Autism Spectrum

[AshleyBcaptain of 1,000]

So some people are aware that my oldest son can be a bit of a challenge for me. For the life of me I just could not figure out what I was doing wrong and why he wouldn't do things kids younger than him would do. I have blamed myself and there have been days where I have literally felt like pulling my hair out over a loss for what to do to help him. When he turned 3 is when I started to realize he was not quite typical for his age. I'd sometimes bring it up to different people and they would just tell me "Oh he's just being a toddler." But somewhere along the way I just knew there was more to it then that.

Lots of people have tried to give me advice for helping his behavioral issues which I have always appreciated but always found the advice quite lacking. Only because they are never REALLY aware of just how difficult he can be and don't really know him or how much time I already have to spend doing things and disciplining him. He is an incredibly bright, and happy little boy and has so many great qualities but he can definitely be a challenge.

After the suggestions of multiple friends I decided to take him in to some state behavioral specialists to have him evaluated. But not with a Dr. In the past few months we have taken him to three evaluations and it has been determined that he IS on the Autism Spectrum. Which is quite a wide spectrum. We are still waiting for the final report. The evaluations turned out to be quite enlightening actually. My gut feeling was that he has adhd but it's possible he is just high functioning Autistic. Either way he's still on the spectrum. It was great to be able to talk with the professionals and have them confirm that they are seeing my concerns and seeing what I see. There area couple things they brought to my attention that I had not even thought of. He does have good eye contact and speaks and does many things and has a lot of strengths but his hyper activity and inability to follow directions and to engage in a two way conversation were a couple of the reasons for concern.

I feel so grateful to HF and blessed to have my prayers answered and have the help and support I have been given. I am especially grateful to a friend of mine that finally helped me to get the courage to take him in and have him evaluated. She brought me lots of excellent books and brought me the numbers I needed to get things set up and told me where to go and has been a great support for me. She has an adopted son who is more severely Autistic but they have made really great progress with him. It is amazing how much the Holy Spirit helps because I have discovered certain ways that HF was directing me to help him before I even really knew what was going on with him and I was already on the right track with diet and the supplements I was giving him and different things I had begun to do with him because of the Spirit directing me.

HF knows how hard I am on myself as a mother and how I want to really help my children and give them what they need. So many little pieces to the puzzle have begun to make sense. Like some things it says in my husbands PB about how he and his companion would struggle during much of his children's growing up years to know how best to help them and get the most amount of growth from them and their gifts and talents. I am grateful to HF for his great mercy and kindness and for telling me through more than one witness that my son was going to be alright and that HF placed Him with me because of my gifts and talents and knew I would be able to help him. That knowledge has given me a lot of peace and comfort through out this process. Because inspite my best intentions I am far from being a perfect mother and I have to fight against doing some of the same things my parents did to me on a regular basis.

It saddens me how many children are coming into the world faced with all of these difficulties because of the environment we live in. With all of those metals and harmful substances in vaccines, and our poor agriculture and diets. It amazing to see how the immune system and the digestive system are so intertwined and when you begin to research you can see how many of these epidemics are connected and are caused by the same things. I finally have my boys lined up to see an allergist and my husband and I both will be going in to get tested as well. My youngest son has always been on rice milk because he couldn't handle the dairy. I just wanted to share the ways HF has been helping me and to say that if there are any other moms out there suspecting some things are not just typical toddler behaviors don't be afraid to get them evaluated. It can feel overwhelming and scary at first but there is also a lot of peace that can come from getting answers and help and support.

[Gadcaptain of 1,000]

My oldest son (now 9) started autism intervention when he was 3. It was a school district provided program. They started with him in the most severe side and worked with him one on one. It was a great help.

My advice is to try to get him into such a program. It was a big help. Also, we took a love and logic class that really helped as well. Also, the autism spectrum has been defined so widely that you should be a bit careful. It is such a wide net that some things simply don't apply to everyone.

