RE: Kids w/ Classic Autism, PDD-NOS & Speech Delays

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When my NT daughter was young she used to call him "Buzzlike-ar" and imitate his famous phrase by shouting "TOOOOOFINIDEEEEE-AN-DEYONNN"

Interesting discussion. My son had trouble breastfeeding at first, but he figured it out after the first few days.

Getting him to give it up was the hard part! He finally did a couple of months or so before my second son was born.

My son likes that show, too. (As did I as a kid.)

Since we've been back he's also been getting into Dora the Explorer.

Another thing, not sure if I mentioned this yet but he is finally interested in having books read to him. His favorite book, he can even retell the story IN HIS OWN WORDS. It's amazing to hear.

It is wonderful that he is starting to get into listening to stories and even retelling his favorite story! It sounds like moving back to the states has really helped him.

Yes, we have noticed a lot of progress in the two months we've been back.

Hey all, we have had our iPad 18 months or so and my son has never really used it, he would swipe his finger around a but then lose interest..until about a week ago. We were wondering how we could ever show him how to turn it on and unlock it, but he just figured out through observation and trial and error I guess, I just came home a few days ago and there he was doing this stuff. He seems to be going through a development phase, tonight he allowed me to read him books and got excited, and was looking at me, then at the book, its great Trouble is getting him off the iPad now!
I took this vid tonight (note the annotations, really easy to do on youtube)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_fZNZDITCY[/youtube]

Cool! There are a few online kids programs that I've had to block on my younger son's PC due to him wanting to do the same program over and over and over again. However, the computer has been a great blessing for both of my kids--they can be learning while I'm busy or tired or need a break and so many great ready-made lessons.

My younger son uses my cheap Android pad when we go out somewhere that will be completely uninteresting to him (like the monthly daytime support meeting for the local Autism Society). However, he mainly uses the PC at home--programs which just involve using a mouse.

That's wonderful, my son has learned so much from using the ipad/phone. (We used his disability income recently to upgrade him to an ipad.)

He's cute! I'll try wooden puzzle with my son too

Nice!

App recommendation for iphone/ipad users:

Toca Boca my favorite app developer is making a new app "Toca Kitchen Monsters" available for FREE on April 5th. They released another FREE app around Christmas time (Toca Hair Salon: Christmas Gift), that's how I found out about them - I tried their free app and my son loved it so much I eventually wound up getting the rest of their apps. They're designed in such a way that makes them great for autistic kids, the only one I'd hesitate to recommend is "Helicopter Taxi" because it involves walking around and putting the device down on surfaces while playing (made my kid want to drop the device to land his helicopter).

You can see all the games here: http://tocaboca.com/

Hi everyone. We finally brought my son to the school for placement. It turns out that my old school district has an ABA-based program for autistic kids. He should be starting in a week or so. NOTHING like this was available in Japan.

That is wonderful!! ! They don't do ABA in the schools here in Texas (at least in the Austin area--this is the state capital and there have been various local news stories about the autism crisis and high local rates--I was even interviewed and e-mailed a copy of the interview to all of the legislators on the Texas education committee. I got a few sympathetic replies, but the government is basically just sitting on its hands around here). A friend with a non-verbal seven-year-old moved here from California and got a big shock--no ABA in the schools and no regional centers to coordinate services. My son's special ed inclusion support teacher (who helps him with math and directs the aid who helps him with language arts at school) didn't even know what ABA was! When I brought it up, she said, "What's that? We don't have anything like that around here."

A lot of the parents are highly educated and knowledgeable--lawyers, engineers, teachers, people with advanced degrees, etc., and know a lot about treatments, However, in the Texas schools, it's like nothing has changed in 20 years! There is also not a whole lot of state government regulation of things. As a result, you have some of the best doctors and treatments around for those with financial means, completely inadequate care for those who are impoverished, and a whole lot of hucksters tricking desperate people out of money or way-overcharching for educational interventions that could cost-effectively be provided by schools.

Last edited by blondeambition on 31 Mar 2012, 2:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I should move to USA javascript:emoticon('8O')

We knew some people with an Autistic girl, the father worked for Microsoft here, and went and transferred last year to the headquarters at Seattle specifically because there the company provides SN children of employees with unlimited free ABA, Occupational Therapy, Physical therapy, speech therapy..
If only! We spend about a third of our families after tax income on ABA at the moment and funding a teacher aide to work with him at school. I used to have thoughts of whether we were doing the right thing..particularly if its money that might be best saved and left for our children instead. I know we are doing the right thing now. But its does mean we don't have holidays or go out, and have to make other savings..like I have to repair our cars and things like that, and our mortgage is going nowhere.

I get a bit annoyed when I think of the Govts role in this. The Ministry of Education has authored several studies on the efficacy of ABA as early intervention, and all have come to the same conclusion other studies have..but of course the mantra is there is no money available.
I wonder how this cost to the state compares to that of housing and looking after a completely dependant NV Autistic adult from around age 20 for 40-50 years?
I'd be guessing its a ratio in the hundreds. Its so short-sited

I checked out a school for my 3 yo which provides ABA but they told me that the children in that class need more assistance than they think my son needs (my son is able to already do what they are working on in that class).

Do you think it makes sense to force the issue to still try and get him in the ABA class? I have heard alot of good things about ABA so I believe my son can only benefit from it. But, it doesn't seemed geared to children who are developmentally like my son.