Does anyone have a special needs child? I have a developmentally delayed / Autistic 7 year old son. Any advise

Answer 1

I work with special needs children (several have been autistic) and I love what I do :)

For me, I don't treat then any different than I would any other child. The last girl I worked with was for two years (she is now 5 1/2) and if she dumped the toys, she needed to pick them up. She was expected to follow the routine along with everyone else and the thrived. Her parents we thrilled to see that she would now sit at the table and do a puzzle (when I first started working with her she wouldn't sit longer than ten seconds and forget puzzles), that she would make eye contact etc.

Best adivce, is to love her :)

Answer 2

My 7 year old son is ADHD and Autistic. Your son will be fine if you are fine. If you can get respite once a week, so you can have sometime for yourself....do it. If you are stressed, so will he. Is your son social? My son is nonverbal but loves people (he is an exception to the rule). He has to have a establish routine, Autustic kids strive on routine. If they know whats coming next it eases the transition for them. I don't know if your son is verbal or not. Socialize your child, they need to be able to function around kids his own age and adults. Adults can be just a stupid as kids. You should see the looks and comments I get if my son gets overwhelmed. There are a few things that you could try...like diet. They say that some autistic kids have food allergies. They get misdiagnosed. There is a diet called CFDF diet. That diet consists of no wheat or dairy. I have read a few stories of kids doing a 100% turn around when put on this diet. Also there a rumour that autism is caused by mercury in vaccinations. There are drops call Zeolite Natural defense. http://www.zeoliteautismstudy.com/home/ It removes all the toxins in there system. Its safe and cannot hurt to try. I am just waiting for mine to show up. I'll keep you posted

Answer 3

I work with special needs students in K-6 grade, and it can be challenging. I assume you have had your son tested and is in a special education program. Do what the specialists working with your son advise you to do. Also, Autistic children do best with structure and routine. You can write or set up a daily picture schedule, so he will know what will be happening during the day. You should also be reading to him daily. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. Your local Regional Center is a great resource.

Answer 4

Our 11-year-old son is Autistic as well. He's high functioning and therefore we're able to have him in mainstream classes... for the moment. Unfortunately, the older he gets, the more the autistic traits seem to manifest. We try very hard to keep him on a balanced schedule which seems to keep his anxieties down. We also attend parenting classes for parents with autistic children which help us keep our sanity by realizing that we're not the only ones with the issues we're facing.

One of the other challenges we face is that we have a 6-year-old daughter and two week old son who are not special needs. We try to keep a normal, healthy balance for them since they also require attention. Sometimes it's hard since our oldest can be quite a handful. Regardless, we love them all.

A great site to go to for education as well as possible classes/support groups in your area is the Autism Society of America... www.autism-society.org.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I pity you for a very simple reason -- you may someday become the mother of a teenager who has just soiled his pants! Dear God, I am so glad I have no kids because I can't imagine a person 13-29 getting on with their life after a #2 accident! (I am 23 and haven't flatulated in my clothes for over 12 years for this very reason -- don't know what would happen if I messed up at an age over 10!) But if you can still love him after something like that, you're a much better person than I and I'm glad there are people like you in this world. I refuse to have kids for THAT REASON (fear of #2 accidents happening), so if everybody was like me the population would drop down to nothing!

Answer 6

my 6 year old son has autism and all i can say is take it one day at a time. if he is capable of doing parks and recs programs i would suggest. my son is in a group called adventure play ground with another autistic child. she is 10 and understands more then my son but they can do it with help. i stay around in case of a meltdown. the best thing is to treat him like a person not like an outsider and others his age with be more likely to want to help out and be great friend

Answer 7

My 4 yr old has autism, he's extremely high-functioning, and I do my own therapies with him, and am getting ready to homeschool him, so I understand. The best piece of advice I can give, is remember that he's YOUR son, and don't let the therapists and school take control of him. Learn everything you can about the disorder and how it affects YOUR child, and do as much with him on your own as you can.

Answer 8

Boy are some people insensative! I can understand my brother is profoundly mentally delayed, my Mom and I stick together and family is everything! Just pray and stay close to your family. If ya ever need anything drop me an IM or Email.

Answer 9

My children? They both had someone to %. up after them and now they go away each and every thing because it falls... i imagine my daughter is somewhat better. That pair have had each and every thing surpassed to them - extra remote places journeys than i have had - and that i'm no longer certain they were finished a favour - both want to get their priorities proper and get their own homes particularly of waiting on moms and dads to cark it...their grandparents lived to be almost 100 on their mom's aspect....

Answer 10

My son has down syndrom and I treat him just like my other two children. I don't baby him I make him work when neede. I know that sounds cruel to some but you have to understand what it is like. They are wonderful though aren't they?