All About Autism
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From a ST forum contribution last week (https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-public-often-quick-to-judge-autistic-kids-and-their-parents
[quote]As a parent of an autistic child, I have received more than my fair share of disapproving looks and hushed whispers - directed at what many likely presume to be a spoilt brat and an overindulgent parent - whenever my son displays inappropriate social behaviour.
A study of autism services and support in Singapore published last year concluded that \"the whole of society... needs to work together to fight autism stigma and discrimination\".
In the study, a parent was quoted as saying: \"(People) do not understand that some caregivers are trying to strike a balance between letting the children be independent and having some time for themselves… But the public may not be so accepting of special needs children.\"
According to a 2016 report, one in 150 Singapore children has autism, a higher rate than the World Health Organisation's global figure of one in 160 children.
The public can play a part by:
[list]- Not passing judgment too quickly.
[/list][list]- Checking with parents on whether they need assistance.
[/list][list]- Allowing parents time and space to pacify their child.
[/list][list]- Refraining from commenting on the child's behaviour.
[/list][list]- Refraining from commenting on the parenting style.
[/list][list]- Most importantly, not assuming that they know best.
[/list]
A little patience, empathy and graciousness go a long way towards reassuring these parents and children that they are valued and supported.[/quote] -
“It takes a village to raise a child but a supportive society to raise a child with special needs.” One father whose son was diagnosed with moderate autism spectrum disorder shares their story
https://www.sassymamasg.com/parenting-autism-spectrum-disorder-story-singapore/ -
Simply00123\" post_id=\"1949602\" time=\"1574748251\" user_id=\"153995:
Hi your son sounds just like my 22 month old boy. May I check how is your son now?
Hi all, it has been 6 months since my last post. Just to share on my son's progress. He is now able to label things. He can point and name animals, objects, colours, knows all alphabets and numbers. Speech therapist mentioned that he is progressing. However these labelling are non functioning and we need to teach him more functioning words so that he is able to communicate to people. When he request things, he usually pull our hands to the object. We will prompt him to say \"i want xxx\". He is still unable to request on his own unless we prompt or cue him and we are still working on that with him. He has improved his eye contact however he is still unable to maintain the eye contact when he is talking. When he says \"I want milk\". The eye contact is only at the word \"i\" and the eye will sway away. One behaviour, not sure usual or not for other kids: He is obsessed with a book, he can recite the whole story again and again for very long can be up to an hour or so. Sometimes when we are outside and the book is not with him, he will want us to draw out the pictures in the book on paper and he will recite the story. When we are at the library, not sure how he managed to find that book and he will sit there and read only that book. However this is not causing any problem to us so we let him be. He has very bad tantrums too, when he didn't get what he wants he will scream cry and roll on the floor. I still have not has a way on how to deal with his tantrum. But overall, we see improvement in him
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Hi everyone,need some advice.
My little girl is 14 mths old ,although i know it’s too young to be assure of anything however i do have concerns as my little girl always screams for no reason whenever we are dining outside. She does the norm like making eye contact with us, no flapping of hand as of now,smiling to us and even to strangers.Am i too paranoid or should i consult a specialist to do a full diagnosis?
Appreciate any advice,
From a concerned daddy
Thank you. -
hellflame\" post_id=\"2063486\" time=\"1649001088\" user_id=\"197427:
You may study the below article and see whether your little girl is having these symptoms.
Hi everyone,need some advice.
My little girl is 14 mths old ,although i know it's too young to be assure of anything however i do have concerns as my little girl always screams for no reason whenever we are dining outside. She does the norm like making eye contact with us, no flapping of hand as of now,smiling to us and even to strangers.Am i too paranoid or should i consult a specialist to do a full diagnosis?
https://www.parents.com/baby/health/autism/early-signs-of-autism-in-babies/ -
hellflame\" post_id=\"2063486\" time=\"1649001088\" user_id=\"197427:
Yes, she is too young for any certainty - even if you take her to be assessed, you won't get any definitive answers. ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is essentially a social skills disorder. If your daughter is making eye contact, smiling at you, etc, it's quite unlikely to be ASD.
Hi everyone,need some advice.
