even offer me an ice pack after an hour and a half. Finally hobble down to the nurses station and there is like 20 people sitting around talking and laughing. AND NOBODY CAN EVEN COME TO MY ROOM WHERE THEY LEFT ME FOR OVER AN HOUR AND SAY THE DOCTOR IS BUSY BUT WOULD YOU LIKE AN ICE PACK????? That is uncalled for!
I told them I wanted to leave right then and wanted my discharge papers. I left a complaint then and so did my hubby when I got home. He called because he was so angry with them. This ER used to be pretty good. I don't know what happened in the last year but it went down hill fast!
Sorry not a funny post today but right now it's hard to do funny when I want to (as hubby puts it) get out my pitch forks and torches and go storm the place.
By the way, PGH seems fine and we did a whole head injury assessment after we got home and she didn't have anything that would indicate a serious injury at that point. She is resting comfortably and we are checking on her every 30 minutes to be sure she is fine.
After debating back and forth between hubby and myself for about 20 minutes, we decided that I should take her in to the ER just to get checked out. A "better safe then sorry" moment.
I get to the ER and it's got some people in the waiting room but not super crowded or anything. I sign her name on the clip board and just ask the security guard if someone can just talk to me for a minute to make sure she doesn't need to be seen right away due to it being a one year old with a potential head injury which can go from bad to worse relatively quickly. He said he'd tell the nurse.
I wait and wait and wait and wait. 30 minutes go by and I don't even see a nurse anywhere. Yes, I'm still in the waiting room and nobody has looked at PGH (not even a quick flashlight in the eyes check). I finally see a nurse calling up the next person on the list who happens to be about four people ahead of us and it is the first person to be called since I walked in. He says he needs to use the restroom and I take that moment to go up and talk to the triage nurse.
The triage nurse looks at my daughter for two seconds, says she's alert, seems fine and we'll see her when we get to her. Ok....since when do you know all that from looking at a child for two seconds? She was over a foot away from her. I wasn't expecting for us to by pass everyone there but would it have hurt them to look at her for at least a minute or two just to determine if there was a more immediate need because of it being a head issue?
I sat back down and waited about another 20 minutes and nobody else was called so I just left. I figured at this point if my PGH was going to have anything big happen, it would have happened and she was getting mad at me for holding her because she wanted to go explore the waiting room. I figured she was fine at that point.
This is the second time in that ER that I felt completely neglected. I understand ER's are busy but when someone comes in with a child with possible head trauma they should at least pretend to care because that is nothing to fool around with.
I've been there before waiting to see if I broke my ankle and had nobody even offer me an ice pack after an hour and a half. Finally hobble down to the nurses station and there is like 20 people sitting around talking and laughing. AND NOBODY CAN EVEN COME TO MY ROOM WHERE THEY LEFT ME FOR OVER AN HOUR AND SAY THE DOCTOR IS BUSY BUT WOULD YOU LIKE AN ICE PACK????? That is uncalled for!
I told them I wanted to leave right then and wanted my discharge papers. I left a complaint then and so did my hubby when I got home. He called because he was so angry with them. This ER used to be pretty good. I don't know what happened in the last year but it went down hill fast!
Sorry not a funny post today but right now it's hard to do funny when I want to (as hubby puts it) get out my pitch forks and torches and go storm the place.
By the way, PGH seems fine and we did a whole head injury assessment after we got home and she didn't have anything that would indicate a serious injury at that point. She is resting comfortably and we are checking on her every 30 minutes to be sure she is fine.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Lifehouse 'Everything' (A serious note)
This video sums up my life. A friend of mine gave me this link to this video. I would never have thought it would be a video about me in so many ways. I just sob every time I watch it (which has been about 4 times today at least so far).
I have been down that road of many temptations after being raised a good Christian girl as a child. I could have said no but the temptations were very appealing and I made wrong choices. I went down the road of my own accord...it didn't just "happen" to me. I wasn't a victim that just stood there and let people make me do things. I was a mess who made my own bed and had to lie in it. I have just come out of a year long depression where I hit rock bottom and couldn't even enjoy my marriage or children anymore. I was just numb and went through life as if I were already dead. I had put most of my horrid past behind me many years ago but the feelings that put me down that road left scars all over my heart.
