Someone recently said to me, “We are all in this autism boat together.” How true that is. I am extremely excited about this new venture and being a part of this creation. We welcome you stay for the journey.
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You read more about Max and me on our personal blog: The Autism Express
I can relate. Alex, who is 7yr, is very caring to me whenever I'm sick or sad.. I knew nothing about Autism or that he is on the spectrum until last year.. He has been diagnosed with PDD NOS.. I knew something was off. When he was 2 he wasn't talking and I mentioned this to his doctor and that's when his speech therapist started coming to our home.. She was the best. She really enjoyed working with him and seemed to really care about him... He started preschool for speech and motor skills,, just before his 3rd birthday = that was hard. What helped was that he couldn't wait to get on the bus!!!!
When we would go to the supermarket or anywhere he would say to other shoppers,, "Hi how are you?" and seem to want to start a conversation but that's as far as the conversation would go.
He is going to be in a group next year to help him with his social skills and I want to send him to camp this summer that specifically helps children with Autism with their social skills.
I know most who are diagnosed with Autism are in their own little world and Alex's teachers say he is sometimes. He has a teacher aid at school to keep him on track.
I just got off the phone with his special education teacher and she clarified alot of what I was worried about. I now know that once a child is in special education he will always be.. I was concerned that Alex was going to be lost in the system..
I've been through this before with my oldest son who did get lost in the system and I blame the school district we were at,, and myself. He was diagnosed with ADHD and emotional problems but I wasn't consistent with staying in touch with the school, especially when he started Middle school. He didn't want to go to school anymore and eventually droppped out. He has his GED, but I know he regrets not graduating. He told me just recently that he was being bullied then.
I'm mad at the school and myself for not noticing something was going on.
I remember at that time taking him to the middle school and a lady who was like the hall monitor who whould ALWAYS yell at my son. She was awful. I got a bad vibe from her the first time I met her.. I regret not being strong enough, that I didn't have the confidence to go into the school and talk to someone about her and my son't needs...
Hi Pamela!
I am so glad to see you. I know you have been through so much. It is easy to beat ourselves up for things that happened in the past. It is hard to be a parent but when you have children with special needs...it gets harder exponentially.
I am sure so many of our members can relate to your stories...troubles with the school system...bullies...and more. I hope we can have an honest conversation about all these topics and also give some suggestions as to what a parent can do in these situations.
Please do keep coming back and I hope you will write a sharepost or two or theree. :>) This has been my dream to be part of an autism site and I am very happy you are here to share.
Thank you for your comment and I will see you here and on MyDepressionConnection!
I think what comes so strikingly in your post, to me, is that everything and everyone's opinion must be challenged, that there is a need for skepticism. That one opinion is not the finish line. While there is a point where acceptance of a prognosis will come, prior to that time, judgment of your child and their ability, their future need not be subjugated to a degree, a position, a person who applies a one size fits all jacket to your child, or even to ourselves.
I know you written about Max a number of times on the ADHD site, and it has been a remarkable journey for your family. I think his and your experiences will help people just coming to grips with their own child, and that others can help with their experiences on seeing their child through the teen years and in adulthood where it is necessary, and it often is.
The good thing is, they don't all have to be positive stories, that people behind us can learn from all things, even the mistakes. I wish you luck, I know this has been something you've wanted.
Hey!
Thanks so much for coming and commenting. It means a lot to me. You betcha I am excited about this site. It has been a long time coming. The topic of autism is my passion and I hope to help other parents navigate this journey. I want parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, therapists, friends, people interested in autism, and individuals who have an autism spectrum disorder to feel comfortable here. This is a place for all.
Autism is such a broad spectrum but sometimes certain populations are left out of discussions...such as teens or adults. It is also my opinion that children, teens, and adults who need more care...and have more severe symptoms of autism are not fully represented in autism communities. I hope to change that here. I think what happens is that by the time a child reaches their teen years and they still have significant challenges due to their autism...it can be a very lonely time for both the family and the child. There is no longer the great support once received when they were young children.
I could go on and you know I want to but suffice to say...I want this to be a real community of support and like you say...to acknowledge the challenges and the bad times as well as the joys.
Looking forward to hearing more from you. Please do come back to share and to comment. Thanks so much for stopping by.
I certainly hope there is a chance. a good friend of mines son has autism and he lives a pretty much normal life. went to college(had to have a little extra help but then i did to in calculas,lol) and is enjoying life now. Another friends son has grown up and is I don't want to say adorable but maybe enchanting is the phrase I am looking for. He lives in a special home. I would give everything I have to see my son walk talk or speak for that matter. He was born premature and died for 20 to 30 minutes. He can show basic emotion. Joy, pain and that is about it. But when he shows his joy he has a smile that lights up the room so I am thankful for that. But yes I feel there is a place for everybody and although some have closed minds don't let them close yours. Just help him live to his potential(everyones is different) and be thankful for anything he can do.
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Hi, Merely Me - I'm so glad to see a site for autism! My son wasn't diagnosed until he was in middle school, although we knew he was developmentally disabled. I haven't done tons of research on it because I guess we just lived with it, didn't seem that there was that much information out there about it at the time.
As you know, my son, Nick, has been living in his own apartment for about five years and now has a full-time job with the federal government, thanks to the support he gets from a training and jobs program and a personal care agency, covered by Medicare and our county. I can write more about him at another time, but I just wanted to say that I'm glad to see this site! It will be a good place to share experiences and information. Thanks so much.
Awww thanks Judy!
I am very happy you are here. I would like everyone here to know how much Judy has helped me over the past years. You have given me so much support in dealing with these teen years...I can't thank you enough.
Yes...please do share your stories here. I am hopeful that this site will look more like a community very soon with shareposts and a lively back and forth between members just like on the depression site.
Thanks so much for stopping by and for commenting. You know how excited I am about all this and was so glad to share this news with you.