Families with Autistic Children--What advice would you give?

[basm]

I am almost 39 and to this day I almost never tell anyone I know about myself because most of the time, the reactions I get are very hurtful. Most are on the order of "oh, you're just like everybody else, and there are times when I stutter and pitch fits and can't socialize, and other times when I'm a social butterfly, so quit being sad and Googling made-up syndromes and get on with your life." People don't even hear themselves when they say these things. I've heard, read, seen, and even been told that hundreds (thousands?) of times in my life. I don't ever tell anyone I know anymore that I have Asperger's because 9 out of 10 people don't believe me, or they say "oh, I think I have a touch of Asperger's sometimes too", or (as above) they think I am full of bullshit and should just get over it.

The idea of going through a large scale disaster almost makes my brain seize. I really have no idea how I would handle it. I can't even imagine what families raising autistic children would be going through. I'm an adult and I have so many built-on coping mechanisms on top of built-on coping mechanisms that I can't even define them anymore. But if you're just a little kid, you don't have decades of exposure and trial and error to temper your mettle. You have your parents and your narrow world and taking away or shaking those pieces can throw everything completely out of whack and it can be really, really nerve-wracking.

I will say that whenever I was able to have a pet, it was like magic. It was not only that I was forced to get out of my own head for a minute and think about someone else's needs, but also the act of petting a cat or a dog was therapeutic. And the unconditional love made me more reluctant to close completely off and disappear inside myself, and more willing to slow down my head and focus on the animal. I have learned as I've grown up that distractions are part of the key for me. Not everything works all the time but many things worked at least part of the way, part of the time. I just had to make sure it was the right things, like something proactive and positive and interesting. Part of my preps is that little arsenal tailored just for me that will help me refocus. It won't magically fix me but it will help distract me, which will help my brain to slow down and refocus.

[collisionsurfer]

I'm the single father of a as-yet-undiagnosed-but-very-probably-Aspergers five-year-old, who I love to bits.

I have nothing to add yet, other than: thank you all very much. This is the most valuable thread, for me, on the forum.

Oh alright then, one thing: I'll echo the frustration some others have expressed. I have come close to unnecessary violence a couple of times to people who have failed to understand my boy, even when I've already explained what the problem is.

Idiot: "Oh, Asbergers, I've heard of that, what you should to do is (insert fucking stupid idea)".
Me: "G'nnnnngh... must... not.... succumb....to... base... urges"

I once had an Educational Psychologist suggest to his school (he's half-time, so far, with one-to-one support all the time) that my boy ought to be forced to do the things he basically can't/won't, up to and including physical restraint as a tool to make him comply. Luckily, the school spotted that for the total crock of shit it undoubtedly was after the most miserable two days of his schooling, and their teaching.

[DarkAxel]

...5. Make sure local emergency responders know your situation. I can't stress this enough. Many 911 systems can "flag" an address and bring up additional info when a call comes in....

Quoted For Absolute Truth!

This advice goes hand in hand with preps for any kind of disability. If you guys have followed my posts, you'll see that I am prepping for my seriously disabled brother. As a result of his injuries (a closed TBI that resulted in a right-frontal lobectomy), my bro has a lot of medical problems and quirks that first responders (and even ER docs) need to know if he needs emergency care. And in my bro's case, the local FRs and ER Docs learned that the hard way. As a result of his brain injury and surgery, my Bro doesn't require as much anti-convulsants (Like Valium and Klonopin) as someone who hasn't had a chunk of their brain removed.

My bro's TBI happened at the beginning of his Senior Year in HS, and he was never able to return to school. His school decided to give him a diploma anyway, and let him march with his graduating class. As he was lining up with his fellow graduates, he fell into staticus epilepticus. The first responders shot him up with the normal dose of Valium needed to bring an average adult his size out of it, not knowing that they were overdosing him due to his disability. He went into respiratory arrest, had to be put on life support, and was flown to The University of Kentucky's Hospital (the hospital that had treated him for his TBI and saved his life) for Neuro-ICU treatment.