(<minor rant>I really wish people would just drop this spectrum thing... I mean the rainbow is a spectrum... that doesn't help much when it is defined so broadly that pretty much anyone is on the spectrum </minor rant>)

Anyway, the individualized focus helped so much. At 5 he was re-evaluated and basically was normal. Now at 9 he is starting 4th grade and is normal (save for a little extra picky-ness with food that is slowly improving.)

I really think that individualized help is the way to go. And try not to get too caught up in what other people say with their kids.

[AshleyBcaptain of 1,000]

Yes, that is what we are doing. This program is through the school district too although I think I said state before? He will most likely be starting a specialized pre-school program in the fall. One of the reasons I was hesitant to get him evaluated is because I don't like labels. And I also know that if the school found out your kid was labeled with something they would force you to give them psychotropic drugs and I am very much against those. But I have been told they don't do that anymore. Either way none of my children will ever be taking any of those. So it's not really about the "label". It's not what's important. It is just about figuring out what their special needs are and knowing there is a spectrum helps to give some guidelines as to where to start with the treatment process. The name is very secondary but you need somewhere to start. I feel that eventually my son will overcome these things too because I plan to get the problem areas treated and not try to just cover it with a "band-aid" or cover up the symptoms. You have to get at the root of the problem which really boils down to detoxification and getting the immune system under control with diet and supplementation. And the behavioral stuff is secondary to that imo because those things work themselves out as they get healthier but it can also helpful during the process too.

[Gadcaptain of 1,000]

Yes, that is what we are doing. This program is through the school district too although I think I said state before? He will most likely be starting a specialized pre-school program in the fall. One of the reasons I was hesitant to get him evaluated is because I don't like labels. And I also know that if the school found out your kids was labeled with something they would force you to give them psychotropic drugs and I am very much against those. So it's not really about the "label". It's not what's important. It is just about figuring out what their special needs are and knowing there is a spectrum helps to give some guidelines as to where to start with the treatment process. The name is very secondary but you need somewhere to start. I feel that eventually my son will overcome these things too because I plan to get the problem areas treated and not try to just cover it with a "band-aid" or cover up the symptoms. You have to get at the root of the problem which really boils down to detoxification and getting the immune system under control with diet and supplementation. And the behavioral stuff is secondary to that imo but also helpful during the process.

Awesome. That sounds like the same type of program we did. It was great! They really helped him learn to deal with expressing emotion and patience. It was a great thing.

I agree with you on the label. Autism has been defined so broadly that it really doesn't mean anything anymore. I think we just focused on the developmental milestones and how to help him move forward. The 1 on 1 help sped him right along.

Good luck. And don't worry (I had to tell my wife not to worry so many times) everything will work out.

[Fiannancaptain of 1,000]

I agree with you on the label. Autism has been defined so broadly that it really doesn't mean anything anymore. I think we just focused on the developmental milestones and how to help him move forward. The 1 on 1 help sped him right along.

There is so much overlap with other conditions, such as borderline and psychopathy that I wonder if there is any clear criteria. For instance, when a child is young and has a hard time expressing emotions he could be autistic (Aspergers) but then again what about another kid who seems unable to process emotions but by the time he/she is a teen they have learned the skill of reading other people with the precision of a skilled psychologist? This person may be psychopathic rather than autistic. Nothing wrong with that if you want a high achiever I suppose. As for difficulty with relating to others and a bit of withdrawn quirkiness you may be looking at borderline. The thing is, we accept the idea of labeling young kids with autism while society is quite hesitant to label a child as borderline (4% of female population and 1% of male) or psychopath (3% of male population and 1% of female population). The odd thing is that in a classroom of 25 - 30 kids you probably have one psychopath who is probably male and one borderline who is probably female.