I am now filled with the spirit. I had to fight to get back but once I wanted it in my heart, God made it easier for me to get there. I now am filled with His glory and am living a beautiful life no matter what stresses surround me. I have complete faith once again and that is what this video represents to me. It seems very straight forward with theology to me. God does not just give you the life you want because you want it. You have to come to Him and fill yourself up with His love to get back the life you truly should have! Once He sees that you have been completely truthful with Him and are fighting the temptations that you once succumbed to, He comes to you and helps you resist those temptations and saves you from the wreckage that was your former life.
I can see my life clearly in this video. I was amazed by God as a child. I was tempted to do wrong things including lie, cheat, steal, drugs...the list of things that I could not admit to anyone (not even myself) goes on and on. I pretended it wasn't me who lived that life. I shoved the shame and memories of it to the back of my mind not wanting anyone to see who I really had been. I was only fooling myself because my God knew all that I had done. I was depressed and miserable. I didn't see any way through the blackness. I never considered suicide but my heart was already dying. Once I admitted to Him my sins and asked for Him to take me back, I realized the choices I was making made my own life miserable and there was only one answer. I fought to return to Him I fought hard and pleaded with our Creator to take control of my life back because I didn't deserve to have any control over it anymore. I was just fooling myself to think I ever had control of it to begin with. Only my Creator should be in control and I begged for Him to release me from my own self destruction. I cried hard on that day two short months ago in my van as I drove along to nowhere not wanting to go home right then. I knew that I needed to give my life to Him. Only my Lord Jesus could take my pain away and only my Lord Jesus could redeem my soul.
Once I finally had gotten it in my heart that He is the only one who could save me from myself then our Lord met me the rest of the way as he did for the girl in this video. She fought her way back to him and just when she could be beaten no more but was tired from the fight, He came to save her and bring her back to His protective embrace of nothing but love. That was me. I fought hard and once God saw that I wanted Him but had no fight left in me, He drew me up in His arms and said "I'll take it from here, you just follow." I was trying hard but still stumbling along.
I was in church a few weeks later listening to a sermon about Biblical Outlaws (Those that did not follow the crowd and did what they felt was right instead). The sermon by Pastor Bob that day included an example between the show "Flip This House" and what Pastor Bob was challenging us to do.... "Flip This Life." By the end of the sermon I knew the Pastor was talking directly to me. The final song was being sung and I just sat there. Before I could get to the refrain, my voice could no longer sing and I was in tears in my husbands arms crying so hard that I could feel everything for the first time in a long time. I knew right then that Jesus collected me up in His arms and said "Trust in Me and I will lead you to where you need to go." My life has not been the same ever since that day. I can walk high with Jesus by my side and see all the glory around me. My husband and I have not fought in a month. We are having struggles with other parts of life but God is showing us His plan and we are accepting it without doubt. We are not stressed even though my husband is unemployed. We are not stressed even though our son has a disability. We are not stressed while dealing with two rambunctious toddlers in our house. We are rejoicing that we are together and that God is in our home. We are rejoicing that our son is progressing wonderfully and we love him just the way he is. We are rejoicing that God blessed us with two beautiful children after we struggled through infertility and losses. God is truly good ALL THE TIME!
This video is beautiful and such a witness to knowing that anyone can get redemption if they seek it from our gracious Lord! I have and I now feel blessed each day I am here on this earth. I am trying to walk in our wonderful God's footsteps as closely as I can. I know I will stumble and fall because I am human but I know that He will pick me back up and help me walk with him again.Please watch this video and let it touch you as it has me. It reinforced my strength and love for God. It made me realize the fight to stay in his path is never ending but I will not let myself get to the point of being so far from Him that I can no longer see his face. If His face begins to fade, I will know that I am doing something wrong and race back to his path! God bless you and keep you for all eternity!
