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Warning Signs that Something was Wrong with Ryan
In this very powerful interview, a mother discusses some of the early warning signs of autism spectrum disorder she noticed in her son, Ryan (ASD), particularly in comparison to her daughter's typical development. She describes Ryan's lack of affection, lack of eye contact, repetitive behaviors, insensitivity to pain, and problems with noise levels in shopping malls as early indicators "that something was wrong."
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Mom's Early Warning Signs for Lucas
A mother of two boys with ASD talks about how no single skill like good eye contact or a seemingly engaged smile can rule out the presence of autism. She describes how her two affected sons were in some ways "totally different," but in others ways marked by similar symptoms, such as their inability to play with toys and a disinterest in other, unfamiliar children. She describes the notable progress made by her son since he began early intervention services.
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Mom's Early Warning Signs for Seamus
A mother of two boys with autism, describes how her eldest son, Seamus, struggled with a wide variety of everyday experiences like feeding, bathing, and taking a different route to school. Though many pediatricians considered the case borderline, Seamus' mother listened to her instinct and enrolled Seamus in the early intervention services that have helped transform his behavior.
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Mom's Concerns in the Future for Her Sons
A mother describes the difficulty her sons on the autism spectrum have socializing with other children their age and their preference for conversing with adults. She worries about how these social difficulties will affect her sons as they get older and social expectations grow. Such challenges are frequently encountered by children with ASD.
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Seamus' Personal Interests
Seamus's mother describes his intense and restricted interest in structured systems like subway lines and street configurations. This restricted interest in addition to his difficulty with gross motor skills impair Seamus's ability to engage with his peers in sports and other developmentally appropriate games.
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Food Sensitivity
The mother of two boys with ASD and a third with development delays discusses the extremely restricted diet of her eldest son, Gabriel. Gabriel will only eat about 5 different kinds of food and gags when given food of a gelatinous texture.
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Gabriel Loves School
Mom talks about the differences between early intervention and preschool, particularly concerning the level of parent involvement. Her oldest son Gabriel has successfully transitioned to preschool and looks forward to each school day.
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Pointing
The mother of 2 boys with ASD and a third with developmental delays describes how none of her boys learned how to point on their own or point, gesture in a social, spontaneous way. Gabriel, who is 3 years old, has been taught through therapy to point when when he wants something. His younger brothers, Benjamin and Nathan, are still being taught hand over hand that they must point to request. Such deficits in nonverbal communication are risk alerts for ASD.
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Therapy Works
The mother of Gabriel, Nathan and Ben talks about how therapy for children with ASD has changed for the better in recent years and proved very beneficial to her children.
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Battle with Stomach Aches
Christian's mom describes his battle with colitis and the importance of getting attentive medical treatment for the secondary physical conditions that can accompany autism in many children.
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Impact of the Diagnosis Message to Doctors
Christian's mother discusses her difficulty finding doctors with expertise in autism and its treatment. She describes her struggles finding appropriate treatment and support after Christian was diagnosed as particularly difficult.
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Autism Can Be An Isolating Disorder
Christian's mom shares her experiences raising a child with autism. She describes the importance of talking to other families affected by autism as few other people can fully understand the isolation, complexeties and daily challenges posed by the disorder.
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"He Was Taken From Me At Two Years Old." (Regression)
Christian's mother describes how her son's development appeared normal until age two, when he began to lose his language abilities and regress developmentally. She describes how her pediatrician's limited training in autism lead to a frustrating and unnecessary delay in Christian's diagnosis. A link between vaccines and autism has not been found despite extensive research. Still, Christian's mother describes how Christian became very ill after receiving his vaccinations, a reaction she feels may be still meaningful.
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Search for a Diagnosis and the Importance of Early Intervention
The mom of Ryan talks about her search for a diagnosis, and how comparing Ryan to his older sibling, Maren, helped in catching his diagnosis(ASD), and getting him early intervention. She discusses Ryan's many improvements through therapy and how her experiences learning the milestones and getting early intervention services have also helped her support her younger son, Liam, who has some developmental delays, but not autism.
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Advice to Parents that Have Children with Autism
The mom of Ryan (ASD) gives very good advice to mothers who may have a child with autism. She talks about trusting your instinct that something may be wrong with your child, not letting others discourage you and pursuing early intervention. Coping and living with the possibility that you may lose some of your friends because of your child with autism is also discussed.
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- Experts60
- Parents15
- Therapists13