|
(continued) with autism since sensory dysfunction is part of the disability. The spectrum of autism is so big that there are three main categories people are put in: Autistic, Asperger's Syndrome and Pervasive Development Disorder. Some are very high functioning, with great memories, and some go through their life without even being able to speak. No matter where the person falls on the spectrum, the disability is very real to the person and the family and friends around them.
We are thankful for the breakthrough with his language when he was four years old. He began to speak more and we could understand him a lot better. We are very glad to say he is continuing to develop at this time. He has come out of his solitary world and into ours. Now he only goes into his own world for little amounts of time.
There was about 1 year or so I could not take him into a store with fluorescent lighting. He was so sensitive to the sounds and light flickering that it drove him to an instant melt down and there was no consoling him. I remember the first time I was able to successfully take him shopping at Wal-Mart. He was inside the cart looking out for what seemed to be the first time even though he had been in there many times before. He kept saying with excitement, "Look at that mom. Oh, look here. Look over there!" I believe that was my best shopping experience. I also remember the day he looked outside of our house for the first time. He saw the trees and birds; he was amazed and so was I. Until that point I did not realize that he had never looked that far into our world before.
There was also a time when he would only wear long sleeve shirts and pants; his skin would seem to hurt him and it seemed to throw his whole central nervous system out of control. At age 6 he finally started to wear shorts and we are very thankful for that on those hot summer days. Now at age 7, we are hoping to master the short sleeve shirts. Colors also seem to have an impact on his mood and behavior. He wore red clothes much of the time and yellow would drive him absolutely crazy.
There is no cure for Autism. The best thing we can do for those living with an Autistic child or who are Autistic themselves is to teach those around us.
We talked back and forth about home schooling since our first child was born. We chose to try the public school system for pre-school and Kindergarten with our oldest child; our 2nd child (who is Autistic) went to pre-school in the public school as well. We soon came to realize that God gave us this child for a reason and no one knew or understood him better than we. We also saw that the big class sizes were over whelming to him and he was not learning very much. We were told he might never read .
I am very pleased to report that the home is the best setting for him as well as for the other children God has given to us. He is just finishing up first grade and is reading age appropriately. He is excelling in math and has kept up with his school material for the other subjects as well.
The area that seems to be lacking the most is appropriate social skills. He is very loving and likes to hug and kiss. We are working with him and ask for grace from those who are on the receiving end of an unwanted hug, kiss or question that does not seem to be appropriate.
Please remember this: When you see a child throwing what seems to be a fit in the store or park, do not assume he is a "bad child" or that his parents do not discipline him or her. Things are not always what they seem. Try not to get worked up when your child is hurt by another child until you find out the whole story; chances are the parents are aware of the problem and are working on it with their child. If that is not the case, it is a good time to teach your own child how to forgive without the other child being sorry. Please have patience, grace and mercy.
|
|