My family now makes sure that the local first responders have a file on my Bro, linked to our E-911 address. When Mom or I need an ambulance for my Bro, the local E-911 contract carrier knows a good deal about my Bro's health issues and can plan accordingly. Federal, State, and Local Law even dictated that the Ambulance Crews in my AO HAD to go back to school for training to deal specifically with Emergency Patients with TBIs simply because my Bro lives in the area.

The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 - Any U.S. Citizen dealing with a disability or prepping for those with disabilities should get to know this law.

[VooDooDoo]

Tagged.

Thanks for the great info so far... it is much appreciated!

[GlockASP]

I have to say that I am man enough to admit that this thread brought tears to my eyes.

You see I am the father to twin boys that are 6, the younger of the two has PDD-NOS. In my eyes he is an angel who sometimes forgets to fly.

At two and a half years old he was diagnosed with the disorder, he did not start talking till he was three and and a half. At one point they told us that he may never talk, haha, joke is on them now we can't get him to stop .
It has been very hard to understand his issues at times. Always being compared to his twin brother. Always being bigger then his brother and his peers. Always wanting to "fit" in and not being able to. Always having something just a little different from the rest of the group. He is afraid of tight spaces, dark spaces, automatic flushing toilets (it is more the noise and not knowing when it will happen, no control), Stainless steal toilets (he thinks he is in jail and wont use them and runs out of the building, it took over three months to get him to tell me why he was afraid of them), loud noises and the list goes on.

The other day he came over to me and asked "daddy why do I have to be Autistic?? I hate it!!! I don't want Autism any more!!!!" and then proceed to cry, rock and sing for almost forty minutes. I did not know what to say to him, I had no idea how to explain to him, to make him understand that it was OK. He was upset and could not explain what was really bothering him and he could not tell me. Several days later we found out that a girl in his class that he liked to play, with had not wanted to play with him, she wanted to play with the other girls that day. It was not anything mean, she did not make fun of him or anything like that, he just could not handle the thought of someone he felt was a friend not wanting him. He always wants everyone to like him.

The willingness and openness of some of the post's in this thread have helped me understand him a bit better then before.
I have always said that I wish I could get in to his head and see through his eyes, some of the posts here have allowed me to get in there a bit and understand a little bit of how he thinks.

For this I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.

[jayferg76]

"I have always said that I wish I could get in to his head and see through his eyes"

How true that is. If my maths is right (doubtful), Korben was diagnosed with Aspergers about 4 years ago.
In that time, we've barely scratched the surface when it comes to understanding how he thinks. We're getting there, but it's taking a lot of time and patience on our part.

Can't agree more about pets. He loves our Great Dane to bits, and loves helping look after him. Back in August, we got him a Bearded Dragon (he loves Reptiles), and that was such a good move. Apart from any cleaning he has sole responsibility for it. It's amazing how that is the one thing he never forgets. Anything else, he needs constantly reminding until whatever task is done, but looking after Rio is something else. He feeds him every morning and night, and changes his salad and water before going to bed. All that with no prompting or reminders.
It's really helping him, coupled with his present and last teacher at school really putting a lot of effort in to give him the education that he deserves.
We can see an improvement in him, admitidly it's a small one, but we're hoping now that the only way is forward.

On a side note, i got him a new back pack recently to use as a B.O.B. He loves it, especially the hydration bladder.
When i gave it to him, i got mine out and emptied it out onto the bed.
"I want you to have a look at my kit, then go in your room and try to put your bag together" i said.
After 10 minutes of looking at everything, he declared that he was ready, and trotted off to his room.
Now you should know that i've bought him and my older daughter a lot of clothing and bits of kit, so they can be semi-independent from me, things like torches, compasses,paracord etc, so i knew he'd pack some of this stuff.
Two hours later, he comes to me, proudly shouldering a now bulging pack.
So, i started going through it with him. Compass, torch+spare batts, light stick and small first-aid kit in the front pocket.
"Good lad, well done. Now, lets check the main compartment".
Spare fleece, check. Hat and gloves, check. Water purifying straw thingy (can@t remember the name), check. Energy bars, check etc etc, you get the gist.
It wasn't until i got to the bottom of the pack when i found out why it was bulging more than it should. One pack of colouring pencils, one pad, Nintendo DS, and wrapped up in my shemmagh, my multi-tool, SAK and Boker knife, all wrapped together with 2 50' lengths of cord.
When i enquired why he'd taken them from my pack without permission (i was more bothered about him touching the sharp pointy things than what he'd done), he declared "You said if i find something useful to keep it, and i found those in your bag". Couldn't help but smile.