[Alpinecaptain of 100]

I am not in your shoes so I can't really give advice but I will tell you my story. I had a good but rough childhood. I figured that was normal so I thought little of it. As an adult I started to worry as the years rolled on and there were no serious romantic relationships. I was in my early thirties when I ran into a guy that was quite odd. As I got to know him I realized that he was classic aspergers. I was trying to convince him of his oddness (he thought he was totally normal) when I decided to find and give him a test for aspergers. I found the most clinical one I could and then took it myself so I could show him that I was normal and he was odd. Yeah you see where this is going.... I tested out really high on the scale. I was stunned, how could that be? I took it again and them had my mom take it but answer the way she thought I should. I was still highly likely to have aspergers according to that test. I had her take it for herself and she tested out normal. I have since taken many tests, some silly some more serious but they all say the same thing... me = not normal.

Ok now I look back and see the things that I though were so odd in my friend are all things I was trying to do as a child. I used to he hard on my mom for some of the things that I struggled with as a child but have come to realize that she was stuck with a child that was not behaving normally and she had no idea what to do with me. I was like an alien to her. When I get stressed out my emotions shut off and I become extremely logical. I was like that a lot as a child. Most things were too hard for me to handle. I was constantly getting picked on by my own siblings for not showing emotions. That seems to be a fairly universal response... most people when confronted by a seemingly emotionless person will try to provoke emotion. I was constantly being "poked" at by my family to see if they could get emotion from me. I naturally refused to show it.

As an adult I can see why I struggled so much as a child but interestingly most of my current friends do not believe that I am even a little autistic. they seem to think I am making this up. I am glad because that mean that my efforts at assimilation have mostly worked. BUT it does leave me in the bind sometimes when I don't know what to do in an emotional situation and no one realizes that they have/are shorting out my brain. lol I do still have issues with subtlety in relationships. I also tend to laugh at inappropriate times because I don't know what to do. I avoid funerals because I am not really that sad that the person died. I miss them but I am not worried about death so I do not cry and often have to find a place to hide and have a good laugh because everyone is walking around crying and .... I don't see why. I mean I know why but ... I don't feel that way. When my grandparent's died I did not cry at all. I was quite close to them but they were old and they were not enjoying life anymore. They wanted to move on and I wanted them to move on even though I would miss them. I guess I felt like crying and being sad was selfish. I did finally cry about it about 5-7 years later and only a few drops but hey, crying!
(not to worry, I am not a sociopath, killing things, like my ailing bird, makes me cry a lot!)

Ok anyway what I really wanted to say is that I believe that my moms decision to homeschool me was a life saving one. She kept me beside her all the time (ok not literally) so I had two things I needed.

1. Fewer distractions from the schizophrenic pace of the world. I have a LONG attention span. I HATE getting interrupted all the time. Even as an adult I have trouble with the short class periods and frenetic pace of the education system. I learn quickly but thoroughly. I strongly dislike the shallow and rapid treatment that educators give subjects. Most of the time when the class is over I am not done and not ready to move on. If I can I will move to a quiet place and continue learning the subject. That ties in with the fixation aspies have with one subject. It gives us the control to learn deeply without getting pulled away for things that are of no current interest.

2. Being with my mother constantly I had a stable mentor to watch and learn from when I came to personal relationships. I was able to see what she would do in many different types of situations. Again if I had had to keep learning new people I don't think I would have bonded with her and I don't think I would have picked up any social skills to speak of.

My mom did not know what she was doing with me. I am convinced that what she did right was inspiration. I believe in the right of parents to receive inspiration for their children and so I am not going to tell you what I think you should do. I would strongly suggest considering not putting your child in school BUT what I needed may not be what your child needs.

Oh and by the way I see apergers and a slight disadvantage but at the same time it is a superpower I would not trade it for the world. What made my mind such a mystery to my friends and family is the same thing that gives me such a different perspective on life. I love my mind. It is like having a Ferrari while others are driving sedans. It is hard to slow down so I can stay with the group but when I let loose and go play by myself it is such a thrill! I see things few see. I understand things rapidly and can run ahead of other in academics. I do have to throttle that a bit to be "normal." I trade some of that brain power in for people skills. That is a choice I made that many other aspies do not make.

