AboutCatherine Ridenour Expertise I can answer your questions about parenting your High Functioning Autisic or Asperger`s Syndrome child. In particular, questions about family life, discipline, siblings, finding resources, and working with (sometimes opposing) the educational system are welcome.
Experience I am the parent of an Asperger's Syndrome child who is now 22 years old. She went undiagnosed for 14 years of her life, so I have done extensive reading and Internet research into the possible cause of her difficulties. Even a short 8 years ago, A.S. was practically unheard of by the public educational system.
We fumbled our way through her childhood and early adolescence without any effective outside support. In some ways, that may have been a blessing as we were focused on her abilities rather than a label for her disability. However, I can think of many times when knowing WHY would have been comforting.
Had we known very early on, some social skills interventions might have made her life in school easier. At this point, I like her for who she is so I do not regret how things have turned out. More importantly, she likes herself.
Education/Credentials I have a Bachelor of Science in Education.
I have worked to educate myself about Autism in general and HFA/AS in particular.
NOTE:
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Question Hi catherine,
I want to talk about my son who is 3.8yrs old.
He cant communicate with others. although he recognizes evrything.
he is in nusery and he knows all rhymes, A-Z all alphabets, 1-10 no's he sings songs, he plays with kids.but he cant speak to them.
he asks for milk. one word he uses like milk, TV etc. we consulted a development pediatrician, she said MIld symptoms of autism. we got nervous and now we dont know what to do..Could you please help me regarding this.
I will be always thankfull
Answer Hi Deepa,
A child how cannot speak in two to three word sentences at nearly 4 years of age is severely speech delayed. Perhaps he does have "mild" autism but he has major communication issues.
His hearing needs to be evaluated (if it has not been already). If that is normal, he needs other testing to find the possible reason he has not acquired functional language. Regardless of the cause, he needs speech therapy immediately. The "golden years" for language acquisition are from birth to age three.
Clearly, he is intelligent from all he has learned. So, getting the right treatment should make a big difference fairly quickly.
Keep working to find him the help he needs. Waiting is not in his best interest.