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5
I have been down that road of many temptations after being raised a good Christian girl as a child. I could have said no but the temptations were very appealing and I made wrong choices. I went down the road of my own accord...it didn't just "happen" to me. I wasn't a victim that just stood there and let people make me do things. I was a mess who made my own bed and had to lie in it. I have just come out of a year long depression where I hit rock bottom and couldn't even enjoy my marriage or children anymore. I was just numb and went through life as if I were already dead. I had put most of my horrid past behind me many years ago but the feelings that put me down that road left scars all over my heart.
I am now filled with the spirit. I had to fight to get back but once I wanted it in my heart, God made it easier for me to get there. I now am filled with His glory and am living a beautiful life no matter what stresses surround me. I have complete faith once again and that is what this video represents to me. It seems very straight forward with theology to me. God does not just give you the life you want because you want it. You have to come to Him and fill yourself up with His love to get back the life you truly should have! Once He sees that you have been completely truthful with Him and are fighting the temptations that you once succumbed to, He comes to you and helps you resist those temptations and saves you from the wreckage that was your former life.
I can see my life clearly in this video. I was amazed by God as a child. I was tempted to do wrong things including lie, cheat, steal, drugs...the list of things that I could not admit to anyone (not even myself) goes on and on. I pretended it wasn't me who lived that life. I shoved the shame and memories of it to the back of my mind not wanting anyone to see who I really had been. I was only fooling myself because my God knew all that I had done. I was depressed and miserable. I didn't see any way through the blackness. I never considered suicide but my heart was already dying. Once I admitted to Him my sins and asked for Him to take me back, I realized the choices I was making made my own life miserable and there was only one answer. I fought to return to Him I fought hard and pleaded with our Creator to take control of my life back because I didn't deserve to have any control over it anymore. I was just fooling myself to think I ever had control of it to begin with. Only my Creator should be in control and I begged for Him to release me from my own self destruction. I cried hard on that day two short months ago in my van as I drove along to nowhere not wanting to go home right then. I knew that I needed to give my life to Him. Only my Lord Jesus could take my pain away and only my Lord Jesus could redeem my soul.
Once I finally had gotten it in my heart that He is the only one who could save me from myself then our Lord met me the rest of the way as he did for the girl in this video. She fought her way back to him and just when she could be beaten no more but was tired from the fight, He came to save her and bring her back to His protective embrace of nothing but love. That was me. I fought hard and once God saw that I wanted Him but had no fight left in me, He drew me up in His arms and said "I'll take it from here, you just follow." I was trying hard but still stumbling along.
I was in church a few weeks later listening to a sermon about Biblical Outlaws (Those that did not follow the crowd and did what they felt was right instead). The sermon by Pastor Bob that day included an example between the show "Flip This House" and what Pastor Bob was challenging us to do.... "Flip This Life." By the end of the sermon I knew the Pastor was talking directly to me. The final song was being sung and I just sat there. Before I could get to the refrain, my voice could no longer sing and I was in tears in my husbands arms crying so hard that I could feel everything for the first time in a long time. I knew right then that Jesus collected me up in His arms and said "Trust in Me and I will lead you to where you need to go." My life has not been the same ever since that day. I can walk high with Jesus by my side and see all the glory around me. My husband and I have not fought in a month. We are having struggles with other parts of life but God is showing us His plan and we are accepting it without doubt. We are not stressed even though my husband is unemployed. We are not stressed even though our son has a disability. We are not stressed while dealing with two rambunctious toddlers in our house. We are rejoicing that we are together and that God is in our home. We are rejoicing that our son is progressing wonderfully and we love him just the way he is. We are rejoicing that God blessed us with two beautiful children after we struggled through infertility and losses. God is truly good ALL THE TIME!
This video is beautiful and such a witness to knowing that anyone can get redemption if they seek it from our gracious Lord! I have and I now feel blessed each day I am here on this earth. I am trying to walk in our wonderful God's footsteps as closely as I can. I know I will stumble and fall because I am human but I know that He will pick me back up and help me walk with him again.Please watch this video and let it touch you as it has me. It reinforced my strength and love for God. It made me realize the fight to stay in his path is never ending but I will not let myself get to the point of being so far from Him that I can no longer see his face. If His face begins to fade, I will know that I am doing something wrong and race back to his path! God bless you and keep you for all eternity!
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5
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