Aspies For Freedom

I was wondering... they supposedly can now diagnose ASDs at the age of 6 months... what kind of early intervention do they do then? Do they just tell the parents "your child is autistic, start early intervention when he's e.g. 18 months, or is there something they do at 6 months? I'm just having a hard time imagining doing ABA on a 6 month old...

Some says "the earlier intervention starts, the better" which might sound logical to a mom with a newly diagnosed child just beginning to learn but for a person who have seen this kind of stuff:



To give her something to be anxious about, she was taken to the shock room, where the floor is laced with metallic strips. Two electrodes were put on her bare back, and her shoes removed."

... you might realise that you maybe aren't that "desparate" for the therapy after all.

I think it is positive that special teaching techniques are used to teach autistic children practical necessary things like brushing teeth and eating properly, but when it is used to make them walk "right", sit "right" and not make any repetive behavior the idea that ABA is meant for the parents, and not the children, begin to seem to be on to something. That actually makes ABA look like something "cosmetic".

Erkolos, I didn't ask about the pros and cons of ABA and other early interventions... I was just wondering what they do with 6 month olds, or whether they just diagnose and tell you to come back later.

Marieke
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But what if I want to ABA my son into becoming an anti-ABA activist???

It never hurts to get information.  Find out what is recommended, research it like your life depends upon it because, actually, it kind of does.  Make informed decisions and do what works for your family.

I think it really depends on the "symptoms" that the child presents. Some kids it might be obvious at 6 months, others not until they're much older.

I would imagine that would be hard to do much with a 6MO. You can't get them to do much of anything at that age, though I guess if you "knew" they had autism you could focus on some things... like initiating some social play things like peek-a-boo or something relative to that agegroup. I don't personally believe that you could do much of anything, personally, and have wondered the same thing.

I really don't know how early diagnosis helps if the parents are going to stop loving the child they've got and start mourning the one they think they've 'lost' even earlier than they do now.

There was no 'diagnosis' in my family; my parents just 'got on with' raising us to cope with normal life as best as was possible by explaining, over and over, how to do things.

When my first-born wouldn't make eye-contact I just cuddled and talked to him anyway - read him books, played with him, taught him anything he wanted to learn.

As the others came along, I just carried on what I had been doing, the same as my parents did with me - plenty of sensible interaction, loads of love and constant explanations as to how to get along with others. As socialisation was very much a taught experience for me I supposed it was that way for everyone, so I taught my kids everything and it simply didn't occur to me that they were expected to pick up such things by themselves. The idea that most humans are naturally social is a very recent one to me!

I was sometimes criticised by other young mothers that I spent too much time explaining! And for always giving proper scientific explanations to questions instead of fairy-tale ones.

Well, they seem to have grown up OK! The only one with an official diagnosis was diagnosed at nearly 13, only because he had the worst time coping with school.

I initially resisted the idea that there was anything 'wrong' with him - he is exactly like me and most of my family, after all! So I am delighted that I found this site (and not a 'curebie' one) - it confirms my feeling that there is nothing 'wrong' with any of us!

I'd say to intervene as little as possible.  Only out of complete necessity.

Modern Lovaas technique (form of ABA) isn't really that bad, some people might believe it consists skin-shock and stuff like that but that is far from the truth. I've got the impression that it is a therapist following around directing for the right thing to do and making marks for good behavior. The more marks, the more candy - But I don't really know.

I've heard that TEACCH is a therapy meant to adjust environments to the "patient". I don't really know what that means but I guess it might mean that they try to give the "patient" a feel of control - more predictable day life.

I read in a magazine today - it said that one therapist also has the responsibility to have monotome voice, or else the "patient" (I don't know a better word) might feel unsure whether or not he was sarcastic or had any other deeper meaning of what he said.

Mum said I didn't respond to my name at two months. I think it would have been much later than that. Perhaps that's why she and dad thought I was autistic at that stage. But she said I smiled at six weeks, which is pretty much "on time". However, I was just as likely to smile at things as people.

