Expert: James Michael Roan - 1/5/2006

Question
My two year old son, Sean, was just diagnosed with autism.  He does not speak at all.  He interacts some.  He laughs to himself a lot.  He hugs and can be held sometimes.  He is starting to get very restless and is hurting me.  He bangs his head against my face when he doesn't want to be held and takes screaming fits in stores.  He throws his food when he doesn't want it.  I have lived in a small secluded town in NC for only a year.  We are going through Early Childhood development for speech therapy. They only offer speech one hour per week.  They say that we can do the same for him the rest of the time.  The Teacch Center diagnosed him but will offer no additional help.  They say he is too young.  Is there any other help I can get.  We do not have a lot of money but are over the income guidelines for state help.  Our insurance has very high co pays we go to the Doctors as little as possible. My husband want to put him through something called discreet learning, but it sounds very severe.  Please help me if you can.  I have a four year old who refuses to potty train and is acting out by destroying the house.  I think the two are intertwined somehow.

Thank you for listening.

Deanne Burkett

Answer
Hi Deanne;

Have you applied to the Department of Developmental Disabilities? In Washington State where I live I understand parents receive a few thousand dollars a year.
Additionally, there are grants available, albeit small ones, for children with a diagnosis of autism/Asperger's Disorder. That's all I know about that.

You had might as well brace yourself now, there is really very little you can get from your school district when Sean turns 3 unless you are prepared to be a strong advocate. It's a tough and prolonged fight. Districts owe a child with autism a minimum of 25 hours per week of services but you have to fight for it.

You will become an expert in autism, speech and language, and social development in a very short time. Children with autism have a narrow window of opportunity in which to benefit from early intervention services. Usually between the ages of 2 and 6. For those with no language at 3, 75% will develop functional language if they receive early intervention.

You might as well begin right here and now. Tell me the level and types of play you and your son engage in or what type of play he engages in by himself. That will help me to give you some ideas of what you can do at home. A mother-son interaction is tremendously more powerful in awakening the social child within your son than any educator. Social development stimulates language development. Make sure your son has been thoroughly evaluated where possible, i.e. cognitive, communication, motor, self-help skills, etc. That is your right under Early Intervention service category.

Kind Regards,
James