[bettynme]

I am posting here to hoping to recieve some realistic outlook and advice... My husband and I are looking to adopt and have a meeting scheduled for next week. Among the diagnosis for one of the children was "mild autistic disorder" I have tried to do some research but as I can not find a clear definition of what this might entail. If you know of any websites that might help us prepare questions or understand what we may hear please share. Thank you in advance for your time.

[xxsurroundedbyxy]

There are many levels of Autism and you will need to really do your homework before deciding on a child with this diagnosis.

I would suggest you get info on Asperger's Syndrome since it is the most common form of "mild" autism.

As a classroom teacher, I have had many students with this syndrome. They are highly intelligent and have very few "ticks" if any. The one thing that did stand out among them all was their social awkwardness. Many only had ONE friend and preferred it that way. The only problem to that is that the other child may not want to be Timmy's only friend because when they are trying to play with other friends Timmy behaves oddly. Also, when I paired children up, little Timmy would shut down if he was not placed on the same team as his only friend.

Because they are highly intelligent, I had a few who would laugh at other student's answers when having a class discussion. A couple would even go so far as to say that another student was "beneath" them.

They are not intentionally rude this way, but have to be taught social rules because they don't pick up on societies unspoken rules or facial expressions etc.

The child will need therapy and will qualify for a number of special services with this diagnosis. It will help. Also, if this child is young, you will be responsible for building his/her social repetoire by having playdates and many other opportunities for them to build social skills in your presence before sending them off to school where other children will notice their awkwardness immediately.

Good luck!
Kim

[kittymari]

I could really use some advice on this issue also!
Our AD teacher called us last Monday night and told us she felt our DD had mild- high functioning Austism! What a shocker.....never had thought about all the social issues and etc. problems we were having with her, it could be that, but then we never really knew too much about Autism, until after she suggested it and we started checking web sites and took her to the doctor. The doctor agrees she needs to be checked ASAP, because in the short visit time the doctor seen her, she could see a few things that would also suggest it.
Her teacher was telling us, that she began to notice things (patterns) about 2 months ago, and began to keep track....DD would go to the bathroom and forget she had to come back....she would be lost in the hallway, unsure of where she was to go. In the middle of a lesson, she gets up and goes and looks at the bullition board in the back of the room.....and will just stand there, lost in time....
We are waiting on the doctor to call us back to set up her appt. with the other doctors she needs to see.
Any advice on our DD would be greatly app. also!

[CatLadyof_2]

My nephew has autism. He is currently in 3rd grade. In school he does have an aid with him to help him keep focused on his work and proper classroom behavior. He gets tested every so often for minerals in his body. There are some suppliments that he needs to take to help with this. He is also on a very restricted diet-no wheat, no yeast, no milk, no molds, no added food colors, no chocolate. He has been receiving at home therapy after school and on the weekends.

He works best with a routine but in therapy they try and work with him on breaking routines so he is not so upset when things are not the same. He does a lot of stimming (ex. hand flapping) when he is excited. He is communicating more and more every day. His therapists work with him on making eye contact with the person he is talking to and how to ask/answer questions. He loves to read and of play on the computer.

Many autistic kids are very fixated on certain things-he can tell you the full name of any dinasour you show him-my little rain man!

I hope this answers some of the questions you may have

Mary

[Mrs_Tammy94]

I know some states have better programs.....I know at our schools here they have a West Lakes Program. They just had a acticle in the paper today. Here is the website :

Mothers praise special ed program
MUNSTER | The lives of George Howard and Kyle Dytrych always will be marked by autism, but their mothers feel blessed to be in a school setting that will help the students reach their potential and improve their quality of life. "We found a place tha...
3.8K - Feb. 10, 2008; scored 160.0
Mothers praise special ed program / nwi.com

I hope this helps.

[momraine]

It's such a wide spectrum, my son is in high school now and gets no extra help, he always tests very high and is very smart. He has almost a photographic memory for some things (he can quote a movie word for word after seeing it once) but forgets to turn in his homework. He does not read or speak body language easily, we have taught him some and had to teach him simple social rules that other people just get naturally. He usually has no facial expressions, he could be exstatic or angry or depressed and his face would not change. I know him well enough to look for other clues. Teachers are not qualified to diagnose this, get to the doctor and let them diagnose it.
Ps we also went throught he dinosaur thing, my son could tell me the full name, what era it was from and what it ate and where they had found the most fossils of that kind. This was all at six years of age. Now he is into other things, but still loves science.

[kikakisha]

Autism - Topic Overview - Yahoo! Health
here is a site for the defanition for autism

[cksmom]

Originally Posted by bettynme

I am posting here to hoping to recieve some realistic outlook and advice... My husband and I are looking to adopt and have a meeting scheduled for next week. Among the diagnosis for one of the children was "mild autistic disorder" I have tried to do some research but as I can not find a clear definition of what this might entail. If you know of any websites that might help us prepare questions or understand what we may hear please share. Thank you in advance for your time.

How old is the child? What are the symptoms or red flags this child is presenting?

Autism is sometimes tough to dx in very young children or toddlers especially in kids that are on the more mild end of the spectrum. Aspergers is usually dx'd in older children ( over 4-5) and most Aspie kids excel in reading, math and complex speech early. Speech delays are usually a big red flag for non-Aspie kiddos.

here is a good link:

Autism, Asperger's syndrome, PDD-NOS and related disorders: fact sheets to help parents

I'm not an expert, just a mom with a 5 yo son on the spectrum.

[vernellinnj]

My friend's son has had amazing success with the Son Rise Program. see link

Autism Treatment Center of America: The Son-Rise Program

[AlexzandersMom]

Originally Posted by bettynme

I am posting here to hoping to recieve some realistic outlook and advice... My husband and I are looking to adopt and have a meeting scheduled for next week. Among the diagnosis for one of the children was "mild autistic disorder" I have tried to do some research but as I can not find a clear definition of what this might entail. If you know of any websites that might help us prepare questions or understand what we may hear please share. Thank you in advance for your time.

My son is 4 and is on the mild end of the spectrum. He has sensory integration disorder, speech problems, has obsessions that change every six months or so, he flaps when he is excited or angry, his stims are laying on the floor passing a car in front of his eyes (he would do this for hours if I let him), he has major problems transitioning, and some others I can't think of right now. It's not easy to raise a child on the spectrum but it is so rewarding. You learn to celebrate every little accomplishment and you learn so much from these special children. My son is in an early childhood program where he recieves speech and occupational therapy and I also suppliment both outside of school. He will hopefully be starting ABA therapy soon.
There are many therapy options out there like ABA therapy, floor time, GFCF diet, suppliments, OT, ST, PT, ect. Not all of the therapies work the same for each child so you would have to keep trying different ones until you see results. If you want to try the diets and suppliments I would look up a DAN Doctor. If you have any more questions pm me. I am not a specialist by any means just a parent.

[rosed6914]

OASIS.com is a great website with vast information of Asperger's Syndrome and PDD--two forms of high functioning autism.

My son was diagnosed with Asperger's at eight. Middle school, ages 12 and 13 were horrible for him. We put him in a school that had a total therapeutic, behavorial, and educational program--he is doing wonderful, about to graduate from high school, drives, has a part time job, and has just enrolled himself at the local college.

I will not lie, we had some very difficult years. As a baby, he was totally overwhelmed with life in general. We could not have friends over, go to restaurants, or go to the mall--I stayed home a great deal.

It takes a great deal of time and effort to help these kids develop social skills, and the meltdowns can go on for hours when they are young.

Be patient, consistent, and loving--the return is remarkable. My son is now loving, caring, and compassionate to everyone that he meets.