Raising a Child with Autism
July 20, 2009 by Chris
Filed under Autism Help and Treatments
Raising a Child with Autism
My grandmother rarely talks about raising her third son, who was autistic. He was defined as autistic almost before there was a classical definition for autism. My dad and uncles remember what life was like having an autistic child in the family. The attention was taken away from them, and they witnessed lots of their brother’s temper tantrums. They also remember my grandfather gently cooing, in the hopes that he could calm him down at night, “Mikey Pete, Mikey Pete, you’re so sweet, don’t rock that seat.” Sadly, it never quite settled down their brother.
Ultimately, my grandparents were unable to take care of my uncle, and they sent him away to a state institution, as many other parents of autistic children did in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This was before Sen. Robert F. Kennedy stood on the steps of Willowbrook calling the institution “criminal.” They didn’t know how awful it was. Once they did, it was too late.
Getting Good Night’s Sleep with Autistic Children
July 20, 2009 by Chris
Filed under Autism Help and Treatments
Getting Good Night’s Sleep with Autistic Children
It’s 2 a.m.; do you know where your child is? For many parents of children with autism, the answer could very well be, “No.” As more and more funding comes from the federal government and private donors to research autism, leaders in the field are figuring out what many parents already know: frequently, children who are diagnosed with autism are unable to sleep.
Whether it’s because your child cannot go to sleep or because he or she wakes up intermittently throughout the night, your child is just not going to sleep… and as a result, neither are you. Both of you are well under the time required to have what is considered a good night sleep (approximately 10 hours for your child, and just about 8 hours for you). You’re practically worn down to a nub while your child is just as hyper as he or she was the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that, etc.
Autism – Causes and Treatments
July 19, 2009 by Chris
Filed under About Autism
Autism – Causes and Treatments
By: Paul Hata
Autism is one condition that requires speech therapy treatment. However, autism is often misunderstood and thought of to be something that can be left untreated. However, that should not be how things work. Autism presents a lot of problems, but the intensity of these problems could be decreased if given the correct treatment.
A lot of terms are commonly heard in relation to autism, such as: classic autism, infantile autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), Atypical PDD, Autistic like, PDD-NOS, Asperger’s Syndrome and high functioning Autistic.
What Is Autism
Basically, Autism is a neurological disorder. It is classified to be a Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The main characteristic of Autism is that it affects three major areas in relation to speech and language. This triad is the impairment of the child’s: social interaction, communication and imaginative play.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder is actually an umbrella term for Autistic Spectrum Disorders. With the use of the term pervasive, it is emphasized that the disability’s range of deficits is beyond psychological development. On the other hand, the term developmental puts emphasis that the occurrence of the condition is during the child’s development rather than later in life.
Featured Family – The Sandlers
May 26, 2009 by Matt
Filed under Featured Owners
“Having 3
Autistic children has created an almost constant chaos within our house. Over the past few years, my wife and I have slept on the living room couches as a last line of defense in case one of the children snuck downstairs in the middle of the night. We tried everything from crib tents to extra locks, and none of these options created a comfort level that allowed us to let our guard down. Our 5-year-old daughter has been sleeping in the bed for 2 months now and the results have been incredible. She no longer wakes up in the middle of the night nor do we have any concern if she were to. She enjoys being in the bed as much as we enjoy her having it. I would recommend anyone who has concerns regarding their child getting out of bed at night to seriously consider this option.”
Brad Sandler – Indiana
May 2009