[stickle]

Wow. I posted the first response to this thread and am amazed at the great information/ideas that have been written over the past year +.

I wanted to jump back in with a couple of additional points.

I identified myself as a SPED teacher, which is true (even though I am not teaching at the moment). However I got into the field because of one of my children. While she is not on the autism spectrum, I know what tantrums, special toys/food, problems with transitions, etc. could mean to a regular day much less a SHTF day. Today she is a young adult finding her way through college, learning new coping skills and growing into herself. I have been amazed at her courage and determination to live her life. She is my hero.

To all those dealing with a child with special needs, my first piece of advice does not relate to prepping but to every day. LEARN THE LAW. I spend much of my time now talking to parents about how the schools and others are not following the law regarding their rights or the rights of their children. In these times of budget cuts and short cut, children with special needs are getting pushed aside. Make sure you know what the law says. Learn terms like FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education), LRE (Least Restrictive Environment), and IEP (individual education plan). Know what these mean for you, your child and the school.

Second, ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILD. At school, stores, camps, on the street, and anywhere you go. They need your voice and understanding to navigate these dangerous waters. People, teachers, clerks, police, and many others will not know or not care how your child copes with their world. Educate when you can, ignore when you must, and be patent with all, but stand up for your child. Push, pull, or go around those not helping.

EDUCATE YOURSELF. That is why you are on this site and why you read a thread like this. Good for you. Keep it up.

ASK FOR ADVICE. SPED teachers can be a wealth of information and have come to know your child. Some are crap, most are not. Talk to them and get their input on ways to reduce tantrums, transition stress, etc. I would advise keeping the "prep talk" to a minimum. The education community is not gun friendly.

Those with special needs, whether elderly, ill, or with developmental issues are especially vulnerable in a SHTF world. I am so encouraged by the stories here... that your loved one is considered and provided for as best you can. When bad things happen, many are left to die and those responsible say "What could I do?"

Proud to stand with you guys against the Zombies!

[Bethlehem]

basm wrote:

I'm an adult and I have so many built-on coping mechanisms on top of built-on coping mechanisms that I can't even define them anymore. But if you're just a little kid, you don't have decades of exposure and trial and error to temper your mettle.

This post of yours makes me feel a lot of hope for my son. Forgive me for not knowing the proper term but he has "actual" Autism. I didn't mean that to be offensive in any way by using the word "actual" I just don't know what else to call it and I don't think the experts do either. All it really means is that he has the speech problems that they now say Aspergers people don't have. When he was diagnosed I went through some severe depression that I had to seek help with. Upon doing so I was diagnosed with Aspergers at age 36. - All of a sudden so many things make sense, especially growing up. I have to have faith that he will develop coping mechanisms that will help him function as an adult. I know I did, and I remember how difficult it was to discover them all. My main issue now is feeling comfortable in social situations. I like people and get along with everyone but for some reason it's just so hard to talk without feeling nervous. One thing I had that my son will also have is two parents who make sure he knows he's loved and he has backup. It really helped me to know that when I got home from a nerve-racking day of school my parents had my back.

So, in the spirit of the original question, I'd just have to say be prepared to be a rock for them. My parents were my best friends because I didn't know how to make others. That's not to say an Autistic child can't have good friends and socialize, it just helps to be aware of the issue, which my parents weren't. My son is only 4 and we have let him know there is an issue. We are trying to make him feel proud of it. I still wonder if this is the right decision. I know it would've helped me but I didn't get embarrassed easily. For me, if I had known about my issue I could've faced it and fought it.