My little girl is 14 mths old ,although i know it's too young to be assure of anything however i do have concerns as my little girl always screams for no reason whenever we are dining outside. She does the norm like making eye contact with us, no flapping of hand as of now,smiling to us and even to strangers.Am i too paranoid or should i consult a specialist to do a full diagnosis?
Appreciate any advice,
From a concerned daddy
Thank you.
I'm not a professionally trained, but I have an ASD daughter (now grown-up) and another daughter who is neurologically typical. My guess is that your daughter is suffering from early-onset* \"terrible twos\". When at home: is she required to sit nicely in a chair and wait patiently for food? Does she have to entertain herself in the high chair when parents are talking to others, ordering food, etc? She is very likely objecting to having to wait, being restricted, being relatively ignored, and not being allowed to explore all the novel and enticing things she can see around her. If you want her to be patient in restaurants, try to inculcate sitting at table at home, and help her learn to entertain herself with small toys and books, paper and crayons etc. But a toddler's patience is very limited - if she can stay seated for more than 10 mins without food, that is already an achievement. When my kids were small, eating out for us was mostly \"eat and run\" - if we wanted to chat, we got a babysitter or invited people to our home.
Another possibility is that she is over-stimulated by too many new sights and sensations, or noise and activity, especially if the home environment is relatively quiet. That is something that you have to ease her into, and she will gradually acclimatise.
Hope this helps. I think your child is behaving exactly as a any normal toddler would.
*Edited to add: In case you worry, it's very normal for kids to display the beginnings of the terrible twos by 1+yo. It will only get worse! -
Regarding the “terrible twos”, yes it can start in their 2nd year of life, ie from 12 months old onwards. Am kind of glad my son had his over and done with earlier. If the child is not verbal yet, it feels more “terrible”, but hang in there. Mine had terrific threes (in his 3rd year of life), fantastic fours, fabulous fives, and basically very sweet to me ever since, no communication issues.
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Really appreciate all replies providing lotsa insights! Yes ,my in laws restrict her in the babyseat while feeding her and my girl always show that frustration like looking at us and shout at us or will feeling agitated. Perhaps this is the cause of her reacting this way.
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hellflame\" post_id=\"2063519\" time=\"1649062300\" user_id=\"197427:
Your in-laws are not incorrect in training good eating behavior, and if you give in to your DD, it might actually reinforce her poor behavior, thinking that she will get rewarded by behaving badly.
Really appreciate all replies providing lotsa insights! Yes ,my in laws restrict her in the babyseat while feeding her and my girl always show that frustration like looking at us and shout at us or will feeling agitated. Perhaps this is the cause of her reacting this way. -
ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2063525\" time=\"1649065090\" user_id=\"3:
Agree with Chief. How often do the grandparents feed her? If it's daily, then she will get used to it. If it's not as frequently, and she is not restrained at other meals, then that causes confusion, and she will always fuss at the times when she is restrained. Since you want her to sit when dining out, the best solution is to require the same behaviour at every meal, whether at home or elsewhere.
Your in-laws are not incorrect in training good eating behavior, and if you give in to your DD, it might actually reinforce her poor behavior, thinking that she will get rewarded by behaving badly.
I am a great advocate for seating kids at mealtimes. It's safer as kids are more focused on the food and less likely to choke. It's also safer for kids to be seated when dining out - avoids trips, spills, scalds etc. My kids have almost never had a meal without being seated in a high chair or other \"trap\". They learned to sit and eat, and it hasn't harmed them in any way. It also means that my husband and I have been able to eat at the same time, and while the food is hot! Of course, once they've filled up, they won't sit still long - but that's normal for small kids.
If your daughter is showing frustration at home during meals, it could be that she is bored. Is she always spoonfed? At her age, she should be allowed to eat some food with her fingers, and also try to self-feed. Giving her something to hold and self-feed will make it easier to feed her the rest of the food. And she will learn to feed herself earlier - both my girls, even the one with dyspraxia, were able to self-feed with a spoon before 2 yrs old. It's messy, but that's a passing phase. The kids will appreciate the independence, while parents will be able to eat their own food more easily.
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