Autism - Dallas,GA

I am very sorry to hear this. I know this is going to sound strange but have you taken him to a Chiropractor? I work for one. The reason I bring this up is that if it were my child I would want to seek out all options before subjecting him to endless poking-proding and x-rays, etc. It could be as simple as just a nerve that is being pinched off or pressed on by a vertebrae. If you are interested please respond. I work for a great one! hope this helps!
P.S. My son has been adjusted since birth and has never had a shot or drug in his adorable little body.

What are the warning signs? How old is your baby? I have two friends with babies with autism, and one with Spina Bifida. Because of this, when my babay was in daycare and was WAY behind in her speech, all the other girls would be like Mylie, your mom is here!" and she was still saying "Mama" and that's about it... I think she was way behind up until about 2, and I was really getting worried. the doctors noticed it too and tested her hearing and looked a little into it. But as the months went by, she seemed to get better pretty fast, somewhere around 3-4 years old. Ha, I just laughed as I wrote that the doctors checked her hearing at around 2, because I'd kinda forgotten about that, and I was just at the doctors this year and was explaining how she repeats her self a lot and yells a lot and again they suggested having a hearing test. Well their hearing test came back abnormal, so I freaked out, but as it turned out their machine was messed up. This girl, at age 4 1/2 talks like a 6 year old. Yet at ages 1, 2 & 3 she was so far behind that her teachers and doctors noticed. So i just thought I'd tell you my story if your baby is young, kids develop their skill set so differently. While mine was walking steadily at 8 months, my best friends didn't walk till almost 2 - but they are both now competing closely in ballet. So tell us about "the warning signs" you've experienced, and the age f your baby so even the moms whose babys do not have autism may still be able to be of help. I can get you into contact with my friends whose babies have autism if you'd like. I don't have their email addresses on hand but I can get them.

Hi

I am an Applied Behavioral Therapist that works with children diagnosed with autism...

Please feel free to contact me via my regular Yahoo Inbox address at ____@____.com and we can "chat" a bit more in depth if you'd like.

I am also the head of a new charity "Rockin' & Ridin' for Autism" that is being held for it's second year this coming Spring. We might be able to help you with donations and funds to provide costly therapy materials if this is indeed what you end up needing.

"The Walk for Autism" is a non-profit group based in Augusta, GA and they raise funding for scholarship grants to help families with ABA Therapy costs.

I have also been trained by several various consultants in this area and would be more than happy to show you some materials pertaining to simple tests, etc. for your little one. There are different tests, such as the ABBLS, that will help you actually graph milestones your child has or has not reached. These are also used widely in the school systems and by doctors alike.

Again, feel free to "holler" at me should you wish to!

~ L. ~

Hi M., I too have adopted a little boy who we fostered from birth who has been diagnoses with Aspergers Syndrome which is a type of autism. I am surprised that DFCS or the agency you foster with did not have the child evaluated prior to the adoption. Your best source of information is the Marcus Institute in Atlanta. We took our little boy there when he was 2 and they were able to diagnose him at that time. Since then, he has entered the public school system and is in a special needs class. He was able to enter that program at age 3. You did not mention how old your little boy is, but it can never be too early to attack the problem.

Does your little man have anger issues? Is he self injurious? Does he throw temper tantrums for no reason except that he is frustrated when he can't do something for himself or that he does not understand? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then you probably have some sort of autism! Never fear, our little boys seems to be learning how to adjust. School is a very positive thing for him. We do still have episodes, but they are few and far between as long as he is in his "normal" surroundings.

If you need to talk, feel free to send me an email at ____@____.com and I will give you my telephone number.

Good Luck, B.

Please, please, please make your doctor listen. If he/she won't find one that will. Many, many neurological problems depend on early intervention if they are going to be treated successfully. Especially autism. I think symptoms usually start around age 2 but just to be sure have your doc do a full evaluation. Also document the things that you notice going on w/ you baby. Specific dates, times of day, things going on at the time of the "off" behavior, food eaten. These are all very important. I wish you the best of luck.

