All About Autism

[sharonkhoo]

ImMeeMee:

... sometimes I wonder whether its slow auditory processing, or selective auditory processing. For my doter, she could be responsive one minute, and totally off the next. It depends on whether the topic is of interest to her. ...

For my daughter, it's both! We asked the ed. psych. to also see if she was also ADHD but eventually the result was that she was just selective in paying attention, not that she was unable to sustain attention. And even when paying attention, she is slower than average.

... Sometimes I do feel bad that my bid of being over-protective of my youngest doter is at the expense of the two elder ones. And I tell myself consciously not to hold back their own developments just because I need to do pacing for my youngest one.
I've often wondered whether it's easier when the ASD kid is the younger or the elder? Mine is my elder, and her younger sister long ago caught up and surpassed her in many ways. That has also been tough to manage, especially during the 'overtaking' phase. They are now accustomed to the fact and they still get along well. I was really afraid that it would affect their relationship adversely. And there's also the self-esteem issue for the older one, but she seems to be OK with the situation.

[ImMeeMee]

slmkhoo:

I've often wondered whether it's easier when the ASD kid is the younger or the elder? ...

[/quote]


slmkhoo, I suspect this discussion will be like mainstream vs SPED schools - no one size fits all!

[2Sons]

Hi All, would recommend you to watch this Korean drama - Good Doctor

This drama draw the story of a young man, Park Shi On (Joo Won) with ASD - Savant Syndrome who overcomes obstacles to become a pediatric surgeon.
主要讲述了有自闭倾向,身患"学者症候群"的人,即人格有缺陷仅有小学生程度的青年,如何克服世人的偏见并成长为小儿外科专业医师的故事.

This drama is currently showing in Korea and is at episode 8 of 20. Besides the point that it is dramatize and that whether will this happen realistically and be accepted by the current system anytime soon. One point that strike me so far in this show is that maybe while we (parents/friends/relatives/colleagues) might have the good intention to "protect" our special children and prefer them to be "safe" from the harsh reality, we might have "ignored" their potential and passion on what they wanted to do or be. And in so doing, they could have changed the perception of the other people and the world on what they could achieve and contribute…

Sorry, just my emotion after watch the show so far… Watch it if you can…
One day… I will share my journey with my 2 double special sons…

[Kagillus]

Hi all, can someone share abt pathlight school? I know it is for high functioning autistic kids n learnt thru website. Does the sch provide challenging curriculum or teaching main stream like primary classes? Are the kids group acc to iq n behavioural issue. My therapists kept saying it is a v special sch that suits iq high kids. I am juz concern if my boy follows the wrong behaviour eg throw tantrum cos he is dx w asperger syn. Sorry if it sounds offensive. But my boy can argued why he cant do but others can. Afraid hard to change him if he encounters tt at sch. He behaves perfect at home n I may not know wat happen at sch. I really need insider story. Thanks.

[oceanluv]

Hi,


My gal is 21 months and she has ASD with speech delay. Other than Leapfrog, where can I go affordable OT & ST?

I am totally new to this but I need to get my gal into early intervention.

Thanks all.

[Double E]

Kagillus:

Hi all, can someone share abt pathlight school? I know it is for high functioning autistic kids n learnt thru website. Does the sch provide challenging curriculum or teaching main stream like primary classes? Are the kids group acc to iq n behavioural issue. My therapists kept saying it is a v special sch that suits iq high kids. I am juz concern if my boy follows the wrong behaviour eg throw tantrum cos he is dx w asperger syn. Sorry if it sounds offensive. But my boy can argued why he cant do but others can. Afraid hard to change him if he encounters tt at sch. He behaves perfect at home n I may not know wat happen at sch. I really need insider story. Thanks.

From what I know Pathlight is the only special school that teaches both mainstream curriculum (from Primary to Secondary mainstream curriculum) and vocational skills. It is a highly sought after special school by ASD kids. So far, I only hear good feedback about Pathlight school and hardly any negative comments. The students are taught mainstream curriculum in small groups. Each class has about 8 students with 3 teachers. In case u don't know, Pathlight produced a top PSLE scorer last year, a P6 boy who has aspergers and ADHD scored 276 for his PSLE and went on to enrol in NUS school of maths and science.

I met some students from Pathlight two years ago, I am very impressed by them especially the knowledge that they have and they behave like any typical primary school children.

[ImMeeMee]

Kagillus:

Hi all, can someone share abt pathlight school? I know it is for high functioning autistic kids n learnt thru website. Does the sch provide challenging curriculum or teaching main stream like primary classes? Are the kids group acc to iq n behavioural issue. My therapists kept saying it is a v special sch that suits iq high kids. I am juz concern if my boy follows the wrong behaviour eg throw tantrum cos he is dx w asperger syn. Sorry if it sounds offensive. But my boy can argued why he cant do but others can. Afraid hard to change him if he encounters tt at sch. He behaves perfect at home n I may not know wat happen at sch. I really need insider story. Thanks.

My doter is only going into PL next year so I would not have any insider story at this point.

Besides what Double E has shared, would like to share that PL is not a school for high IQ kids. I recall there used to be a cut off of 70 but I am not sure whether this still applies. But because its key pathways accesses the mainstream curriculum leading to PSLE, the children need to be assessed to be cognitively ready to attend the school. Hence the psychological report is one of the pre-requisites in the application process.

The downside that I have heard from my friend whose doter is in higher primary in PL is that it can get quite stressful academically.

HTH.

[ImMeeMee]

oceanluv:

Hi,


My gal is 21 months and she has ASD with speech delay. Other than Leapfrog, where can I go affordable OT & ST?

I am totally new to this but I need to get my gal into early intervention.

Thanks all.

oceanluv, by affordable you mean at the same level as Leapfrog?

If so, then there are many private ST and OT that are charging about the same level as LF. There are usually mixed reviews of these therapy centers, and you would be able to find a lot of information at this thread, so you may want to visit a few centers before you decide.

If you are looking for services that are charging even lower, then one area could be KKH Rehab. My doter is currently on ST and OT there and I am paying about $60 per session as a subsidized patient. But of course, the therapy sessions are about once every 3 to 4 weeks, as compared to once a week which is possible at private centers.

We used to see private therapists when we wanted more intensive therapy about once a week. But as she progresses and as we learn to apply the techniques ourselves, we find that once every 3-4 weeks suits us well at this stage.

So it really depends on the current needs of your child. Hope this helps.

[ArielMermaid]

Hi,

Has anybody heard of Nature’s Glory? Apparently, they use Nano Energy Booster Patch Therapy which they claim help children with autism. I was skeptical at first, but my colleague told me her friend said it really helps with her autistic nephew.

Do let me know if you have any experience!

Thanks in advance

[Xeraph]

No, autism is a DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER. Please.

And what "road to recovery" are they talking about? This isn’t a disease. It’s something to be proud of.