Tag Archives: Autism Spectrum

Mele Kalikimaka from Hawaii: Where Christmas Is Green and Bright 2

Autism Spectrum, Bullying, Celebrations, Differences, Tolerence • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Green and Bright

Last year for Christmas I shared my dream for the future. I hoped and prayed for 2011 to be a year of change, where people made an honest effort to be more open-minded and to really try to educate themselves about differences. While some disappointments occurred in 2011, I am grateful for those who listened and I hope more will listen in 2012.

Like Martin Luther King, Jr., I have a dream. I still dream of a world where bystanders, parents, teachers, counselors, principals, and all people stand up to bullies and their parents and let them know it truly is time for change. I dream of a world that is bully free.  I dream of a world where we reward kindness and it is more highly desired than a football championship. I dream of a world where others understand and accept my daughter and others on the autism spectrum along with others with differences.

As I dream, I also try to help spread the word that we all need to help change the world. I am grateful for those who share my dream and help spread the message. Kindness, respect, understanding and acceptance of differences should have a greater value in our society and I pray I will live to see the day that they do. Until then, I wish you Happy Holidays and in the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us everyone.”

Injury Update 14

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I fell in May after, my eighty pound Golden charged at me causing me to lose my balance and go into a spinning fall off a concrete walkway in our backyard onto the mango tree roots. This caused me to have a L-1 compression fracture of my lumbar spine and have to wear a brace.   

It has been over twelve weeks and in theory active rehabilitation is next. However, little things keep complicating my recovery like small puddles of water on the floor that caused me to slip yesterday.  

I am grateful that I only slipped and did not fall, but that is only because I slide into the bathroom counter where I was able to get my balance. I am grateful for that counter! I am also grateful that I have things to gradually help me with my recovery like walking poles and my exercise ball.    

Unfortunately, a recent bone density study revealed I also have osteoporosis and this is also complicating my recovery. I will see the endocrinologist in October to discuss my options for this and in the meanwhile I am trying to avoid my one vice, Diet Pepsi and continue taking my calcium with vitamin D.  

My doctor wants me to talk to the neurosurgeon about possible surgery, but I am not inclined to do this for several reasons. First I am a big chicken when it comes to my back. No epidural for me with either delivery! Second, my brother had an unexpected complication from his surgery in May and given that one of the complications of any spinal surgery is paralysis, I am not inclined to risk it. I do not have nerve damage, another thing for which I am grateful. I would rather take my chances with a slower recovery time than with a surgery that might make me permanently worse.

The only real downside is that back spasms have prevented me from actively promoting my novel, from visiting my brother who lives far away and from participating in other activities. My novel sold well after my book signing, but I have not been able to do another signing or schedule any events because I cannot handle sitting for long unless I have a high-backed chair with armrests.  

I have also curtailed some Internet activities to make time for my exercises and to be available to transport my children to and from various activities, so now you know why I am commenting less.

The articles below are just more information about compression fractures and osteoporosis. You do not need to read them to understand this post. I do advise my friends with children on the autism spectrum to find a way to get your children to consume calcium and vitamin D if they cannot drink milk. Bone density is complete by age thirty. I found out I had osteopenia, lower than normal bone density, when I was in my thirties. I have taken calcium and vitamin D ever since then, yet I still developed osteoporosis despite trying to remain active.

Lumbar Compression Fracture.

Maryland Spine Center – Thoracic Compression Fractures.

Fractures of the Thoracic and Lumbar Spine – Your Orthopaedic Connection – AAOS.

Osteoporosis Slideshow – What Is Osteoporosis and How Do You Treat It? – page 1.

Diseases of Bone – Bone Health and Osteoporosis – NCBI Bookshelf.





Therapy? What Therapy? 13

Asperger's Syndrome, Autism Spectrum, Best of Best on S-O-S Blog, Girls on Autism Spectrum, Sensory Sensitivity • Tags: , ,
This post is for Danette’s Best of Best at SOS Series where the topic this month is Therapy and Special Needs Children

First, a disclaimer.  This post only represents my point of view as it relates to my family and my child.  Everyone has to make the best decision for their child based on the best information they have.   

