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

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Hello everybody...
I've been away some months, fighting my battles to help my son improve his speech.
In my country I don't have any considerable professional advice so I kept studying through the nights. I got acquainted with the only ABA research group in Italy, in Parma University, but they only do research, they can't do early intervention. They gave me an huge help giving me research material I can use to help my son, so he only has 6 hours of intervention weekly, he has some speech therapy and the remaining time Stefano is with me and I just apply things I studied in the "natural" enviroinment.
He started speaking in sentences just a week ago, he is now 5.5.
I'm really proud of him. In Italy kindergarden is for 6 year old children, but special needs kids can delay an year, so I will do this to give him time to start kindergarden with the right skills.
I got acquaintance with some other parents too, and I have the challenging goal to introduce in italian schools the right education methods for autistic children. They are sadly underestimated here in my country, and even if we have an inclusive school, teachers don't know what to do with tis children and they give up early, also because they are told by professionals that there is not so much to do.
I learnt on WP that your children reached many goals, so I thought, why can't we do this also?

I'm updating because I read what you wrote about mainstream school. I agree that inclusive school is better and they have to interact with nt peers to progress properly. It's like I have the other half of your problem: inclusive school but improper teaching (but it's not teacher's fault).

And the reason I have not been posting is because I'm too depressed about my son's progress over the past year since we returned from the US.

We were expecting he'd flourish once he was in an English-only environment. He also goes to the special-needs preschool full time.

We are trying to get home services set up but all we are doing so far is fighting with the school system and the insurance companies.

Aside from a few small things here and there he really seems the same as he did a year ago. He still rarely speaks except to ask for preferred food items.

Still in diapers.

A neighbor reported us to DCF because my son got out of the yard.

My wife is stuck at home and cannot work because there is no one to watch the kids. We cannot afford daycare and my parents refuse to babysit.

We had a neuropsych test done. It came out inconclusive as he didn't really participate in the testing...the doc realized this but said at face value the results could mean ID/global developmental delay.

He is getting bigger and stronger now and it's hard when he resists things like getting off the school bus.

He turns 5 in a couple of weeks.

I have no idea what to do.

It is good that you want to help other children, but as the mother you must spend as much time as possible with your son during his formative years.

I have no choice because I have my job also. I have no extra time even for my needs...