[dizie]

WOW, this is a good read.

I didnt realize how many people have Asperger's. I have a 12 yr old nephew with Asperger's. I didnt want to belive that. Just thought he was being a spoiled brat. But after reading this trend, I realize it now, and accept it.

So here is my 2 cents. He is a picky eater, so we hide veggies in his food (mashed pottatos, meat loaf, any where to blend it in). Kind of got lucky that he likes the stuff I dehydrate (banana, apple chips and jerky).

I am a little worried how he would handle a power outage. The idea of cutting off the power is a good dry run(and saves money ).

Any hoot, keep up the good posting!!

[Bethlehem]

Like I said before, my 4-year-old son is Autistic and doesn't talk yet. We take him camping, and it's a challenge, but each time we do something like this he handles it a little better. We're trying to show him that his family is his home, not his house. As long as we're together he should know he is safe. He feels comfortable staying the night at Grandma's house too. For us, the autism isn't even the real challenge. It's all the other issues that go along with it like ADHD. He's so hyper he can't even watch TV or hold a thought in his head. He bounces off the walls constantly... and literally. Getting him to settle down enough to fall asleep is the biggest challenge of all. One piece of encouragement I can offer is to know that many of these "autistic" symptoms can be lived with, controlled and even conquered. With time, and with help, the child will learn what the world expects of him/her and how to behave that way. Many people you know who might seem a little quirky may actually be somewhere on the spectrum. There's also a bright side. Usually these people have above average IQs or some other special talent. My son knew all his letters, colors and shapes at 1-year-old. He could also count to twenty and was very verbal. - I was reading at age three.

If you Google Aspergers or Autism with the word celebrity you might be surprised at how many Hollywood stars and musicians are on the spectrum. Off the top of my head I can remember...

David Byrne (The Talking Heads)
Daryl Hannah
Kim Basinger
Steven Spielberg
Dan Ackroyd
Robert Dinero
Courtney Love
Bill Gates
Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)
Gary Numan, British singer and songwriter

Some suspected people are...

Albert Einstein
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Thomas Jefferson
Adolf Hitler
David Bowie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pe ... _disorders

As a person with Aspergers, the best way I can describe MY symptoms is like this. - Imagine that everything about you seems normal (to you). You like people but for reasons that don't even make sense to you, you are too nervous to talk to them. When someone is talking to you keeping eye contact is very uncomfortable. You're completely present in the conversation but can't seem to relay that to the other person via body language. You're not sure what to do with your hands or where to look. You probably don't like the blinds open because someone might see you. Being alone feels really good sometimes and is kind of like hitting the reset button, almost like therapy.

Autism manifests itself differently in everyone. When I talk to people in person I tend to rub the back of my head or scratch my eyebrows out of nervousness. Any eye contact I make is a conscious effort, as are facial expressions. I kind of make the expressions that I think the other person expects. I'm sure it sometimes looks awkward or insincere. But I can say with confidence that I reached a point at about 22 years old where I finally "woke up". I'm not sure why. It was a rough and confusing childhood and I just got sick of it. I was mad at myself for being too scared to socialize with new people. I forced myself to do it and discovered that I liked it. Now that I'm married I've gotten worse again. I'm no longer in desperate need of female attention. But I'm aware of the issue and can "turn it off" like a switch if I need to.

I'm kind of embarrassed to say this next thing but oh well... In 2010 I went to the Zombie CON event in Missouri. Everyone was welcoming and friendly. There were even a couple of people who I talked with extensively. About three days in I HAD to take a walk and separate myself from the group. I called my wife during a sort of anxiety attack and was almost in tears. Afterward, I shook my head and told myself I was being stupid. Man up! Why are you acting like a baby? I know there is something wrong with me but I don't know what or why. - A couple of months later I discovered my son was autistic. It messed me up so bad I missed the 2011 ZCON. When I was finally diagnosed it explained so much about these feelings it was like a giant weight being taken off my shoulders. Now I finally understood why I was so "weird" and why my childhood was the way it was. These issues kept me from going to college and taking certain jobs. I'm only just now starting to discover myself and it's unbelievably refreshing.

