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I'm sick to my stomach.

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John Florida:
  My daughter called and it seems that my grandson my be autistic. My heart is broken for what it might mean to the baby and to my daughter and SIL.I don't know what to do or where to start.

IronDioPriest:

--- Quote from: John Florida on October 19, 2011, 06:22:04 PM ---  My daughter called and it seems that my grandson my be autistic. My heart is broken for what it might mean to the baby and to my daughter and SIL.I don't know what to do or where to start.

--- End quote ---

First thing John (aside from prayer if you're so inclined) - don't panic. Autism isn't defined how it used to be when we were young. You think of a kid who doesn't speak or interact rocking back and forth in the fetal position - but that's not how they define autism these days. It can take many different shapes and forms, and often times when it's suspected, it is misdiagnosed.

I'll share. My youngest boy used to have some issues. He would rock, and did what they called "self-stimulation" by rocking the back of his head repeatedly against chair backs. He hated being held - we'd pick him up, and he would squirm, trying to get away. The moment you lifted him off the ground, he would gasp and tense up, as if he just went over the top of a roller coaster. Try holding him up over your head, or upside-down, or do any of the play things you assume kids love, and he would freak out. He stood and walked very late, and as his third year became his fourth, it was apparent that he was not speaking. Autism was suggested as a possibility.

We took him to specialists, and therapy was recommended. We took him to what they called "occupational therapists" in a special ed preschool. Literally, he was in there with kids suffering from everything from severe autism, to cerebral palsy, and severe mental retardation. It was scary as hell to see our little boy who we knew wasn't THAT bad, being tutored by these therapists.

They came up with a different diagnosis than the specialists. Not autism. He was experiencing what they called "vestibular motion disorder". For some reason, his little body did not develop the ability to understand its relationship to its environment. If he lost contact with whatever surface he was on, or was lifted in the air, he became completely disoriented. The rocking and banging his head was an effort to create consistency in his sensation. His disorientation stunted his emotional and relational growth, and the distraction of being distressed all the time stunted his ability to communicate.

With the help of these wonderful therapists and intense work on our part, we were able to "undo" this by the time he attended kindergarten at 6 (both our boys were August preemies, so kindergarten at 6 was always the plan anyway). Within that 2+ years, we watched him blossom.

Today at 16 he is as right as can be - no issues whatsoever. An "A" student, strong kid, coordinated - he's downstairs playing the drums right now. He still doesn't like roller coasters - but big deal.

My point is not to say that your grandson probably doesn't have autism - he may. But do not assume the worst. he may not have the condition, and if he does, there are many people who function at a very high level to the point that you wouldn't know they have it....

....Here's the part of the story some here might not like to hear: we tried going the private medical-system physical therapy route with our boy, but they failed him. It was obvious in the first couple months that they were not helping him. Where we found our angels was in the public school system special education division. They were the ones with the patience, experience, and motivation to get his diagnosis right, and implement the proper treatment. I watched them work, and I will always believe they saved my boy's future.

 ::praying:: ::praying:: ::praying::

charlesoakwood:

Glad for your boy, IDP. 
And yes, autism is the new fad.
It's the easy out diagnosis.
You know we'll put a word in.
Work it and let us know.

Pandora:
 ::praying::

Wait.  The operative word is "may".

John Florida:
The thing that bothers me is that the only big tip off was that he stopped talking and didn't use the word he had learned like momma and daddy the only word he did keep was no.He's not moody at all he's a happy baby and loved to rough house with his father and all that but the so called specialist seems to think that his communication skills are what leads them to have a problem but at the same time he may not say much of anything he does throw a fit if he's hungry at home and at daycare he'll go to his highchair and wait when he's hungry.

 To me he's communicating in his own way. I just don't trust anybody to be the sole judge on this one and you can bet that he'll be seen by other specialists asap.

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