I get worried by the negative way in which people regard those of us that are "different" Your child is, of course, unique and they have a contribution to make. All of us have a contribution to make. Of course you should push your child to get out of their comfort zone, learn new skills etc. and do what you think is best for them, but don't see this challenge as only negative. You may have a genius on your hands.

Oh and you may want to spend some time learning logic and making sure your parenting philosophy is consistent. I could out logic my parents when I was pretty young so they did not win many arguments with me but they were fairly consistent so they were able to keep the upper hand despite this.


So anyway... just some thoughts

[gardenerof12captain of 50]

You may want to look into www.nacd.org It has helped us.

[gardenerof12captain of 50]

You may want to look into www.nacd.org It has helped us.

[AshleyBcaptain of 1,000]

Interesting story Alpine. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. And Fiannan I definitely think there is some truth to that. I agree that the word doesn't really mean much anymore. And every child is so different. Not two are exactly alike. So I cherish the help of the Holy Ghost.

[Fiannancaptain of 1,000]

Interesting story Alpine. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. And Fiannan I definitely think there is some truth to that. I agree that the word doesn't really mean much anymore. And every child is so different. Not two are exactly alike. So I cherish the help of the Holy Ghost.

+1

[JohnnyLcaptain of 1,000]

There is a wide range, and with reason. We see symptoms. We realize that many with certain symptoms have other similar symptoms. That's why it's more calling them syndromes, conditions, etc. instead of diseases.

But if you think of it, even most people who experience a disease or physical ailment have their own particular symptoms or expressions of symptoms, so it shouldn't be too surprising.

Getting stuck on one symptom or one interpretation is dangerous. A doctor tells a patient he doesn't have candida because he doesn't have white mouth sores. Ouch!! That's one possible symptom, not a necessary sign.

People might understand better if there is "a word for it".

Overall, I think that using a definition is better than not using one.

Being around people might or might not help social ability.

[singyourwayhomecaptain of 1,000]

Ashley,

What have you done to detoxify and then help rebalance the immune system?

Three of my children seem to have these issues (one has been formally tested), and one is a 17-year-old who, in addition to being picky with food, has his own money now (and often spends it on unhealthy food 'cause he likes it).

[AshleyBcaptain of 1,000]

I currently have both my kids on a gf/cf diet. I give them both a few different types of vitamin supplements everyday. We eat as many raw and organic whole foods as I can get my hands on. I haven't given him an antifungal treatment for candidas though. That is the only thing I haven't done. But Im looking into natural and safe supplements to give them. I was actually looking into garlic because it seems a lot gentler then some of the other things and I don't worry it will harm him. And I also have them both going to an allergist soon to have them properly tested for food allergies. I am hoping the allergist will have some good plans as well for how to help them. I have been reading up tons on the autism spectrum, the immune system and digestion and am learning lots of things. I am following what the spirit guides me to do.

[JohnnyLcaptain of 1,000]

I currently have both my kids on a gf/cf diet. I give them both a few different types of vitamin supplements everyday. We eat as many raw and organic whole foods as I can get my hands on. I haven't given him an antifungal treatment for candidas though. That is the only thing I haven't done. But Im looking into natural and safe supplements to give them. I was actually looking into garlic because it seems a lot gentler then some of the other things and I don't worry it will harm him. And I also have them both going to an allergist soon to have them properly tested for food allergies. I am hoping the allergist will have some good plans as well for how to help them. I have been reading up tons on the autism spectrum, the immune system and digestion and am learning lots of things. I am following what the spirit guides me to do.

I think garlic is pretty strong, and especially in large amounts slows down the brain, so to say. I would check into bodytalksystem.com or yuen method or muscle testing "supplements" for candida infections, especially.

Muscle testing works best for allergy testing, too (much better than blood tests and much much better than skin tests).
In a matter of minutes we came up with six allergies--no blood, no pain, no "scales of possibility", etc. Very helpful and nice!

