RE: Kids w/ Classic Autism, PDD-NOS & Speech Delays

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We used it. I'd read a bit about it being useful in the toddler years for reducing frustration, and having all the brain benefits of learning a second language, so we did it from about 3 months onwards. It was frustratingly slow - most of the signs I used on a daily basis my DS never ever used (more, nappy change, book, cup, can't remember most of them anymore). But he invented two of his own (swing was one, and he then applied it to all clocks, whether pendulum or not, which was interesting) and used some more interesting ones like helicopter for quite a while. Which I think told us where his interests lay (who gives a stuff about nappy changes, when you can ask to go in the swing instead?

I have heard of nonverbal kids and babies doing it. I would think that it would work similarly to using a PECS system (using picture flashcards) and be processed in the same part of the brain.

We never did it. I bought one of those baby sign language videos and couldn't get anyone else interested in that or with working with flashcards.

I just read his body language, etc., and worked very hard to get him to talk.

My daughter never caught on to sign language either but she was very good with her PECS and even though she can speak she is difficult to communicate with so the PECS still help. I also will put things in front of her like a box of juice and a bottle of milk and she will then tell me which one she wants....otherwise Im going "Maddy, Juice or milk?....Maddy, you want juice?....do you want Milk??....Maddy, juice yes or juice no?"......Sometimes I eventually get a response but the visual is much faster and easier for her.

Congrats Nostromo....and you are also the same age as me and I could not imagine then again with my disease I could not carry another baby not to mention the medications Im on and Ive already had five so I had the equipment shut down after Maddy . However, this could be a great thing. I think my little kids (my first three are all adults now), even though they are different functioning level and different sex, seem happier to have each other, yeah they fight but they also have that understanding for one another. Even with my first three, my NT daughter had a deeper understanding for her younger sister and her older brother (one aspie one bi polar) and now, I think is a far better and more empathetic person because she had special needs siblings. As far as the being old thing I worry about that too with my kids. I even wonder what would happen if something was to happen to me as my daughter sometimes will only respond to me but it doesnt do us much good to think this way. I guess we just have to figure out things as we go and try to plan for the future as best we can.

Also welcome back Bauhauswife, I was also wondering where you went.

http://youtu.be/LKgQyQQyQpg

I finally got my digital camera to work and got a video of my two boys on my Reading Channel on YouTube. (See above). They are looking at a book, and my older son, with classic autism, is on the left with the dark hair.

(Please excuse the fact that my older son picks his nose at one point, and you can hear one of my younger son's educational videos in the background. It is an alphabet video. My younger son knows the alphabet quite well, but he likes to watch alphabet videos anyway--an OCD fixation.)

My older son is doing a whole lot better than he was a few years ago--mainly learning issues now rather than horrible behavior and speech issues.

My older son had a lot of behavioral issues that were rooted in mental health issues:

selective mutism, tantrums that would go into anxiety/panic attacks, wandering off, running away in public places, and destructive/violent behavior were the most aggravating.

We used to not be able to go any place that had crowds or much noise, for instance. After a few minutes, my older son would first get very physically tense, and then he would start crying and screaming and would have to be dragged out of wherever it was. (This included the grocery store, the mall, children's entertainment places etc.)

He would actually behave this way everywhere, but he could maintain control longer in some place like a quiet bookstore, a deserted restaurant, etc., especially if he was familiar with the facility. Stay any place too long, though, and he would have a meltdown.

Also, running from me and wandering off was a big problem. If we went to the park or a store, he would either wander off or get my attention and start running off.

He also had a lot of trouble with transitions--hitting if I tried to change activities. He head-butted a daycare worker once and gave her a black eye.

He also urinated on household items for a while, ate paper, and engaged in other strange or destructive behavior.

I'm sure that there are a whole lot of things I cannot think of this early in the morning.

He is also pretty well-mannered now, but received most of that from direct instruction--manners videos, the ABA therapist, working with him, and several picture books on manners that I read to him repeatedly, Yesterday, we were even doing a picture book on manners/social skills--what should you say if your friend wins the game you are playing together--etc.

Hi Everone. I have another question. From what I understand many autistic kiddos are obsessed with a specific routing and will, for example, have a meltdown if you take a different route to the day care center.

I really don't see anything like this with my son at all. Maybe I'm missing something? How would it manifest?

Speaking of OCD I am really worried about my son's perservation on numbers. Now he writes 1 to 100 on the magnadoodle over and over. The only time he puts that thing down is to go in the shower. Sometimes we can get it away from him for a while but then he just makes numbers with his fingers or just counts verbally.

Basically we are worried that the cause of his delays could be this extreme hyperfocus on one subject. Does anyone have any ideas on this?