Dear M., how old is your baby? I am a therapist here in Mt. Pleasant and have worked with a few austic children. I would be happy to check him to see if he has any signs of birth trauma. You can go to upledger.com and see all about the work I do, or call me at ###-###-####, blessings D. D.

M.,

I am an occupational therapist in Athens, Ga. I work with adults and children at St. Mary's Outpatient Wellness Center (Rehab). We treat many children with autism. I also have a cousin who hasn't been dx with autism but has several symptoms that fall under typical symptoms of autism. It is hard to come to terms that there maybe something wrong with your child; however, early intervention is the best thing you can do for your child. Your child may just be delayed. There are many spectrums of autism even within mild-severe cases. Some of the characteristics include decrease speech and lang. at or near the age of 2, decrease social skills (dec. eye contact, isolated play, behavior changes), sensory concerns, feeding concerns, decrease coordination, decrease self-care, arm flapping, etc. I don't want to go into too much depth so please feel free to call us at anytime.

Researching information and discussing it with your doctor is important. Typically the doctor will dx your child when and if he feels it appropriate. Some doctors may run multiple tests to see if there is anything else going on. Typically neurological testing maybe performed as well as standardized testing. Your child is very young so your doctor may hold off on some testing. However, early intervention- therapy is very important. Your doctor just needs to write you a prescription/order for therapy or anyother treatment. Please feel free to call our outpatient clinic at ###-###-#### to discuss any questions or concerns. You can ask to speak to an O.T. (K., Kim, or Willow) or the pediactric speech therapist- Katie. I hope this information is helpful. We also have a pediatric P.T.- (Natalie).

I hope this information is helpful.

K.

M., I have 2 boys with high functioning Autism, both also adopted. They have very different symptoms but both fall on the spectrum. They are 5 and 4. How old is your child? The best place on the web for diagnosing possible symptoms is www.autismspeaks.org. They have a video glossary that shows tons of children and educates you on what's normal and what's not. I highly recommend it! Early intervention is critical, so please don't let your pediatrician or anyone else blow you off if you have concerns. Please email me if I can help you further. I live in Lexington and belong to a great support group of moms with special needs children if you are interested. Best of luck!
R. (mom of 4: three 4 yr olds and one 5 yr old)

Hi
M. my name is T. and i have a 2 1/2 year old and he was diagnosed with autism .

I have been there and i understand the denial process.
but , some of the things that my son noah would do would line things up in a row and he would scream often he didnt like the sun in his eyes at all and no language untill the age of 2. he would also give me no eye contact. it took a while to get the diagnosis but since therapy he is like a normal child he is on the milk and gluten free diet. iwish you the best and if you need to talk to me just email me ____@____.com

Prior to having my little girl, I worked as a Service Coordinator for a South Carolina Disability and Special Needs Board for 2 years. All South Carolina counties have their own DSNB. You should contact the County DSNB and request to start the intake process for your child.(It should be in the phone book, some have websites. You are looking for the "Family Supports/Early Intervention" Division.) Your child being under 3 yrs would fall into the Early Intervention category, which would be very helpful to you. They have a casemanager monitor your child's development and progress and identify any needs that must be met to benefit the child. During the intake, they should be able to conduct appropriate testing/observation to determine if your child has special needs warning signs. You can also refer your child to the autism division yourself, which I recommend to be proactive. The Autism Division is located in Spartanburg, SC; however, they will come to you if needed. (Sometimes the process can be slow, so inquire as soon as possible with both agencies.)
Typical warning signs for autism in infants is a failure for the child to establish eye contact, interact, or form loving bonds with caregiver (kissing, hugging, displaying affection). Another warning sign is if your child is not attempting to babble or use words after 6 months. Some autistic kids are sensitive to particular sounds and frequencies. Autism usually is not diagnosed officially until at least 3 yrs of age. However, intervention techniques must be done or started very early for autistic children to have the most benefit.

