ASPECT Training

We just finished a 3 day course with ASPECT on Autism for parents. It was very intensive and very helpful. On the night of the end of the course, we implemented some techniques we learned during the course (using visual prompts to get the boy to get ready for bed), and he followed them to a T, whereas most of the time he would fight us to keep playing with his toys, or just throw a tantrum!

The more I learn about Autism, the dread & uncertainty I have is slowly replaced by fascination. I look at the boy and think, "So that's what's going on in that little head of yours..."

5 Mistakes parents make when deciding on a therapy

http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/76096/FR_5BiggestMistakes.pdf

Or as this document rather scarily expounds....The Five Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Choosing a Treatment Program for Their Child & How YOU Can Avoid Them

Someone sent me this document. If you look past the title that seems more at home on a tabloid current affairs show, it actually contains some worthwhile information. It does lean towards the RDI philosophy, which is the therapy we will be starting soon for the boy, and it makes a lot of sense.

I haven't been to their website yet so I can't tell you anything about the authors, but I guess I should credit where it came from - http://www.horizonsdrc.com/

Having fun with acronyms!

When you enter the world of autism, there are more acronyms & buzz words to learn than your typical office environment. Here are some of my favourites:

ABA "Applied Behavior Analysis"

ADD "Attention Deficit Disorder"

ADHD "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder"

ADOS "Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale"

ASD "Autistic Spectrum Disorder"

PDD-NOS "Pervasive Development Disorder--Not Otherwise Specified" (A personal favourite of mine)

and last but certainly not least....

RDI "Relationship Development Intervention"

This of course isn't all of them by any means, but these are the ones I've been personally introduced to so far. I sound pretty cool when I rattle them off now.

Autism groups warn of payout delays

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/21/2396881.htm?section=justin

"Autistic children under the age of six are eligible for $12,000 over two years for early intervention services and parents need to contact an adviser to access the funding."

This has just been announced and it's awesome. We are eligible for this. We are leaning towards RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) as a therapy but the cost is extraordinary. The government funding would certainly help.

We are now in the process of talking to RDI practitioners. Only 3, cause we want to get started on this sooner than later, but we need to shop around and weigh up the costs. All 3 are on the board to receive the government funding.

The beginning

Ok well it's not really the beginning beginning. We're about 3 months into this thing, after the diagnosis of an ASD for our 4 year old boy.

We were advised about the grieving process by the people who advise you on these things, which we duly followed.

And now we're firmly entrenched in the world of Autism, which is a world that exists within our own, which you would never know about if your life or someone close to you hasn't been touched by Autism. It's a world of conflicting therapies, acronyms, funding, support groups, research, tears, heartache and uncertainty.

This blog will kind of act as my own personal therapy to get through and finally accept this. If it helps anyone else, it's a bonus. Maybe it will help others knowing that someone else is going through the same thing as they are.

And maybe, if enough information and experience gets recorded here, this blog *will* act as some kind of manual. Cause you don't get a manual when your kid is diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.