All About Autism
-
Continuing from the above...
How do i know it will get better?
DD1 is 13yo now and is in mainstream school. She is a delightful girl. Very helpful, kind and friendly. She still has language and social skills issues but we are hopeful that with time, she will overcome those challenges.
We have friends whose kids are AS too. In the early years, it was very tough for all of us. Now, they (about 5 kids) are all in mainstream schools.
On finding a support group for your child and yourself
Where possible, it may be good to start a friendship class for your dd. This will help build her social skills and have a group of friends to grow up and play with. It's good for the parents too as it becomes a support group for the adults. You don't have to rush to organise a group now but it will be helpful for her as she grows older.
On developing your child's potential
The thing is to find the strengths of your AS child. Sometimes, it may be a talent, a gifted ability and/or a character strength. Expose your child as much as possible and when you notice her interest, develop her strengths. This will boost her self-esteem as well.
DD1 has an interest in art and photography, so dh and myself constantly encourage her to pursue her interests. Recently, she represented her school in photography and video competitions. She didn't win but we are still very proud of her achievements and how far she has come along. While she may not express well in words, she expresses herself thru her visual arts.
On managing your resources
It seems as if there's much to be done - in terms of early intervention measures: speech/language therapy, OT, diet, behavioural etc
The thing is: there's only so much one can do - in terms of our resources like time and $$. Just do what you can first, within your limits. One thing one step at a time. There's a time and place for everything.
In the meantime, stay strong and have faith. -
Thank you so very very much, Schweppes jie :hugs: :hugs:
-
autumnbronze:
Thank you so very very much, Schweppes jie :hugs: :hugs:
:welcome: -
September 21 is having some Autism Spectrum workshops with N. Boyle.
Check it out @ http://www.september21.com.sg
Autism Spectrum Workshop -
Hi all,
After reading the topic on Autism,i don't feel so lonely...
My gal is diagnosed as Oral Dyspraxia and Dyslexic and will be attending Primary one next year. I checked out Pathlight but we were rejected or discouraged i should say as my gal is not Austistic and have no bahavioral problems.
We've been in theraphy ST,OT,SP.ED since she was 2!!!( we started SP ED 2 yrs ago)
My gal has come a LOOOOOOOOONG way and i am soooo very proud of her achivements considering that she could only eat solids and blow her candles only by the age of 4....
My only worries is that teachers will not be as patient or as understanding.
My gal is not eligible for special schools as her non-verbal IQ is above average but her verbal IQ falls below the average range.She is so called \"neither here nor there\" case.
I just hope that she'll be happy in school,once she's not enjoying learning, i will have to homeschool her again.
So for all of you out there with special kids like me,Hang in there for there will always be light at the end of the tunnel... -
Hey funkymonkey
Thanks for sharing. U are definitely not alone.funkymonkey:
Very important to celebrate their little victories. It gives us hope and encouragement that our children are improving and that things are getting better. It gives our child a sense of achievement and helps improve their confidence and self-esteem as well.My gal has come a LOOOOOOOOONG way and i am soooo very proud of her achivements considering that she could only eat solids and blow her candles only by the age of 4....
funkymonkey:
On this note, it's also very important to identify and choose the right school for your child that has a nurturing and caring environment. There are schools like that where it's not about academic results and winning awards, but about cultivating a holistic environment that instills the right values in the students.
My only worries is that teachers will not be as patient or as understanding.
My gal is not eligible for special schools as her non-verbal IQ is above average but her verbal IQ falls below the average range.She is so called \"neither here nor there\" case.
I just hope that she'll be happy in school,once she's not enjoying learning, i will have to homeschool her again.
When I was school hunting a few years back, I visited schools and talked to parents, teachers and even VPs. The school that I decided upon for dd turned out to be my alma mater as well, so I knew I made the right choice. It may not be the top school in Spore, but it created an inclusive environment for all the students there. If I recall, they took in kids who were AS, Dyslexic, and even Downs. Some of the teachers were sent for training to handle special needs students. The principal then (she's left for another primary school) and teachers were really fantastic. In fact it was not just the special needs child who benefitted. The neurotypical kids benefitted as well as they learned to be kind, patient and tolerant to their friends.
:celebrate: -
Dear schweppes,Thanks sooo much for your insights.
I too did my homework and got my gal in a school that focuses on the well being of the child and not academics alone. The many years \"researching\"...hopefully will be fruitful. we still got a long way ahead. :thankyou: -
While school selection is important, I would like to add that the parent must actively engage the school (form teacher, subject teacher and even the principal) AFTER your child enters P1 mainstream.
[quote]http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/lshumaker/detail?entry_id=70940[/quote]Parent is the de-facto 'case manager' for your child with special needs. Even if you have sounded out to the form teacher, but the day will come when there is a relief teacher who does not know at all your child's condition...I have my son coming back home upset when there was a new relief teacher who came and did not aware of his condition.
I was at the http://shoulders.freeforums.org/workshop-on-neuroscience-advances-t180.html this week and was very happy to know that there were school teachers showing up. Mainstream school teachers should attend more of such events. -
Teachers from the mainstream schools are attending courses on Special Needs and the course has been running for 6 years already. For each course, we are looking at the attendance of about 200 teachers.
SpecialNeeds:
While school selection is important, I would like to add that the parent must actively engage the school (form teacher, subject teacher and even the principal) AFTER your child enters P1 mainstream.
Parent is the de-facto 'case manager' for your child with special needs. Even I was at the http://shoulders.freeforums.org/workshop-on-neuroscience-advances-t180.html this week and was very happy to know that there were school teachers showing up. Mainstream school teachers should attend more of such events. -
SpecialNeeds:
from the weblink, the workshop sounds quite interesting. too bad it is over. is there any way I can be informed of such activities beforehand, such as subscribing to certain websites etc?
I was at the http://shoulders.freeforums.org/workshop-on-neuroscience-advances-t180.html this week and was very happy to know that there were school teachers showing up. Mainstream school teachers should attend more of such events.
thanks
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better š
Register Login