[AshleyBcaptain of 1,000]

Does muscle testing also give signs to food sensitivities too? I know sensitivities are different than a full on allergy.

[JohnnyLcaptain of 1,000]

Does muscle testing also give signs to food sensitivities too? I know sensitivities are different than a full on allergy.

Yes, just make sure to distinguish between allergies and sensitivities or include/ group them when you're testing. It's not a fullproof method, but it's the best there is right now.

[singyourwayhomecaptain of 1,000]

Something I ran across today:
Stuck in Another Dimension:
The Exceptionally Gifted Child in School

This article makes me think your son might have a very high IQ. My "high-functioning autistic" son sounds so much like this lady's!

As far as schools wanting your child to take medication: Yeah, probably a lot of them will push it. But you're the mom.

When this particular son was in 1st grade, his teacher was at her wits' end with him. He wouldn't do a lot of what she asked him to, and she told us he seemed to have Oppositional Defiance Disorder. We had him tested, and while that wasn't it at all, autism and ADHD were both issues for him. The clinician wanted him to start some medication, we politely declined and said we'd try the diet route first. She was frustrated with us. We told his school teacher what we were doing-- when you drop all artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives from a child's diet, you've GOT to get cooperation from the school, as well as Primary teachers. His teacher was clearly annoyed.

Two months later, she caught me walking by and said that when we'd first told her our plan, she thought we were INSANE, but now, he was like a whole new person and she wouldn't have believed it without seeing it.

[AshleyBcaptain of 1,000]

As much as I would rather that be the case I don't think my son does. His speech isn't that great. I'm still trying to teach him the alphabet. I looked up criteria for gifted kids and my son doesn't really display most of those things. He can have a very short attention span if its something hes not interested in but if he is genuienly interested in something he can do it for long periods of time. That's about the only thing he has in common with high iq children. I can barely have a two way conversation with him because he runs his words together and doesnt pronounce things. You can bring up one subject and try to engage him with it and he will always change the subject to whatever thoughts are floating around in his brain. Sometimes some of which make no sense what so ever. Or atleast they dont seem like they do because his communication skills are still limited and I can't tell what he is really trying to say.

That is funny about what your son's teacher thought. Lots of people will give you will looks if you try to approach things from a more hollisitc approach which I find interesting. Since the hollistic approach actually makes much more sense. You treat the problem and not just the symptoms.

[JohnnyLcaptain of 1,000]

As much as I would rather that be the case I don't think my son does. His speech isn't that great. I'm still trying to teach him the alphabet. I looked up criteria for gifted kids and my son doesn't really display most of those things. He can have a very short attention span if its something hes not interested in but if he is genuienly interested in something he can do it for long periods of time. That's about the only thing he has in common with high iq children. I can barely have a two way conversation with him because he runs his words together and doesnt pronounce things. You can bring up one subject and try to engage him with it and he will always change the subject to whatever thoughts are floating around in his brain. Sometimes some of which make no sense what so ever. Or at least they dont seem like they do because his communication skills are still limited and I can't tell what he is really trying to say.

That is funny about what your son's teacher thought. Lots of people will give you will looks if you try to approach things from a more hollisitc approach which I find interesting. Since the hollistic approach actually makes much more sense. You treat the problem and not just the symptoms.

Ashley B,

Your son might have layers. What you "see" is maybe not anything like what might be down under. Have you seen someone with a stroke trying to talk, or with MS try to walk? They know it, but their body just doesn't cooperate like they want it too. I have an audio recording of when I was young--no one can understand even ONE word of what I was saying. This was not when I was a baby, but about 2.5 years old.

Sometimes it's not there. Sometimes it's there, but not connecting right. Sometimes it's there, but it just can't come out right.

Other links that might be helpful:

-=
http://resonatewithjoy.com/light-langua ... or-autism/

If you do it, get the mp3 for $5 more!!