He's recently learned the eye-contact thing, but still doesn't listen to his name. He's also recently started to smile some, but yeah, at objects as well as at people. I don't really care, I just find his development interesting.

I am 18. I still don't respond to my name half the time.
Hm. I don't know what kind of effective therapy they could do at that age, as I imagine it'd be really hard to assess what are the real issues the kid is going to need help with.

I do agree that there should be more options for services available earlier and to more people than is current. I myself did not get any sort of speech therapy until well into 10th grade, and most of the things we focused on were things of little use to me (analogies and nonliteral language - I do have definite problems with these, but they rarely impact me negatively in day-to-day life). I wish I could learn more life skills like cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc., but my parents are very busy working three jobs, and don't have much time to teach me. I am sure that I could learn them in the summer before college, but I will probably still be clumsy and slow at these tasks, and require that they be written down (it took me a couple of years to learn how to shave). I am still clumsy and slow at getting dressed, and I have been doing this for many years now (but five years ago I established a getting dressed routine, much as I did with teeth brushing, and this improved speed greatly).

Unfortunately, due to the massive amount of bad information on autism, inappropriate interventions are often employed for the sake of eradicating the autism rather than helping the individual to live a happy and fulfilled life.

Of course every person is unique and so has different strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, since my academic achievement and test scores are so high, many of my problems have been overlooked, and when I was asked if there were things I needed help with, nothing got addressed, since the person asking took my silence and hand gestures for 'no', when I in fact was looking for words to express. I think that's why I wasn't diagnosed until age 10.

Perhaps you could convince them that they'd save time if they gave you chores to do? Or just tell them you're worried you won't ever be able to move out if you can't take care of yourself.

Anyway, start by observing your parents do these things whenever you can. Also, you could try reading books like cooking for beginners and the like. Depending on how high you set your standards these things can be real easy. If you don't wear fancy clothing you can just throw them all in the same washer and dryer on hot (except when they're brand new and the color might stain your other clothes). When it comes to cooking, just learn your favorite dishes first (ask your parents which are easy to learn).

I am a diagnosed aspie.. .but before this year I had no idea I was.. If they told me my child had asperger's the first thing I would do is read everything I could about it.. Not whine.. not blame mercury...etc..but learn how to make my child the happiest and most successful they could be....

I have seen to many parents both NT and aspie fail as parents.. its all about them and not their child.  the ignorance is astounding and the abused an aboration to humanity.

Or the over protective or embarassed parent who does not take responsibility for their their children THEY produced.

I am so glad my daughter is grown and we are beginning to believe she is aspie lite.

My NT husband is in denial and upset but its the facts.. She and I are going over her symptoms.. and now she realizes and told me what a wonderful parent I was to her... how I listened to her and could explain anything.

I always believed in talking to my children and totally helping them understand everything at an age appropriate time and way...

I had the sex.. I gave birth..it was my job to be the best for my child.. and I wish to God I could have known both I and my daughter have aspergers...   It now explains a lot of things that i had to figure out for myself and it was very very difficult.

I raised her like I raised myself.... dance, self defense, theatre and it all worked!!  

Hence we need to educate parents... I cannot stand self pitying people who ruin their lives and their children by giving in ... or mourning... Mourning what?  Aspies are wonderful!!!!!!!!!!  I was the pride of my mother and father and succeed far beyond anything my siblings could or would do... I love challenges... and my daughter told me, she inherited that spirit.....we stand to conquer....

My NT husband said that I have always had the spirit to solve problems or take on challenges.... If I had the knowledge early on, our family would have been strong in many ways... with knowledge comes power.

Not only is there nothing wrong with us.... we are superior in many ways..... however we can be just as whiney and victim minded as NTs and that will be our defeat, if we allow that to happen... Onward ever backward never.