Can you give up a child with autism for adoption?
Oh come on people...everyone get off your high horses! I know I know. It's easy to be angry with anyone who would do something seemingly so callous as giving up their less than perfect child. Unfortunately in reality some parents do give up children with disabilities, not just autism. I am the mother of a son with autism. I am not proud to admit that when his dad & I first learned that he had a "learning disability", I felt overwhelmed & unprepared. Our marriage was falling apart. I asked God, "Why me?" I mean, hadn't I already been through enough? The answer that popped in my head was that this wasn't happening to me, it was happening to my son and God put this child in my life for a reason. Actually, I'm ashamed to admit that now. That was over 20 years ago. Now I see my son has been nothing but a blessing in my life. But I didn't know that back then. And it took a while for me to realize. For most of us "special parents" it's been a process and a journey. Even Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins had a hard time accepting his son's disability when he was first born. I remember reading his story with a great sense of relief. It took him a while to come to terms with his son's disability. http://www.danmarinofoundation.org/about... So rather than hurl barbs at any parent who may be facing the harsh news, the grief & loss of the "perfect child" they had envisioned during pregnancy and perhaps even had during the first couple of years, why not lend some words of encouragement & support. How did you get through? Where did you find support? How is your life with your child today? What can he expect his future will look like with his child? My son has a great sense of humor. He loves McDonalds & anything to do with trains. He played soccer and softball and bowled on a league for years. He still loves to bowl. He's in a work study program with the public school system. He goes to dances. We have a large circle of families & he has many friends, special and 'normal;, who recognize him & say "HI" wherever we go. He loves his sisters & his niece & nephew and is a daddy's boy. And most of all, he is very much loved by everyone in his family! ETA: Perhaps parents of special needs children who relinquish do so b/c they feel they aren't up to the task of parenting their child...?
If you had access to a cure for autism, would you cure your child?
So this question automatically assumes that the answerer is, I imagine, the Allistic parent of an Autistic child. I am neither Allistic, nor the parent to an Autistic (or anyone), but I am Autistic and have chosen to answer as if someone gave me access to a cure and I had to decide what to do with it for myself.If I had access to a “cure”, I'd politely tell my supplier where they're invited to shove it (hint: It's not anywhere polite.) A “cure” would involve rearranging my entire neurotype and changing everything that makes me, well, me.Autism makes some things unpleasant, but honestly? Autism doesn't make life awful as much as Allistics make living Autistically difficult. Stimming in public wouldn't be so awkward if Allistics didn't stare or make comments (heck, this applies for most “Autistic” behaviour), sensory overload might be negated if Allistics understood that not everyone can handle the same input load. My Autism does not bother anyone, least of all myself, when I am alone in an environment vaguely under my control, or with others who understand Autism.A cure (which seems to me like it would either be preventative—to ensure Allistic development in utero since Autism is present before birth, or would be applied somehow after someone is diagnosed) does not make my life as an Autistic easier, it just makes me appear like everyone else, or even worse, actually takes away my Autism.It stands to reason that widespread societal acceptance of Autistics might be a more reasonable cure than anything that would chemically or structurally affect an Autistic.
How can you handle if you have a child with autism?
Accept and love your child just the way she is. There is no cure and that’s OK.Go to the Autism Hub and read blogs by other parents of autistics. Get support from other parents. Make friends with autistic adults. Go to http://wrongplanet.net and see what autistic youth are up to.Read the works of Tony Attwood.Be very gentle with your child and sensitive to her needs. Autistic kids get overwhelmed by their senses in places like supermarkets, malls, crowded amusement parks, etc. It can be unbearable for them. Some kids respond by getting loud and violent, having a meltdown. Other kids freeze and go silent. If you can take your kid out before she is completely overwhelmed, you can avoid the meltdown and/or freeze.When your child is old enough, aikido lessons are great. In addition to self defense and good health, your child will develop self confidence and meet wonderful people.Don’t blame yourself. We don’t know everything about the cause of autism, but we know now that it shows up in newborns and we know it absolutely is NOT caused by vaccines. Please avoid quack treatments like forcing your child to drink bleach or chelation therapy. These are dangerous. Enjoy spending time with your child. Keep learning and know that it will be OK.
Autism and a second child. What are the chances?
There are the statistics that the person above me gave, which are accurate. With your husband's family history though, and the fact that you've had one child with autism, there's a good chance you could have another. I don't think anyone could give you an exact percentage though. I guess you need to decide if you could handle another child with autism. I have three kids, two boys and a girl. My second son has PDD NOS, which is a mild form of autism. Once he was diagnosed, we decided not to have any further, as there was a risk we could have another autistic child. And my husband and I have no family history of it. My son is very high functioning, but its A LOT of work, and I can't imagine if I had a severely autistic child. ANyways, I hope this wasn't too depressing, just some things to think about. Then again, I look at my daughter, who I had after my son (she was born before he was diagnosed)... and I think, thank GOD I had her, she's a miracle, because if I hadn't had her before my son got diagnosed, she probably would not be here.
When did you know your child was autistic?
Almost by accident:I have 5 daughters and one son. He was my second to last child, so up until him I’d only had experiences with daughters. Of course he was different. He was a boy. And every odd thing he did, we figured was because he was a boy, and because he was a boy in a house full of girls, and that eventually he would grow out of it.Sometimes his oddities surprised and concerned me, but I didn’t think too much about them.One day when he was nine, and we were new to the town we were living in, we enrolled him in an after-school Friday programme. It was held in a gymnasium. The organiser sat behind a trestle table inside the door, and took names of the kids, and contact details of the parents. While I filled in the information my son walked around the room.When I finished the organiser asked, “And what activities and processes do you find best work with him to help with his Aspergers?” Micah had been in the room for less than 5 minutes, but this person who worked with kids all days saw it immediately. And suddenly the twirling, the flapping, the obsessions, all of it made sense.I went home and cried.
Would you abort your child if you found out it has autism?
That's a ridiculous question. I have an autistic child and she is the most amazing child I've ever met. She's smart, she's an outstanding drawer, and she's one of a kind. You can't even tell if your baby is autistic until after they are born and showing signs on the spectrum. So to answer your question you should absolutely not abort a child with any defect.
Do children with autism have social skills?
Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. They may have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Their communication is often described as talking at others instead of to them. (For example, monologue on a favorite subject that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments). People with autism also process and respond to information in unique ways. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present. A great book to read is Ten Things Your Student With Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm. It can be a real eye opener with working with childern with autism. It can be a great tool for learning techniques for teaching anyone with autism. I think you'll find it quite useful. You can also check into a local Center for Autism and Realted Diseases(CARD). They will come to the school and work with any staff member on techniques for the child. They will also work with the child's classmates. Services are provided for free. If you go to the link below and don't see a local office in your area, don't be discouraged, they don't have any listed for Florida, but yet there are about 8 different CARD centers throughout the state at different universities.
What to do when you have an autistic violent child?
I had to seek help through the mental health clinic for my son medications can help. my son was autisic like but I would say probably similiar. They have many programs to help. Good luck contact me if I can be of any help please I really mean it my son is 24 now.