The JOYS of Autism
@matnlilsmommy (20)
United States
April 10, 2009 6:15pm CST
I have a 9 year old son with high functioning autism. He is a wonderful child and I would not change him for the world. He is the sweetest and most caring child I know. He is always truthful and if something is a rule he never breaks it. He keeps his room immaculate and he is helpful anytime I ask.
I will grant that this is all thanks to 6 years of behavioral therapy where he learned how to handle his emotions and we learned how to appropriately prompted him and how to discipline in a postive way which has made all the difference.
With it being Autism Awareness Month, and since most of what we hear about are the difficulties associated with autism, I thought it woulod be fun and informative to talk about the good things about having a child with ASD. What are some of the joys you have experienced with you autistic child. What are their good qualities. What makes them special and what just makes you smile?
2 people like this
4 responses
@albert2412 (1782)
• United States
10 Apr 09
My son is autistic also. Ever since he became autistic at age 12 from the mercury in the MMR shot (mercury poisoning is the cause in our opinion) we have been gradually removing the mercury to get him well. He is much better now, but not fully well yet. I wish that we had known back then that mercury is the cause of autism andwe would not have given him that awfulk shot. We love our son dearly. He is some better now with the chelation to remove the mercury.
@albert2412 (1782)
• United States
12 Apr 09
Chelation is very safe in the hands of the right people. Please go to the Yahoo group Autism Mercury to learn about chelation and autism treatments. Also I would suggest going to the site of Autism Research Institute. Most people who have autistic children now believe in chelation and supplements to help their children. Your daughter was exposed to mercury from the first moments of life when the doctor put the drops in her eyes containing mercury.
Yes, this was the first MMR shot (and the only one) that our son received at age 12. If you want to see a picture of our son at age 10 before the MMR shot, then go to our Yahoo site Autism-Cures and look at the photograph there of me and our two sons. The boy in the brown coat is the son who is now autistic. He went from being a smiling, talking happy boy to autistic in several weeks of being exposed to the mercury in the MMR shot.
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
11 Apr 09
Be extremely careful of the chelation as it is putting your child in danger. Chelation works by binding metals in the soft tissues. This does not just include leads, but also zinc and calcium. Chelation is meant for the treatment of lead poisoning and not a long term treatment.
Personally, I would rather have an autistic child then put their life in danger. Sorry to be blunt but it needs to be said. You are taking your child down a dangerous path that may have consequences you may regret.
I wondering was this the first MMR that he had in his life and if not, what set it off during this occasion? What changes did it make in your son that you can directly relate to the shot? I'm not trying to sound disbelieving, just trying to understand. My daughter showed signs of autism from birth and she didn't have her first shot until she was four.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5508a3.htm
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chelation.html
1 person likes this
@matnlilsmommy (20)
• United States
10 Apr 09
I wish you and your son only the best as you journey down the road to recovery!
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
10 Apr 09
It is good to hear the positive side. When my daughter was diagnosed I went in search of other parents in my situation. It was so depressing that even when something good happened to their child their attitude was still disheartening.
I noticed something the other day when my daughter and I were baking. For a long time she has had such a difficult time with stirring no matter how many times I showed her. She has found a way that works for her and gets the job done without the splashing the batter all over the place like she had done before. It's hard to explain, but it just made me so happy that she figured it out all on her own.
We still have those moments. I asked her to get something out of the freezer and she stomped off to her room and stayed there. I still don't know what triggered it, but I take those things in stride. I know sometimes she gets overwhelmed.
Still, I'm so proud of her and what she has accomplished. The things she has overcome. I know there are things we take for granted everyday these kids struggle with and their bravery is so much more than ours.
@matnlilsmommy (20)
• United States
10 Apr 09
Thank you for your response! It is always such a thrill when they finally get something they have been working on. I know that I get so much joy when my son learns something new or masters something he has been working hard to get. He is so determined, the sense of accomplishment and joy on his face is priceless. I am so happy for your daughter. I am sure she felt a real sense of accomplishment. Good for her!!! There are always going to be challenges for our kids, but I think it is really important to focus on the good things. I know several parents that focus on the difficulties and you can see it in their children.Their kids are not as happy and are not as confident or comfortable in their own skin. I want my son to like himself the way he is, and not feel that he needs to be changed or fixed to be worth something. He deserves to be accepted and I am going to make that possible for him. I have finally gotten peer education instituted in his school and now I am working to get it school district wide. It has made a huge difference for my son, now that his classmates understand him better, they are much more accepting of him. There are still difficulties, but there always will be and we work through them as they come. But, I still say that focusing on the positives creates a positive and accepting situation around our kids. Thank you again for your response. My best wishes to you and your daughter!
1 person likes this
@apples99 (6556)
• United States
11 Apr 09
Well I have a close relative with autism and shes a sweet person I sometimes have to help with her care, and she fascinating and sometimes a little frustrating to handle, but I love her very much, she knows how to do a few interesting things like solve a puzzle really fast and make card houses really high, shes an adult now and she communicates pretty well, but of course she still needs a lot of monitoring, but I think shes pretty special.
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
10 Apr 09
Matnlilsmommy-
Some of the best responses I've seen working with asd students during my practicums and student teaching were them looking at me. It's a huge break through to make eye contact. I also was always joyed when they would remember the rules of games, and especially of taking turns.
I don't have any contact with my husband's daughter so I can't say anything there, other than I'm sure with the right teachers she could make a great deal of progress.
Namaste-Anora
@matnlilsmommy (20)
• United States
10 Apr 09
Namaste-Anora,
Thank you for your response. I am grateful that your students have such a kind and caring teacher who seems to really care about their needs! There are many students out there who do not have that and my heart breaks for them. I encourage you to continue growing with your students and helping them learn in an nuturing environment!
Best wishes,
Matnlilsmommy
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