Insight and support needed!

[emmy]

Hi- I've been reluctant to post this, as I am just coming to terms with some of it myself. Our youngest son, Chase, has always had something different and special about him. Now at 3 we enrolled him in preschool and he has done pretty well- his speech is still unitelligible so we start the evaluation process. We knew he was excessively shy and I guess we just didn't see some of the other signs- he's the baby and I just kept thinking he would "catch up"- well reality is hitting and they are coming up with diagnoses' such as "mild" autism and selective mutism- nothing confirmed yet by doctors or specialists. Well the evaluation process is really taking its toll on both Chase and I mentally right now- One behavior specialist in particular seems so hasty and almost cruel to him- after they traumatized him to the point that he stripped down naked and was shaking in a corner while I was in another room- I asked that everything be stopped so I could comfort and settle him. It took me almost an hour to calm him down and dress him. Then today when I took him to his preschool the anxiety was all back- I was so upset after he had made so much progress in school and in seperating from me!
What do you all do when you run into a situation like this with a teacher? Also does anyone have any good books or websites they can recomend? Thanks!

 

[teri]

Yipes! Sounds like quite an experience. Poor baby! The "Behavior Specialist" was obviously pushing the very issues that he has difficulty dealing with, and perhaps a bit too fast. Did your evaluation include an occupational therapist? I assume the hearing has been tested?

I have a few books and websites to consider.

Go look on your favorite book site, such as http://amazon.com
for Thinking in Pictures, by Temple Grandin. Excellent book. Excellent. You must get this book.

Just about anything written by Stanley Greenspan or his colleagues is useful. One of my favorites for families is The Child With Special Needs : Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth by Stanley I., Md. Greenspan, Serena, Ph.D. Weider, Robin Simon (Contributor), Serena Wieder

http://www.linguisystems.com
has some wonderful books about the autistic spectrum disorders, language delays, etc. Anything written by Gail Richards will be good, her books about autism and processing disorders are must-have books.

http://schwablearning.org
has lots of info about learning disabilities. Great site.

Feel free to ask questions, emmy

"My brain takes a vacation just to give my heart more room..."
teri@iluvdisney.com

 

[SueM in MN]

Sorry to hear about your and your son's experience.
I agree with teri that if his hearing hasn't been tested, it needs to be. Hearing can be tested even on people who are not able to cooperate.
i agree with teri about Temple Grandin's book. It is very interesting and awesome. She is a woman with high functioning autism and is able to explain very well what it feels like to be a person with autism.
Another good website is wExceptional Parent. This is a magazine that has been in existance for 25 + years and has been an advocate for parents with children with disabilities. You can probably find their January issue in your local library. It's the annual resource guide that has information on how to contact an organization for almost any disability you can imagine.

SueM in MN
Co-Moderator of disABILITIES

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[saymama]

PLEASE go to www.parentsplace.com. There's a whole page of boards there. There's a board for autism there. it's wonderful. You will find so much support, advice, and answers there.

To save time, here's a direct link to the new board. http://boards2.parentsplace.com/messages/get/ppautism64.html hope to see you there. I'm saymama there also.