All About Autism

[nugget]

Double E,


My son is going to perform next month for this graduation. Hopefully I wont tear up. Need to remind myself to hold back my tears. I am very emotional over such things.

Like your son, mine also always talk out of topic and he still unable to engage in meaningful 2 way conversation. its emerging but is not like 6 years old standard yet. Is more of like question and answer kinda of conversation right now.

And also mine always get distracted and talk about other topic and he always like to ask the same old questions for months!

Few months ago he was talking abt MRT. Everyday ask me which is this station, is it far, where is that station etc…

Now he likes to talk about weather and plants. Colours of clouds and sky, different seasons… and why the plants leaves are red and some green etc…

I guess that he is just speaking of what is on their mind. Which is good. At least I know what he is always thinking about.

[Double E]

Tyeogh

Thanks for sharing the verse in the bible. I will start to pray the verse over him.
And talking about rushing to catch up, tell me about it. My boy is 4 this year, next year he will be 5. I am anxious for him to catch up as much as he can, you will be surprise to see the number of maths and english assessment books that his teacher and I got for him. His teacher is even more kiasu, bought K1 and K2 books for him to do.

Nugget
I can totally comprehend with you. My boy is like yours. We know exactly what he will say when we reach a certain destination, is very predictable. But for people who meet him for the first time, they will tell me "wah, your boy can talk very well". I am like errr…

U know I actually teared when I was at his full dress rehearsal, not because I saw him performing on stage but when I saw the K2 kids wearing their graduation rope. I am thinking when my boy reaches that stage, what will his future be? mainstream or pathlight? can he cope? Then I saw the cross on the wall which has a verse saying "Looking to Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith", I know I just have to leave it to God to work out the plans for him. I am not sure if you a Christian but the faith in Him has helped to keep me strong.

[tyeogh]

This post is for DesertWind and will contain religious contents. If you are offended by religion, please kindly skip this. Thank you.


DesertWind,
First off, the mainstream vs pathlight question. I think every SPED parent will be called to answer this. I cannot answer it for you and I dread the question myself.

Here's what happened to my nephew. My brother claims he is dyslexic. He appears more autistic to me. He has speech delays too. He joined mainstream P1. By mid year, his teachers complained about him. My nephew was lonely all the time. His mom had to join in every recess to help him. Three quarters through P1, his teachers insisted on a shadow teacher for him. My brother had to employ one to keep him in mainstream. I understand it is not cheap - something like >$2k a month. My nephew had to eventually repeat P1. The next year, he was still not making progress in spite of having a shadow teacher. By September, his shadow teacher resigned. My brother could not find a replacement. My nephew was asked to leave the school. My brother found him a place at Kits for Kids recently.

I cite this example to show how decisions can affect the child. I will let you decide yourself what to glean from it bah.

On prayers, it will be lacking on my part not to tell you the full story so please allow me to nag LoL.

My DS4 was diagnosed at 2.5 yrs to be mildly autistic. I spent a year in denial. More often than not, I was lost on how to handle him. Didnt know this forum existed mah. After a heavy day's work, I would hide behind my computer to play games. DS4 started babbling at 3. When he turned 3.5, I decided enough was enough. I cut back my work, stopped my games and allocated more time to DS4. At about that time, my pastor taught about Mark 11:23.

Mark 11:23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Now, I know you know this verse at the back of your head. I have seen it like 200 times myself too. My pastor asked us to count how many times the word Say appears as compared to how many times the word Believe appears. Say - 3 times. Believe - once.

It is as we should SAY more to the problem than we need to believe. It is as if we are praying too much to God and not TALKing directly TO our problem. With this in mind, I started saying Mark 11:23 every night to DS4.

I would hold his head and speak to him

\"Autism, Speech delay, slow development, I call you by name. Be Thou plucked from your roots and be thou thrown into the sea. Leave my son in Jesus Name\"

The first time I did it, the other kids thought I went crazy. Well, my pastor taught us we WILL look stupid doing it. Let the world laugh. We just derive our results. So I persisted every night. The first few times, DS4 looked puzzled. Then he hated it and started yelling. Then he would allow it if only he placed his hands on my head instead. Then he likes being prayed for. Now, if I forget to pray, he will call out to me \"DarDee, pay!\"

I prayed the exact words over a period of 4 months. Like I wrote earlier, the transformation was startling. His tongue came together to form words. His words became sentences. He cuts down on his tantrums. His awareness got heightened. He started communicating cogently. He picked up faster in this 4 months than in the last 3 years! I can only credit it to \"saying\" directly to the problem. (I reckon the good Lord has heard enough of our prayers, time to talk directly to the problem)

I recommend you or any believer reading up to here, to try it. Say Mark 11:24 over your child. Got faith, no faith, don't care, just say it every night like a desperate man (I was desperate) and let God do the rest.

I like the part where you wrote \"Yes I believe my boy's weakness now (speech) shall be his greatest strength in due time!\". Where our weaknesses are, his Grace will super abound

[belachanbabe]

Double E and nugget, hope you had fun at your kids’ concerts. Mine’s next Sat and looking forward to it immensely.


Desertwind and tyeogh. You guys are really strong and cool about the whole concert participation thingy, I would have strongly told off the principal already. It brought back bad memories during their younger days at mainstream kindy, after hearing that your wife cried. Seriously, these concerts should be all inclusive regardless of whether they can perform; no one expect these things to be some slick in-sync Kpop mega production what. Even standing on the stage in costume swaying to music is better than total exclusion. These concerts are meant to be opportunities for parents to take photos/videos and to be proud of their kid’s accomplishments. Haiz, so heartpain to still hear of such incidents.

In contrast, I still remember fondly in my boys’ first concert after switching to EIPIC kindy where they were mimicking whale actions to the tune of “baby beluga”. One of their classmates had muscular dystrophy was sitting on a chair during the act but was still participate in doing the hand actions. He unfortunately slipped off the chair halfway during the performance and a teacher had to hurriedly prop him back up. My young boy also got bored and started running around the stage ¾ into the performance. It was a train wreck yes but it was memorable.

[Nebbermind]

Thanks, tyeogh!


Needed that! :udaman:

[belachanbabe]

Very uplifting message tyeogh!


You just answered your own question on why you are still sane :celebrate:

[tyeogh]

nugget:

tyeogh,


Your son can strive well in tuition/enrichment centre? That is very good!
So I guess you will put your son in mainstream next time?

Er...he is not in any enrichment center. Already tough to keep him in mainstream kindly. LoL. He is due in P1 in 2 years time. I dunno mainstream or PL. But I want to make preparations for PL. As a back up plan. So I am in the midst of transferring his EIPIC to ARC. As I understand it, there are only about 70 places in PL and it gives priority to its sister school ARC.

[Double E]

Tyeogh

OMG! your post brings me to tears. I have been praying every nite for my boy too but I have never TALK to the problem. And thanks for sharing your prayers with us. I shall start doing so for my boy. Totally agree that His Grace will super abound!.
(are u from the STAR church? me too )

[tyeogh]

belachanbabe:

You just answered your own question on why you are still sane :celebrate:

Am I? Sometimes I cant tell....we just do what we can to get through the day...sigh...

[tyeogh]

Nebbermind:

Thanks, tyeogh!


Needed that! :udaman:

Thanks bro. I sense I am in good company