Explaining our kids to people | Autism PDD

Thanks Kristy!!

Kemi--I have been there done that with the "well he should know better!" His teacher tried pulling that on me all year long! That and the "well he was doing it the other day, so he should be able to do it today." ARRRRRRRR Wow, that is really good.

It is a beautiful letter.

That is a wonderful letter. I hope you dont mind but I think that I will use
part of it for my sons new teacher and coaches.

KathyThanks, kristys. Very nice letter!

I had to try and explain why Tom wasn't talking to his five year old cousin yesterday. To go into all the details about him being autistic would have been too complicated, so I just stuck with the language:

"You know there are different countries?"

"Yes."

"Like France and Germany?"

"Yes"

"People in those countries speak different languages, don't they?"

"Yes."

"Can you speak French?"

"No."

"But if I say to you 'Bonjour C', can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"And can you say it back?"

"Yes" (good attempt at repeating phrase).

"Do you know what you said then?"

"No."

"Well ,that's what it's like for Tom when people speak to him. Some words he knows, but most sound as though someone is speaking in a different language to him. He can hear, but he doesn't understand. So, we sign with him and we show him things and that way he learns what the words mean."

With an older child or adult I can explainhow he communicates in different ways and how he interacts in different ways, but at 5 years old I thought it best to keep things as simple as possible.

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Very nicely done. You did a great job being open about his struggles and challenges while at the same time maintaining a positive tone -- emphasizing that your child is mostly just like any other kid and gets the support he needs.

Thanks for sharing.

That is very beautiful and very wonderfully worded. I think it is wonderful that us as parents of these children put it out there, to explain to people why these children are the way that they are.( Not meant in a bad way, only a description).I posted this poem on here a little while back, and also posted it my blog on link

God's Beautiful Butterfly

I am a child who has Autism,
who may not do things exactly like you.
But that does not mean I am useless,
I have feelings and emotions, just like you.

I can hear the things you are saying,
even though with words I can not yet speak.
I may not be able to play sports like you,
but that does not mean I am weak.

I know there are many things about me,
that you simply do not understand.
But please don't shy away from me,
talk to me and perhaps offer to shake my hand.

I may have a mind that works differently,
pages in a book – I may flap instead of turn;
But that does not mean you can't teach me,
you might be surprised at just what I can learn.

If you think when I don't cooperate, I'm misbehaving,
and conclude that I'm not disciplined enough;
please take a moment to consider,
that the road I am traveling can be tough.

When you stare at me, point, or start to whisper,
It makes me sad, and I so want to cry ---
Why do you view me as some crippled caterpillar?
Why can't you see that I'm God's beautiful butterfly?

That is worded so beautifully. Thank you!

I mostly have problems with people that don't know him well or strangers in public. It is sad to say that many people think kids have to look different in order to have a disorder. The most common thing I get is well, he is smart so he should know better.

Very nice.

Thanks Kristy!!

Your son sounds a lot like my 4 1/2 year old. He's been in speech and OT since he was 2 and is VERY affectionate (he, too, can kiss or hug other kids.) Others may not enjoy the affection but I love it!

Earlier this year I did the Walk Now for Autism and I created a personal webpage for our family. I forwarded the link to everyone I know. I was amazed at the feedback I received. In addition to the generous donations, many people called me to tell me that they didn't realize what exactly was going on with C and offered help, support, asked good questions. I had some very postive conversations and it definitely boosted autism awareness in my circle.

Here is what I posted on my webpage (under a beautiful photo of course!):

My name is C. I am six years old and have autism. I have been in speech and occupational therapy since I was two years old. I currently go to kindergarten and I have an aide who helps me in class. There is a whole team of people who work with me at school throughout the week. I also go to private speech and occupational therapy.

I am a happy boy. I smile often and love to play with my toys and my twin brother R. I love roller coasters and waterslides and legos. I am good at art and like to play on the computer. I love to bounce on my trampoline and to ride my bike.

My speech is significantly delayed in the areas of both receptive and expressive language. I am a very visual person. I often have difficulty following verbal instructions unless there is a visual prompt. My aide helps me with instructions in class.

I am very extroverted and love to interact with other people. However it is difficult for me to pick up on body language and social cues. Sometimes I bother other kids without realizing it. For example, I often stand too close to other people while waiting in line. Other times I kiss other kids who don't want to be kissed. It can be hard for me to make friends.

Sometimes I get so frustrated when I can't communicate effectively or when I am very overstimulated by what is going on around me. When that happens I can have a big tantrum. As I'm getting older these are getting less frequent and I tend to calm down faster than in the past. This pleases my parents very much.

Many kids with autism have a lot of self-stimulatory behavior. I really don't do too much of that. I sometimes hum or chatter to myself, but that's about it.

Autism affects 1 in 150 children today. There is no cure. My family and I are going to walk in the Cure Autism walk on May 20 and we would appreciate your support. I'm not sure whether my brother and I will really walk the whole 5K, but I know that my mom will.

Thanks in advance for your support!

I figured I'd share this in case it might help someone finds it helpful.