[redneckzombiekiller]

Very good and important topic to discuss:
Although my children are not Autistic, but my 19 month old suffers from Fetal Alcohol and my 9 month old has just been ordered by the pediatrician to see a specialist because of a possible nervous system disorder. My ex became a full blown junkie and alcoholic during the pregnancy of my children. And that is why I now have full custody of both. Anyway enough of that.

Before the idea of ever being a dad, in which I waited till I was 32 at the time. My thoughts of the end of it all was very simple, hell I only had to look out for one person (me). I would just up and take off. Well, not anymore. Now I had to re-evaluate the whole idea. Can't just load everyone in the Durango and take off to the mountains in the dead of winter. So I moved out of my apartment and purchased a rent to own home 5 miles out of the city in a nice rural area.

Then started on reinforcements on major construction on doors and windows, replacing sliding glass doors with walls, ect...
Basically, I had to throw the idea of hitting the road out the window and make my home into a stronghold.

I don't know, I probably went way off topic on this. When it comes to our children growing up and protecting them in a zombie apocalypse is a very scary thing. I am probably wrong in my decision but, I have to leave the bug out idea as a last resort, in which I do have multiple evac plans. But if I can keep my family safe and below the radar in our home, while I go out on patrols... well it's the only idea I got right now

[majorhavoc]

my 19 month old suffers from Fetal Alcohol and my 9 month old has just been ordered by the pediatrician to see a specialist because of a possible nervous system disorder.
........
Before the idea of ever being a dad, ...... My thoughts of the end of it all was very simple, hell I only had to look out for one person (me). I would just up and take off. Well, not anymore. Now I had to re-evaluate the whole idea.
.......
Basically, I had to throw the idea of hitting the road out the window and make my home into a stronghold.
.......
I don't know, I probably went way off topic on this.
........
but, I have to leave the bug out idea as a last resort, in which I do have multiple evac plans. But if I can keep my family safe and below the radar in our home
..... well it's the only idea I got right now.

While technically off topic, your children sound like they may have special needs and in any case your concerns speak to a larger issue that you share with OP and all of the people who replied to this thread.

When you become a parent, the game changes. For some, the idea of bugging out is a silly, romantic notion even though they might never allow themselves to admit that. If you're single, have no attachments, responsibilities or close family, taking off into the wilds of a post-disaster world may indeed be as good an option as staying put.

But when there are other people in your life who depend on you, people who cannot adequately take care of themselves, a serious disaster is when they're going to need you the most. It forces you to plan to attend to their unique needs in the most desperate of situations. In many, if not most, disaster scenarios taking them on some forced march or precarious road journey could be a fool's errand.

Staying home, defending and providing for your family, helping friends and neighbors, that's what this game is really all about. The apocalypse won't make any of that go away. It will make even more vital.

[Bethlehem]

Yea, bugging in is my first option. After that it's heading to our property in a very rural area where we have a stocked cabin set up off the grid. When I say stocked I don't mean well. It has the basics and we'll have to bring what we can with us. Basically, it will be a nightmare scenario but we have a better chance than if we hadn't prepared at all.

[Tater Raider]

It's hard enough to convince people you can contribute to the world just like anybody else can, without people like Autism Speaks to insist that you're fundamentally incapable and have to sit around waiting for a cure before you can live your life.

I can understand this.

Them: Isn't your mental illness all in your head?
Me: (blank stare) No. My left arm. We're considering amputation.

My kids have a brother with autism (ex remairried). I just try to be supportive and when I run into him at my kid's events or what have you I make it a point to play and talk with him a bit. He fits the classic svere autism model and dealing with the school system he's in is a challenge for his parents so I try and listen when one of them decides to dump on me.

It ain't much, but I do what I can, mostly support the folk that are hands-on with the boy.