Once you are in touch with the Autism Division they will send you out information and connect you with support groups, which meet.
Due to the birth mother using drugs during pregnancy, mental retardation could be a possible factor. MR ranges from mild to severe. The DSNB will be able to determine if your child has MR and requires special services as well. Sometimes a child has a dual diagnosis of Autism and MR. But keep in mind there are other possibilities beyond these and the professionals at a DSNB would best assist you to determine if there is any abnormal development and what may be the cause of it.
The best thing to do is get the early intervention, so you know what your child's needs are and can assist him as fully as possible in his formative years. Good luck.

Hi M.... My son was diagnosed at about 3 with autism... after I did behavioral therapy with him at home and he entered into a great early education program.. he made remarkable improvements.. Later when I took him back to the Neurologist, he said he didn't have "autism" but something under the umbrella of autism, asperger's syndrome.. Anyway he is 8 now.. and in normal classes, in the correct grade for his age.. on the honor roll... He's a great kid.. doesn't listen well.. and talk a lot... but we're working on that. Get back to me if you want more details.. You can help "your baby!!".. The book 'Let me hear your voice' by Catherine something is a great place to start.

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/mental-health-autism.
Hopefully this will help you some.Alot of parent's can't remember what small signs their children were showing or may not know all of them. But if your child is dignosed with it then you should find a a local support group,other mothers have experience in how to cope.

http://zachsworld.typepad.com/

Here is a blog about one person's journey with her son's autism. It is all I know about autism, but I thought it might help.

C. in Sandy Springs

M.,
I work for an Early Intervention program that prvides services to children birth to age 5, with a variety of developmental delays/difficulties including autism. For children under age 3 you should contact Baby Net. They will come to your home and complete a curriculum based assessment and if your child is eligible help you pick an EI program who can help you with the referral process to have your child further evaluated for Autism. You can also go through the closest University's School of Medicine and seek to heve your child evaluated by Developmental Pediatrics in Columbia. It is good to do both. The school district and your doctor should be able to give you more referral sources. You can refer your own child to Baby Net and you do not need a referral from your doctor.
I have worked with chilren with Autism for several years, but it is really best if someone observes your child to determine if there is a need to further evaluate. Also you should know that only a Dr. can diagnosis, even if other professionals feel confident, we do not have the needed liscensure to diagnose.
Hope this is helpful, if you need more information, I would be glad to try to help.
V. E

M.

I have a 7 year old child with Autism. He specifically has PDD-NOS Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not otherwise specified. It is a spectrum disorder and under the name Autism there are 6 different categories. Mine is high functioning. If you would like to email me at ____@____.com I would be happy to speak to you. If you live in Cumming I would meet with you if you would like. I have been on this journey since my son was 2 and could offer you a lot of support. I have also worked in the school system as a paraprofessional and have been around other children and notice a lot of symptoms.
Word of advice:: Pediatricians are not that knowledgable about AUtism they blew me off for over a year until I demanded a referall. If you are unsure the best bet is to have him tested and I have a great psychologist that is great.

I will be waiting to hear from you. Best of luck.

J. L Souto
____@____.com

First I would like to praise you for being so willing to recognize that something may be wrong with your child! The earlier you get your child help, the better the chance your child will have to develop normally and be successful in life. So many parents refuse to get their child help and just want to wait to see if they grow out of it. It is so important to address developmental delays early so the child doesn't fall too far behind. There are many symptoms of Autism, and many of those symptoms can also indicate other problems. Your best bet would be to contact Babies Can't Wait http://health.state.ga.us/programs/bcw/index.asp

They can evaluate your child to see if he is behind in any areas, and can then provide him with help. They don't normally diagnose a child with a particular disorder, so you would need to pursue that through a doctor, but a diagnosis usually isn't helpful for young children. It's better to see what areas they need help in and get them that help and then pursue a diagnosis when they are older.