[shortcake]

Hello, geez it just seems as if God is calllinggg me to work with autistic children. Last year i worked in class with a 3 year old named Keldon who was being suspected of having autism, and this year i moved to a new school and am working in a class with students my age, ( its high school, so the ages are around 14-20) and there is this boy named Alex. No one has ever told me he is autistic, but I am pretty sure he is. Something about autistic children just intrigues me. I just want to reach out to them and pull them back into this world or shine a light on them so they can have a friend. I've seen posts of children being cured of autism?? i thought that it was something that could not be cured.. i thought it was a disorder in the brain like retardation that you couldnt just.. be cured of.. but is this a misconception? Well I am going to be 17 soon, and I work with the kids for about an hour a day during their lunch and another class. Alex is probably 16 years old and he is just a delight!!! I sit down next to him and he stares out into the cafeteria eating an apple and i say " alex" and sometimes he doesnt look, so i say " ALLLEEXX" again and he looks at me and usualllyyy he thinks im saying how was your day, so he responds it was good! and i repeat my question, and well sometimes he just repeats me which isnt surprising, that is what i experianced with the 3 year old i worked with last year, but anyway, so i just ask him some questions and sometimes i just think eh.. he doesnt understand. but the other day i said " alex... do you like football?" and he said, " yes christian" my name is kristin, but he says christian lol, so i said " alex.. did u watch the superbowl" and he said " yes christian" and i thought hm.. hes just gonna keep sayin yes .. darn. so i said " alex.. who won the superbowl?" and u know what he said?!?! he raises his arms and goes " steelers"! I was so surprised!!! he was actually listening to me and understood what i was saying! it made me feel so happy! so i thought hey im on a role im gonna keep goin! i said " alex.. do u like baseball?" " yes christian" " did u watch the world series" " yes" " who won?" he goes " yankees!" and i said noo they didnt! and he said " red sox" and im like yea!! and then i remembered hmm wait they one last year not this year.. but maybe he didnt even watch this year so point being he understood and we made a connection and it was so awesome!! so is there a way for me to become friends with alex, and reach out and maybe bring him back into this world? will he come if i keep talking to him like he really is just another teenager? because he really is just another teenager! will he see that im trying to be his friend and communicate with me and will it help him to be " cured" im sorry the post is so long but if anyone read it thanks so much and i would appreciate any information, or advice u have! God bless u and have a great day!

[chautkiz02]

hey shortcake...

i understand how you feel, i am 18 and have worked with children with ASD for 4 years. i think its great that you want to do this!! just letting you know that not all kids are that responsive....some responses will hurt and sometimes they wont remember who you are, you've got to have alot of strength to keep on working. ASD kids don't understand societal conduct, so they wont feel any "duty" ( so to speak) to say hi to you or something. There is a HUGE range though....so some might and some might now.

let me know how it goes, and if you have any questions, i am always here! iam not saying i am an expert but i do have some experience...good luck, and keep reaching out to him!

[chautkiz02]

quoting myself: "...so some might and some might noT*" (not now) sry--typo.

[shortcake]

thanks for the reply ! alex usually does remember me tho, if he is hyper he will randomly wave and say HI CHRISTIAN! and if i say hi to him he'll usually say hi back to me, he knows me name ! lol but yea i just wish i could really reach out to him and just pull him back in because he seems so far away when hes in a trance and just not acknowledging the world around him ya know?

[chautkiz02]

i know what you mean....just try to always talk about whatever subject they bring up, and maybe somehow relate it to you...he'll make some connection that what you're sharing isn't what HE feels, its what YOU feel....and thats how it all starts i guess.

....not so sure that made sense. hah.

well...good luck!