[Jsimmonsgr]

It all depends on where someone is on the spectrum. I am spectrum, so is my son. We both are Aspies and have High Level Functioning Autism. What I have done is I turned it into a kind of game. Both my son and I are 'gifted' especially when it comes to firearms. He loves to go shooting and it is one of the few things that is not a 'meltdown' trigger when it comes as a surprise. Keeping this in mind I have begun to use it as a way to 'train' him with out really telling him what I am doing. When we go shooting I have him grab all B.O. related gear that he will be taking with him, and my wife and I do the same. In addition I keep him informed of current events, discuss 'what if' senarios with him, and discuss what to do if ( as we say in our family) 'the lights go out'. I also use key phrasing with him, along with triple repeating the phrase, that way he knows what is happening... When we go shooting or camping the keyword is ' Green Light! Green Light! Green Light!', if there is somthing hinky going on around is 'Down! Down! Down!'. These are just two examples of our code, we have about 20 or so commands that are getting drilled in, and I feel the need to mention that its not just him but also myself who is learning these codes. Due to us turning it into a game, and the regularity of our use of these I figure it won't be to bad when the SHTF.

[LyraJean]

I read almost the whole thread. Will read the rest later have to fix dinner now and wanted to post.

My brother was diagnosed as a baby as failure the thrive. He has recently been rediagnosed as Austistic he's 30. He's very high functioning and people just believe he's a little eccentric most of the time. He doesn't really like to be touched and has a hard time with verbal conversations. Also if he notices that someone liked what he says, he'll keep repeating it, mostly jokes, until we told him that he can repeat the joke if there is a new person.

He collects currency and buys stocks on the stock market. He's actually much better with money than I am although we don't believe he would ever be able to live on his own completely independent. My mom showed him how buying fresh vegetables is cheaper than buying canned. So he buys fresh and helps her with her garden.

He likes to be read too. My mom read him the "Dies the Fire" series. I've also read it. So it's something we talk about. He made his own comparison that "Dies the Fire" is like "Life without People" but with people. So I talk to him about scenarios that relate to the book with questions like What would you do if something like that happened? And we talk about it a lot online. We talk about what kind of skills we need and whatnot. His other hobby is making maille armor using stainless steel so he talks about that a lot.

I try not to make it scary. I remember when he was a teenager and our church was studying Revelation. There were verses about the moon turning to the color of blood and all that. That night, the moon due to a partial eclipse or maybe pollution turned red. He totally started to freak and thought the world was about to end. Whenever he went to the beach he always expected it to turn to blood.

I can't do much but talk to him since he lives in SC and I live FL.

[KnightoftheRoc]

I have no advice to offer, just a request for some. My grandson's mother was talking to my fiance', and said that the grandson may be autistic. He just turned a year old, is built solid as a rock, and seems to be plenty strong and healthy, but he is definitely not as far along at this age as his older sister was. I dislike comparing them, because she's pretty advanced for her age, and smart as a whip, so any comparison between them is going to slant badly for him. My feeling is that she may be ahead of the curve a bit, and he may be behind it a bit, but likely within the bounds of what's normal.

He's not cruising yet, but is able to crawl- just chooses not to most of the time. She was all over the house at one year old, and talking a bit- he does not, but he can make the usual baby noises.
His parents have gotten into the habit of sticking him in his crib, because he cries- a lot. If they have him with them, he has to be held, or the waterworks are back in business. However, if he's with my fiancee and I, we don't leave him in his crib- we have him with us, maybe playing on the bed, or sitting on a lap. He doesn't seem, to me, to really require constant lavishing of attention, he seems to simply want to be acknowledged- to be a part of what's going on. Even if it's only as a spectator.

So, I'm wondering, given this new "information", if any of this sounds familiar to a parent of an autistic child- is it even possible to determine this stuff at such a young age? We love him no less than his sister, but if this diagnosis is correct, he's going to be living in a pretty large shadow, formed by his disability and his sister's gifts. I'm doubtful he even has a disability- he seems pretty normal to me, just a bit of a late starter, and given his parents' inexperience, it could be just that simple, and certainly understandable.