-=
http://unconditionallove.info/

-=
http://www.drcarley.com/US_autism_kaplan_carley.html (skip the whole first "study" part of the paper, just read her responses are enough)

So you could have an energy worker work on "lessening/ stopping production of anti-measles antibodies", "antibodies distinguish between measles and myelin sheath and only attack measles", etc., and see if it works. If so, trying it would be much easier, faster, cheaper than going through Dr. Carley's process.

[steph1815captain of 100]

Ashley: My heart goes out to you and others with children with special needs. .2 of my 3 children are also on the Autism Spectrum. I have wondered if the 4 miscarriages I had before my first child were meant to try me or prepare me for raising special spirits. . I have really had the toughest time with my oldest Autistic one who is a teenager now. Prayers and hugs go out to you and others on this journey.

[Etoshacaptain of 100]

"most of my current friends do not believe that I am even a little autistic. they seem to think I am making this up."

My best friend growing up told me she was autistic and did not talk until age 4. She was a perfectly normal teen (I met her in high school) and is a perfectly normal adult. I know alot of people who have seem to make dramatic improvements by an all natural diet - no processed foods and raw dairy or no dairy.

[AshleyBcaptain of 1,000]

Yes Etosha. My son has already made vast improvements over the past couple years and his improvements seem to be coming even more rapidly as time goes on. I am so proud of him and his progress. He's such an adorable and sweet little boy. I really do feel that he will likely not have any autism signs by the time he is older. Dietary changes coupled with speech therapy and pre-school has made a big improvement. And also changing some of my parenting style as directed by Heavenly Father has also made improvements in him. I am very grateful for all his progress and excited to see what lies ahead for him. Thanks for all of the love and support from everyone.

[Called to Servecaptain of 1,000]

I haven't seen this thread before now. My dad was "quiet", my older brother was "weird", and my little brother was clearly, cut and dried autistic. He'll need care his entire life because he cannot care for himself.

I also am annoyed by the push they make these days to label everyone. I believe that they have gone a little over the top and have started diagnosing socially unacceptable characteristics as psychiatric problems. I think we would be better off not labeling anyone at all and just looking at each person as an individual with individual needs even if they are so severely disabled as to be unable to care for themselves.

But of course, we're not living in my dream world. Unfortunately, in the real world, labels do a lot of good. My older brother was treated so terribly by others growing up: friends, other peers, teachers, ward members, etc. Just about everybody seemed to see him as some kind of broken person who just needed a firm hand to be "fixed." It breaks my heart to think of some of the cruelty he endured, especially from teachers and other adults. You can understand the kids, but the adults' behavior was just simply awful. (For example, one teacher used to send him outside to sit in the cold during winter without his jacket to punish him for his "bad" behavior.)

On the other hand, everyone treated my younger brother with a double portion of sweetness and kindness because he obviously had some problems. There was no question that he had problems and so people would treat him like they treat little children, with lots of understanding and gentleness. Everyone was more than willing to excuse the problems they had to deal with because of my little brother's disruptive behaviors. The ward bent over backwards to help my parents out in church and other situations.

So while I believe the need for us to have labels is not a good thing, in this world, it's so much better to be putting labels on people who are just a little different than others because then people seem to make the effort to understand. I hope some day we'll stop needing these labels and just look objectively at each person and determine what they need. As you said, Ashley, before your son was diagnosed, you were already inspired to take certain measures. That's the way it should be.

[karend77captain of 100]

They tried to label my son at 2 years of age and said he would never be "normal", always be in special ed. Got him some good speech therapists from age 2-5 that cared and treated him "normally". Moved to a different school district in Utah and they were horrible, so worked with him at home. Took him time, hard work, not always easy; but he is a senior in college in engineering, plays two instruments and on ballroom dance team

I think labeling causes parents/teachers/doctors to make excuses for children for low performance. Children who have all kinds of "issues" can achieve great things if the people around them believe in them. I do not trust the medical or pysch community at all. Unless there is an emergency I will be hard pressed to go to any doctor anymore.

