Hi new here need advice

[Fee]

Hi

It's great i found this forum on my first search and it looks great.
Anyway, I have a son of nearly 3 and he hasnt been diagnosed with anything as yet, I have heard autism mentioned a few times but i am still waiting to find out more.
I knew that he was different to my other children before he was 1, he was late with sitting, crawling, and walking. but i then found out he is hypermobility in all his joints. but still there seemed something different. I just couldn't put my finger on it. I always thought autism was a child that wouldn't look anyone in the eye, and wouldnt talk, but now i know there are deifferent types. my son will play with some adults, he is wary of some and comfortable with others. he can not seem to interact with other children in groups, if they touch him by accident he shys away from there touch, or he will scream and get distressed, he also does this when they touch his toy. he doesnt like to try different foods, and i can not change what he eats, as he wont try something new at all. he is still no where near potty trained, i can't get him to sit on a potty let a lone go in it, as it is something new to him again he can not try. he likes to play alone. He is also tactile defensive and can not tolerate the feel of things like foam, paints, sand, and doesnt like anything messy or sticky on his hands at all. He is speech delayed but im happy to say he has picked up a bit in the last few weeks. he is still having his bottle because i just can not change his milk to a lided cup, he doesnt like change at all. when he gets new clothing he doesnt want to wear it and it's a struggle to get it on him, he is ok when he has worn if for a while then he's ok. There are still other things which i have probably left out but i was just wondering am i right in thinking that he is autistic in some way? To be honest it really doesnt bother me if he does have this, i just need a diagnosis soon from the Dr's. despite all these little things, he is a very special little boy and to be i honestly think he is going to grow up qiute intelligent, not like his mum :o

Thanks for reading, hope someone can help.

fee

[Fee]

He also has a fear of height, he feels unable to go down steps alone even a kirb outside in the street. it's like he has not confidence with going up and down steps, he can not climb or get on to a kids small bike, he can not seem to even get his leg over, lack of balance i think.

fee

[Diana76]

[QUOTE=Fee]Hi Fee I know how you must feel, I am not a doctor but I have work with autistic children for five years and many of the characteristics your son has are signs of autism... If you need information on how to work in certaing things with your child I would be happy to help. You just have to be very patient and be very strict to start with. Anyway hope I can help you and take care..... Diana

It's great i found this forum on my first search and it looks great.
Anyway, I have a son of nearly 3 and he hasnt been diagnosed with anything as yet, I have heard autism mentioned a few times but i am still waiting to find out more.
I knew that he was different to my other children before he was 1, he was late with sitting, crawling, and walking. but i then found out he is hypermobility in all his joints. but still there seemed something different. I just couldn't put my finger on it. I always thought autism was a child that wouldn't look anyone in the eye, and wouldnt talk, but now i know there are deifferent types. my son will play with some adults, he is wary of some and comfortable with others. he can not seem to interact with other children in groups, if they touch him by accident he shys away from there touch, or he will scream and get distressed, he also does this when they touch his toy. he doesnt like to try different foods, and i can not change what he eats, as he wont try something new at all. he is still no where near potty trained, i can't get him to sit on a potty let a lone go in it, as it is something new to him again he can not try. he likes to play alone. He is also tactile defensive and can not tolerate the feel of things like foam, paints, sand, and doesnt like anything messy or sticky on his hands at all. He is speech delayed but im happy to say he has picked up a bit in the last few weeks. he is still having his bottle because i just can not change his milk to a lided cup, he doesnt like change at all. when he gets new clothing he doesnt want to wear it and it's a struggle to get it on him, he is ok when he has worn if for a while then he's ok. There are still other things which i have probably left out but i was just wondering am i right in thinking that he is autistic in some way? To be honest it really doesnt bother me if he does have this, i just need a diagnosis soon from the Dr's. despite all these little things, he is a very special little boy and to be i honestly think he is going to grow up qiute intelligent, not like his mum :o

Thanks for reading, hope someone can help.

fee[/QUOTE]

[Fee]

Thanks for your reply. I am getting a lot of support, i have two health visitors, a social worker, he goes to a developmental playgroup, physio, waiting for occupational therapy, and having speech therapy, so he's got a lot of help but i just feel i am asking questions that never seem to get answered, i would like a diagnosis soon so i can start to get out lives started if you unerstand what i mean, i feel im just wating for the day i can carry on with our lives. I am waiting for an appontment for an MDT meeting and then it will be looked at what way they can help him on his way to starting nursery and what extra help he needs there, it is already talked about of him having a one to one helper with him in nursery.

I just dont know how i can get him to make changes as it is very hard for him, ie. potty training, changing from a bottle to a cup with a lid. i have tried with a cup with no lid and he just doesnt see that he must'nt tip the cup right up. some days he shows such intelligance with the things he does and says and other days he just seems very younge again.
A month ago he had to go to hospital and it was a big ordeal for him and he was very upset by it all, and because of this it set him back again, now he has developed more fears, like having his face wiped, his bottom wiped, he cries like it hurts him. I have been told he could be mildly autistic, can you tell me the symptoms and if if his symptoms are that of a mildly autistic boy or could he be worse?

Thanks
fee

[AutMom]

Welcome to the group Fee, Sounds like your child has a lot of sensory issues. The OT should be able to help with this. Ask them about Sensory Integration Therapy.

I hope you get your answers soon, though you do have a lot of the supports and services lined up nicely already!:)
He may not be ready for potty training, and some of the other changes may have to be gradual, but they will come.

[clgonzal]

Hi fee

MNy son is 2 /12 yo and he fit perfectly what you're describing about behavior and sensitivity to food and touch. Amazingly we found an OT and BT that help us tremendously in the sensitive site and behavior, and also due to the following reading we did (my wife and I) I can tell you properly that sensitivity can be overcome with a lot of work, but fun work. We started to introduce him to all paint, playdoll, sand, mud, foam, cream shave, etc. in progresive way giving him rewards everytime he tries , for instance in bathtime, before you open water, have him undress add his favorites toys for bath time, and then in a part of the bathtub add shave cream and fill his hand with it, he at the beggining will act with horror, but remember you are not doing any harm to him, after a while he will enyoy playing with it.

We have done this this with paint, sand, you name it, and beleive he now get excited to play with all, it is very important for you to add fun and regards, like his favorite cookies, etc.

Very important to remark that you have to expose him to walk in sand, grass with no shoes, and let him get all mess up with it. I take my son three times a week for a walk in the playground with no shoes.

for Food we have introuce him to nuttela and others similir texture with flavor that kids love, because one of the important thing after you've red the book is to understand that his brain is telling him that this is dangerous to him when it is not.

Also I do a lot of massages to him with textures.

Reading:

out of sinc child
out of sync child has fun


claudio

[Fee]

Hi

Thanks for all the info you have all given me, it has been helpful, but i think i am going to find it hard to start to get him touching things and getting dirty and messy. He does attend a developmental playgroup once a week and she always gets them to do tactile play, ei, finger paints, foam, sand, as yet we haven't been able to get him to enjoy any of it, he just sits and look at it. I also find he has a fear of the bath, i just can not get him in it, he can not stand the water up past his knees so he wont sit in the bath at all.

Can I ask something else? His speech is delayed but he has improved bit over the last few weeks, and he speaks as much as he can in the house, but as soon as we go out to see anyone or go to his group where other people are clams up and wont speak, he will usually use signs with his hands or at a push whisper something, is this something that an autistic child will do?

Fee