[Projo]

I feel for you and you are doing the right thing by reaching out. My son has Autism, being active duty Military we call under Exceptional Family Member (EFM) category II so he is high functioning. I understand how tuff it can be at times as each age and spectrum brings its own challenges. My son has a special class he goes to every day and when we were in Nebraska he would see specialist at Monre Meyer Institute twice a week. They helped him out a lot.

Here is their website.
http://www.unmc.edu/mmi/severebehavior.htm

[Bethlehem]

We've been seeing doctors for my son who is Autistic. There is a lot of research being done out there on the medical aspects of Autism. You can have a child tested for high levels of toxins etc. We are still waiting on the results of our bloodwork, but it's is clear is has a yeast issue. We just started him on an anti-Candida diet and some medicine to rid him of the yeast. Our doctor has 4 Autistic kids of her own and so far the two oldest have come out of it via the medical solutions. I was very skeptical, and the doctor says she has never read it, but the book "Healing and Preventing Autism" by Jenny McCarthy is pretty spot on with everything the doctors are telling us. We've seen first hand how much the Candida (yeast) affects him. It makes his Autistic symptoms like 10X worse! He even stopped doing things he used to do during a yeast die-off episode. It's all in the book. - My point is that you shouldn't let some doctor tell you that there is no medical reason for Autism... like his neurologist did! We've seen it make a difference first hand.

If you're prepping for an Autistic person keep the anti-Candida diet in mind. If you want more info on the doctors that are actually doing research and trying to cure Autism look here... http://www.autismtreatmentclinics.com/ You may not have to live nearby to use their services. The doctor is in Maryland and we live in MO. We talk to him via Skype and have his labwork done through Labcorp which is everywhere.

[Blacksmith]

There is an alternate school of thought on the anti-Candida diet. Everyone should do their own research on this issue. I would be very skeptical of anyone offering a cure to autism.

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRel ... ndida.html

[Bethlehem]

There is an alternate school of thought on the anti-Candida diet. Everyone should do their own research on this issue. I would be very skeptical of anyone offering a cure to autism.

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRel ... ndida.html

I know what you're saying about cure claims. But my boy has crapped dark forest green all his life. Finally it got to the point that he had a yeast "die-off" that sent him our of control. It was like the Autism was multiplied by 10. Some kids even get to the point of throwing up for days and even weeks. There's no question that he has a yeast issue. Whether that's related to Autism or not can be debated, but I find it odd that nearly everyone with an Autistic child has experienced this. This should be looked into if for no other reason just to make the kid feel better. The yeast affected his behavior for months. - But we are having his yeast levels tested by our doc so we have in on paper for the future.

[CaptAmerica]

Watching this thread intently... biting my tongue

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[BigDaddyTX]

Re: Candida.. 90% of us "have it", so it's hardly unusual, but if you have a high concentration then it's a legit medical issue which they can test for as well as prescribe medicine. It seems like most people have moved away from candida to Gluten though.. have you checked for celiac?

[greenear123]

Thanks Callista for sharing and getting this thread started. You are a very brave lady.
My 13 YO son was diagnosed with Aspergers when he was 4. It has been a steep learning curve for the whole family. He still surprises us every day. What you and others have said about routine and changes is spot on. Doctors visits are announced days out with repetition everyday up to the appointment. Change is a major buggaboo in this house.

As for prepping: when we started getting into prepping a couple of years ago Miles just plain freaked out (that would be the technical term) at the idea. He wanted noting to do with making prepps, talking about contingencies or making plans. On top of this he has required a great deal of reassurance regarding the whole 2012 end of the world BS. Working up to things is the key. He short circuited the whole process when he overheard a snatch of conversation or saw us buy something. Miles is so smart and such a non linear thinker that he was able to put together that something was up and started asking questions, the creature, and was not happy with the answers.

He has gradually come around to the whole idea. Prepping has become the routine. He is making his own BOB, has his own gear and is learning new skills. Like fire building, scary, and driving the cars, scarier.