Hi Lisa. My son is 4 and has PDD-NOS. Your situation is surprising! You need to take your child to a developmental pediatrician and get an official diagnosis. This will make accessing services much easier. I know for us it made a huge difference. Educators are not allowed to diagnose though many Im sure can recognize the signs of autism, this may be why you had a hard time getting answers. Your child is entitled to services in the education system from birth to age 21 if you are in the U.S. This includes special needs schooling, speech therapy, occupational therapy if he qualifys. Most of the educators I have encountered through our experience have really put the well being of our child first. Our little boy may be going into regular kindergarten this coming year. It seems like he has such a long way to go but he may get there faster surrounded by neuro-typical children as he learns so much through imitation. I understand feeling alone! Im glad your here, I joined this forum recently and it helps a lot just knowing there are so many people are sharing my same circumstance.
Heidi in Utah ↑ |
| Hi lisa, my son is also 7, he is also on the lower end of the spectrum and is in reg. classes. he still has special classes he goes to and they seem to help him..this school year is so far going better then last year. I also found out through his teacher that something wasnt right. we have always felt something was different in my son. but he was our first and we thought that he was acting normal. his preschool teacher is the one that told me to contact my school district and get him tested and we did and now its been 3 yrs since we found out and he has come such a long way! Im so proud of him. he still has problems, but like I said he has come along way. he is more social then he used to be. anyways I just wanted to tell you not to give up and you are not alone. if you ever need to talk you can always email me at [email protected] . Chrissy ↑ |
| Just like you, we knew something was wrong with our son before he was 2 also. We couldn't get anyone to believe us. Doctor after doctor, said that he was bright and that we should socialize him more. Anyway, it wasn't until years on a waiting list for a special autism clinic, that we were told that he was autistic. He was almost 6. Don't feel alone, as you can see from all the information out there, you are not! Our story is very familiar, and everyone out there with an autistic child feel completely devistated when they are given the diagnosis. I never thought that my son would be where he is today. He's 15 and in regular high school. He goes back and forth by himself, is in the school band, plays piano and orchestra bells, and is a great student. However, he doesn't have any friends, other than the kids at school. This is where he is lacking in skills. You know, when he was in kindergarten I said to my husband, "I wish he would start talking more, you know, having real conversations" and today, there are times when we wish he would be quiet. There is hope out there, don't give up, we didn't and it paid off. ↑ |
