All About Autism

[BB3]

Want some views on whether I am over reacting: I am looking to sign up my boy for art class to nurture his talent as was pretty impressed with the artwork he brought home from PL. After some research (aka Google) I found an art studio that specifically mentions in their posting in a forum that they are suitable for SN kids and their website also has some mention of classes for SN kids. The website and kids’ drawings look fantastic so I decided to call them to enquire further. I spoke with the boss who mentioned that they are not specifically SN trained (no issue with me as long as they have some experience) but what really surprised me was during the conversation the boss mentioned that they could allow my kid to interact with other NT kids (as I prefer to have class setting rather than 1 to 1) but they will first inform the parents and other kids and get their permission first; they quickly added that this should not be a problem as they have done it before. I was rather disturbed to hear this; here I am telling you about my kid’s condition so that you will not be surprised and so you will be better able to handle him, but do you REALLY need to go announcing to the other kids and parents? If someone observes him they may notice there is something not quite right with him but do you need to stigmatise him in the eyes of other kids and more importantly adults who may not be as "forgiving" as kids. I still quite like the program they offer but as a matter of principle I will probably choose another art studio.

[tyeogh]

Over reacting, imho. He has to be responsible to his other customers too so he is doing what he sees necessary. Yea, I know it sucks. Just that nobody wants trouble and we should try to understand his situation.

[BB3]

tyeogh wrote:

> Over reacting, imho. He has to be responsible to his other customers too so he is
> doing what he sees necessary. Yea, I know it sucks. Just that nobody wants trouble
> and we should try to understand his situation.

‘Responsible’ in what way? I can understand if kid is violent, aggressive or has some contagious disease which is not the case here. By informing the other parents they are more likely to spread prejudice rather than anything else. There are NT kids who are bullies or downright irritating and rude but no one ever informs the other parents of such children’s behavior when the kid joins the class. If the parents are not happy then just ask to change class or to be seated further away. I’m upset because they advertised themselves as catering to ‘special needs’ yet by their action they show that they are not as tolerant or understanding and maybe just want to ride on the ‘SN’ bandwagon as parents in this category usually will pay an arm and a foot for classes

[sharonkhoo]

I would not be happy about them informing the other parents before any issue arose. If the ASD child causes any problems or distractions, then a quiet word with the other parents would be in order, and they would need to get your permission in advance for that.

[pinkamoon]

I can understand you feel BB3. As a parent, I do not want announce to the whole world that my child is a special needs child. I do not want him to be treated differently. Both tyeogh and slmkhoo have their points and there is no right or wrong, just how comfortable you are with the way the school handles this issue.


I think the school wants to tell parents so that parents can be more understanding. If the school does not communicate to the parents, imagine what the children go back to tell their parents. The stories children paint may not be true reflections of what happen during class and can be biased. Thus, I feel that by choosing to nform the other parents, the school hopes to avoid any misunderstanding. For instance, teachers may need to divert more attention to our kids, so getting other parents' understanding is important.

I had an experience taking place at the lift lobby. My son said \"excuse me\" to a handicapped man because his wheel chair was near the button (he loves to press the buttons). The man turned around and tried to tell my son that he should give way etc and said to me, \"Mdm, if u don't mind, I want to teach your son...\"
I apologised for my son's rudeness and declared his condition. The man paused for a few seconds before suddenly touching my hand and said, \"It must have been hard on you. \" Some people can really understand our difficulties. However, there are people who are not understanding and just gossip behind your back.

It is really up to you. If you do not feel comfortable, just try another company. For me, I do not mind. Maybe I will choose a class far away from my home so that I do not see them near my house.

[Nebbermind]

Pinkamoon,

:salute:

[tyeogh]

The way I see it, if you are upset over the procedure and because of it opt out, then the ultimate loser will be your child.


So what if other kids know and so what if they ostracize him. Your child gets to learn something, no?

I put my ds in mainstream kindy and all his classmates know he is different. Instead of making fun of him, they treat him well. Kids by nature are not malicious.

Got to be thick skin a little lah. Anyway, its just my opinion since you asked.

[BB3]

Thanks to all for your input; still not happy with the way that business owner is handling it mainly because they need to ‘ask for approval’ from other parents. I have since found another studio that has a SN trained coach (and cheaper too!) so will try out with this other studio instead.

[Liyuan]

Often when i have to go into a school setting for any school observations or shadowing, i will always ask for the classroom rules. Also i will always check with school if they are comfortable with my behavioral management strategy. Eg. giving of edibles and also where should i bring the child to if he or she needs to cool down. I will always ask these questions as i understand that they have other parents, shareholders, partners and the public to answer to.


I also know that some school will inform the parents that there will be an outsider that is coming in for school observation or shadowing. I am supportive of that and felt that they do have a right to know who is teaching, interacting and even present in the classroom of their child.

Liyuan
AutismSTEP
http://www.autismstep.com

[Liyuan]

ImMeeMee:

Nebbermind:

Can ASD be cured?


I got curious and came upon this interesting article on top of the search. Kinda make a lot of sense to me. May not be new to some of you but nevertheless...
[quote]TODAY MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE that Autism is a genetic brain disorder. I’m here to tell you that this isn’t true. The real reason we are seeing increasing rates of autism is simply this: Autism is a systemic body disorder that affects the brain. A toxic environment triggers certain genes in people susceptible to this condition. And research supports this position.

http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/12/can-autism-be-cured/#close

The medical fraternity works on clinical evidence, and it does not recognize that ASD has a cure, since it is not evidence-based yet.

But given that the subject is somewhat grey, and 'cure' and the like takes on different meanings for different individuals, this is subject to interpretation.

For myself, I have long stopped thinking about 'cure'. I think about 'progress'.[/quote]I very much agree with you

Medically at this point, we cannot pin point that one cause for autism, neither do we know the cure. But researches have shown that some methods and interventions have help the people with autism to improve. Many of the parents that i have met are very dejected that their child has not been able to grow out of autism. I always encourage them to look back to where we started off and where is the kid now. By looking back at the starting line, it may give you more motivation to work towards the finishing line.

Best Regards,
Liyuan
AutismSTEP
http://www.autismstep.com