Topic : Raising a Special Needs Child

Do you know what month that show was on?  I saw the tail end, I literally mean tail end, last few seconds of asperger segment.  I thought it was on in March but don't know title of show.  Need transcript.  

Thanks, 

Kimmery 

I read all the messages of other special needs children and first I would like to commend all of the mom's and in some cases dad's for hanging in there and meeting this unexpected challenge head on.   

My daughter was born deaf along with a few other little things.  She was born with a rare gentic disorder called Wildervank Syndrom.  I always felt fortunate cause when I researched it I realized how sever she could have been.  She had a clubbed foot for starters, which no one can actually say if it was part of it or not.  Also, she had the top of her spine fused together and it cause her ears to not develope.  Her inner ear was no existant in both ears and she had weak muscles in her eyes.  Thats it nothing more.     

Life was hard the first few years.  I was working full time and on my days off taking her to appointments.  My husband, her father, worked grave yard and refused to take her to appointments cause he didn't want to be the mean parent.  So mom took all the problems.  And believe me when I got home I cried.   

Well now after two surgeries on her foot its straight, thank you Shriners Hospital, and a several sign classes later we are going strong.  She is soon to be 9 years old and doesn't walk any where but runs and asks more questions than I anyone I have ever met.  I always say she is the loudest deaf person I know and the chattiest.   

Her father and I have since seperated, thats a different story, and we are making it work she and I.  But she drives me crazy.  She is so head strong.  I say no and she say yes.  She is consistant to do the oppisite of what I tell her.  And is the most indepenant kid.  She wants to do too much herself but then the easy things she wants help with.  I hear that she takes that from me.     

The one thing that drives me crazy though is me.  When she doesn't listen or does things that is wrong I end up yelling at her.  I always think its easier then the other alternative.  If I didn't get the stress out that way how else will I do it.   My neighbors and boyfriend laugh at me saying that its them that hear me not her.  Its so frusterating to deal with it at times.  

I remember Dr. Phil saying that the child is likely to take after the same sex parent.  If thats the case I have my hands full.   

Hopefully the next lifetime with this child is not as rocky as it started.   

Thanks for listening to my story.   

hang in there. I too have a 3 year old son with autism and a 4 year old daughter with diabetes.  By law there has to be a local resource office in your town to help u with all of this.   Putting him in a home would not be a good thing.  I know things are really tough for you but just know that it will get better.   You can always e-mail me at NicoleCedano@yahoo.com if you need help with finding the right support systems in your area. I would be glad to help with what I could. 

I can understand. My 3 year old son was diagnosed with autism last november.  I also have a 4 year old daughter with diabetes. I would like to help you find the right resources if you want to e-mail me at nicolecedano@yahoo.com.  I can try to help .  I was very fortunate to get the early intervention for my son right away and he is doing amazing.  Although I don't know where on the spectrum my son is.  We do think he is high functioning because of the amazing progress he has made in the last 6 months.  Did the SSI ever go through for you? I am still waiting for my son to recieve his first payment, but you know how slow the government is.    Hope I can help .   

Sincerely , Nicole Cedano 

  Is anyone familiar with Asperger's Syndrome?  My 21 year old son was born with it.  It is a higher functioning version of autism.  While the person is aware of those around him ( unlike someone with severe autism ) , interacting is very difficult.  They come off as shy, but really they just don't "get" the basic rules of social interaction.    

   My son has offended many people by just blurting out whatever was on his mind.  ( It's nothing for him to point out a blemish or a mole on a stranger's face or arm and comment about it. )  He doesn't  mean to hurt anyone's feelings.  He simply has a complete inability to put himself  in someone else's place and imagine how they might feel.  Also, this mental disorder is marked by the extreme need for routine.  My son has panic attacks and gets very upset whenever anything changes or doesn't go according to plan.  He would be very content if everything stayed exactly like it was when he was in junior high.  He wants to continue to go to school ( though he was a very poor student and did not even graduate high school ).  He doesn't want to get a job.  He doesn't want to have to pay bills or buy food or purchase his own clothes.  He wants me to continue to do these things for him.  Because that's the way it's always been, and he doesn't understand a need to change that now.  

   He doesn't clen up after himself.  He refuses to do chores.  He stays up all night with the TV on, watching movies and playing video games.  Then he sleeps all day.  If his younger brother or I do or say anything that he doesn't think is right, he flies into a rage and tears the house apart, pulling out drawers, knocking things off shelves,  pulling the phone out of the wall and throwing things as he screams obscenities at the top of his lungs  ( regardless of the hour or the fact that we live in an apartment with thin walls ).  

   I'm at my wit's end.  He has even threatened to beat my younger son over the head with a frying pan when he went to sleep if he didn't give in on a certain arguement before bedtime!  Help!  

   My son who has Asperger's syndrome ( a high functioning version of autism ) didn't speak until he was nearly four.  He showed no interest in learning his ABC's and numbers no matter how hard I worked with him at home.  Until one day his younger brother ( who was only 18 months old at the time ) started repeating the things that I was trying to get him to say.  The younger boy started singing the alphabet song and within a couple of weeks could read all of the numbers on a calendar!  Grandparents, aunts and cousins were so impressed that they all cheered and heaped on the praise for what my youngest could do. THAT'S when the older boy finally decided that he wanted to learn too.  He didn't want his little brother getting all of the attention and praise.  And that's the only way he ever learned anything.  His younger brother always had to learn it first.  That worked through most of school.  Putting them in a study group that has rewards for right answers works well too.  My son entered a special preschool at age 3 1/2.  Competition works wonders.