My daughter was a secondary (jr high/high school) teacher, and a good one. She wanted to have the kids work hard and set goals for them and the school system discouraged it and parents whined about it. They would label certain children and say they werent capable. Thing was, they would rise to the level she set in her classroom yet fail in the other classes, becuase the teachers believed the labels. She retired to raise a family and isnt interested in going back. Wants to be there for her kids now. She keeps getting offers from former colleagues to come back becuase they saw how well the youth did in her classes. They just dont get it.

[Called to Servecaptain of 1,000]

Thank you, Karend! That was a great post.

[JohnnyLcaptain of 1,000]

Unfortunately, in the real world, labels do a lot of good.

My older brother was treated so terribly by others growing up: friends, other peers, teachers, ward members, etc. Just about everybody seemed to see him as some kind of broken person who just needed a firm hand to be "fixed." It breaks my heart to think of some of the cruelty he endured, especially from teachers and other adults. You can understand the kids, but the adults' behavior was just simply awful. (For example, one teacher used to send him outside to sit in the cold during winter without his jacket to punish him for his "bad" behavior.)

On the other hand, everyone treated my younger brother with a double portion of sweetness and kindness because he obviously had some problems. There was no question that he had problems and so people would treat him like they treat little children, with lots of understanding and gentleness. Everyone was more than willing to excuse the problems they had to deal with because of my little brother's disruptive behaviors. The ward bent over backwards to help my parents out in church and other situations.

So while I believe the need for us to have labels is not a good thing, in this world, it's so much better to be putting labels on people who are just a little different than others because then people seem to make the effort to understand. I hope some day we'll stop needing these labels and just look objectively at each person and determine what they need. As you said, Ashley, before your son was diagnosed, you were already inspired to take certain measures. That's the way it should be.

I so agree! Labels are two-edged things--sometimes very helpful, sometimes limiting.

[AshleyBcaptain of 1,000]

Yeah, that is exactly the reason my husband and I refused to sign anything labeling our son with Autism. Its nice to have some kind of starting point but we didn't want him being held back by a label. All the stuff on the spectrum are really just symptoms to other problems and they choose to just stick a label on them to excuse themselves from doing anything about it. Most of which can be cured with the right tools. Detox, diet, behavioral and speech therapy. The thing that has made the biggest difference with my son so far is the speech therapy. I kept telling him that is what I though his main problem was. But they really only gave him the speech therapy in order to make me happy. Sigh...

[karend77captain of 100]

Yeah, that is exactly the reason my husband and I refused to sign anything labeling our son with Autism. Its nice to have some kind of starting point but we didn't want him being held back by a label. All the stuff on the spectrum are really just symptoms to other problems and they choose to just stick a label on them to excuse themselves from doing anything about it. Most of which can be cured with the right tools. Detox, diet, behavioral and speech therapy. The thing that has made the biggest difference with my son so far is the speech therapy. I kept telling him that is what I though his main problem was. But they really only gave him the speech therapy in order to make me happy. Sigh...

Ashley, you are an awesome mom. And keep being the "squeky wheel" to "make you happy" if it helps your son became the man he is supposed to be in God's eyes. We must fight for our children as we have been given a sacred stewardship over them.

[Penstresscaptain of 50]

My ex husband has aspergers. It's why I left him. I didn't know initially, it was a very empty life. It's a very hard thing in any relationship. I beleive the vaccinations cause it.

[Benjamin_LKcaptain of 100]

My ex husband has aspergers. It's why I left him. I didn't know initially, it was a very empty life. It's a very hard thing in any relationship. I beleive the vaccinations cause it.

Being someone with Aspergers Syndrome, I will argue, as I did to my then-girlfriend, that there's more than just 100 percent genetics involved, there's likely nurture factors as well.

I also learned as someone on the autistic spectrum, that it helps to find activities that I can do with other people (group activities), as well as premeditate what I would do in given situations.