Therapy was practically nonexistent for my child. The initial psychologist did not realize my daughter was on the autism spectrum although we told him about her sensory issues with smells, clothes, and sound.  He told us to tell her that she was being silly and like dummies we listened to him.  He knew she had trouble with some of her friends and with transitions too.  I do not remember if we specifically talked to him about her literal thinking, but he knew she had trouble sleeping and for over three years he had the psychiatrist prescribe various medications for her for various diagnoses.  None of them worked well and all of them had side effects. 

I finally said enough! I weaned her off the medications and took her for three full days of evaluation with a neuropsychologist who gave her the diagnosis of Asperger’s.  I started reading everything I could get my hands on including Tony Attwood’s wonderful book The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome.  All of her symptoms suddenly made sense.  We had the right diagnosis, but we still did not have real help.  The neuropsychologist only had social skills classes for boys at the time and she did not offer any other services.  We moved our daughter’s bed away from the window and got her a sound soother and tried aroma therapy to help her to sleep.  We told her to read quietly in bed if she woke up and could not go back to sleep.  We got her Sims to play since it was popular with the girls at her school.  She also joined Girl Scouts.

We were reaching for anything that would help and when an optometrist suggested vision therapy might be the answer we jumped at it although it was not covered by insurance.  Over five thousand dollars later, we realized that he was not doing anything for our daughter that she had not done previously.  Plus, he actually thought she needed remedial help when she did not.  He jumped to this conclusion because she did not talk to him.  She did not talk to him because he insulted her intelligence and she did not like him. She took three years of ballet, a semester of gymnastics, a semester of musical theater and two years of tennis before we ever sent her to the optometrist all of which helped her coördination and balance.

I worked with her from the time she was a baby in more ways than I realized too.  I helped her play dress up in my old clothes.  I sat down with her for tea parties at her little table.  We blew bubbles in the backyard from the time she was old enough to walk.  We played with Play Dough and finger paint and we did puzzles.  I let her sit on the kitchen floor and play with a bowl of uncooked rice as I cooked.  Later, I added a big spoon for her to stir.  I helped her build with Lego’s and I used them to help her learn to count.  I talked to her constantly and pointed out colors and names of everything we saw.  A large alphabet foam floor mat helped her learn her letters.  When she had trouble pronouncing some words I showed her how to form the sounds.  We never talked down to her and she now has a bigger vocabulary and speaks better than I do.

So many things helped mask the true diagnosis.  I read to her from the time she was six weeks old using my finger to point to the words and the corresponding pictures, minimally twice a day.  I sat on the floor in her room with her and her Dr. Seuss books to help her learn to read when she was four.  I showed her how to put a bookmark under the line to help keep her place as she read.  She had a teacher who showed her how to remember b and d by using her hands to form the letters and we worked with her to help her learn left and right by having her wear a watch.

My daughter experienced severe bullying the year following the diagnosis and this caused me to find a psychologist who specialized in children on the autism spectrum to help her and us through the after effects.  This was the only therapy directly related to Asperger’s my daughter ever received. Yet, I see the value of therapy for many special needs children and I see the value of medication in limited cases although I think doctors need to be very careful when they prescribe psychiatric medications to children.  I also believe doctors need to listen to the primary caretakers and educate themselves about all of the symptoms of autism spectrum listed in the upcoming DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel used to diagnose anything that falls under psychiatric services in the United States.

A big part of the problem in our case related directly to the lack of understanding of her sensory challenges.  The current DSM does not include sensory issues in the diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome.  I hope having Asperger’s Syndrome included in the autism criteria with the sensory traits being a part of the criteria will help others.  Life is easier when you understand your child and you have the tools to help them.  We did not help her enough with some of the sensory sensitivities because we did not understand.  This caused problems for her and for us.  It also caused her teachers to fail her and contributed to the bullying.  Understanding and getting the right help makes a world of difference.

Blooming Orchids

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I try to use “blooming orchids” instead of other “choice words” when something upsets me.  It also is what I enjoy most in my backyard. “Someone” I love also did an excellent job of comparing autism to an orchid last week. She said, “They symbolize both strength and beauty. They’re also very distinctive because they are so different from other flowers.” She went on to say that they are like people on the spectrum in that they are misunderstood because they are different.