mum of 2 boys - 5years with autism & 9month baby

Hi all !
Great idea these forums don't you think?

I am Georgie a mum of 2 gorgeous boys from the South West area of NSW .
As it says above 1 of my boys is Autistic and I was wondering if there are any other mums or dads out there with any special needs kids and maybe we can exchange some stories good and bad happy and sad !

If anyone else wants to chat - no problems - or maybe you guys out there want to know some things about Autism or what its like with 2 boys or whatever - I dont mind go right ahead - post away !

cheers

Hi Georgie,
I read your message and couldn't help but reply. I have a 17 month old son (who isn't autistic) and I also work full-time as a special ed. teacher - so I experience autism everyday of my life, too.
It goes without saying, you have your work cut out for you - but getting your son into the 'right' program will make all the difference for him.
This year I say goodbye to a very 'special' ASD boy - special because he has come so far in this world. He goes to High School next year, after spending the last 3 years with me. Expelled from neighbouring schools, voilent, aggressive, anti-social and obsessive/compulsive, he has steadily grown to become part of our class and social group. He's now a happy, quirky, quick witted - yet still peculiar type of boy, who's very caring and loves my little boy.
How does your 5 year old relate to your 9 mth old?
Cheers, Louise

Hi Louise !
Thankyou for your reply I was so thrilled somebody did reply.

My 5yold William only this year started special school and oh my god the change in him since he has started is unbelievable - it's wonderful ! The teachers and teachers aides at that school are amazing and I will be forever greatful for all they have done so far even though I know we still have a long way to go !
Willy is a very big boy of around 50kg last time I could pick him LOL and he is also very tall at least 120cm so that just adds to the 'very hard to manage' task BUT he used to be 'in his own little world' last year and I could not even take him anywhere other than my mums house as he would 'freak out'.
I had bubs in October and at first my big boy would not come home and I cried my heart out - he was safe at nanna's and my sister was there for support also so we did a very slow introducing stage with home and also his school . After a month or so just like that he decided one day he wanted to come hom and stay home and I was again happy to have my little big man home and form then he also started school which he now loves liek crazy and the teachers adore him also as he is more expressive than the 'usual' affected A kid. He smiles and giggles and now sometimes makes direct eye contact with you when he does this however more recently I have noticed he has become Aggressive and is starting to hit out just randomly for no reason so am wondering if this is yet another 'phase' or 'cycle' of his Autistic little life ??!!
His little brother loves him to death and constantly chases after him in the walker laughing and giggling at him and where Willy won't touch him or get too close to him he does sometimes respond by laughing back at him which is great and brings a tear to my eye everytime (big sulk I know LOL).
I think he is afraid at this 'tiny little' version of a person and thats what is strange about WIlly - he can be very careful and not aggressive to other kids or his baby brother yet he can strike out and hit my mum , my sister his teachers and myself ?

Anyway I have raved on enough there I was just so happy that someone out there understands my special little man and just like you have said about that little boy going off to High School after 3 years with you - that is a dream of my own that I can NOW see coming true one day thanks to wonderful people like yourself that are willing to give there heart and souls to helping these special and 'misunderstood' kids !

Thanks again Louise you made my day !

wink

Georgie and William and Baby Thomas

Hi My name is Sarah and I am the mother of Liam, nearly 6 and Thomas nearly 4 and Liam has ASD. We are about to undertake the toilet training process and if anybody has any suggestions I am all ears. Liam attends Wyoming PS on the NSW Central Coast in a special Autistic Specific Class of 6. Soon they all will be coming for his birthday at our house another challenge that I am looking forward to.
I would love to here from the parents to help with ideas. Thomas is starting to ask questions that I don't know how to answer appropriately for his age.
Hope to here from other mothers.
Sarah M, NSW, mother 2 boys

Hi Sarah Thomas and Liam !
I was so thrilled to see your reply I had to come and post a message back ASAP ! My 2 boys are William aged 5 turning 6 in december and THOMAS 10months turning 1 in October , William is my Autistic boy or as the docs say 'autistic characteristics ' - he is not yet toilet trained so can't help you there but he is half way there so to speak so you maybe able to give me advice soon on that one wink. I am just wondering if Liam is talking yet ??as my boy William is not yet - he has this year started special school which is great and he has come a long way but as yet only mumbles blurbs no real words as yet .
I would love to have a party for my boys 6th birthday this year but am a little nervous as to the challenge but wish you all the best in yours and hope that you will let me know how it all goes for you !
Take Care
Georgie , William and Thomas

Hello Georgie, William and Thomas
It was great to get a reply Thank you.
Liam can communicate on a basic level. He has improved through having speech pathology and now we are able to understand him more than we can't. Others still find it hard to understand him but if they know the circumstances this can help them. Does William see a speech pathologist? This may help his speech develop. Is William in a small sized class at school, Liam has only 6 children, so in total I have invited 5 children plus a few siblings to his party. I think to smaller the better. I have also booked a inflatable dinosaur slide to entertain the children. Does William get any enjoyment out of jumping castles or the like, this can help to entertain all the children. Toilet training is challenging, Liam can wee in the toilet easily but doing a poo is proving more challenging.
Thank you for replying it is wonderful to communicate with another mother who knows the wonderful challenges of a special child.
Sarah

Georgie
Liam's birthday was a great success and all the children played well. Limiting the numbers and having their parents helped to make the two hours fly by. I hope all is well with William and Thomas.
My email is podge@kooee.com.au if you would like to chat further.
Sarah, Liam (6) and Thomas (4)

Hi, my name is Erin. I have a 3 year old foster son who possibly has autism or autism spectrum disorder, he's still on the apparently hugely long waiting list to be assesed. His speech is way behind as well as a lot of his gross and fine motor and he displays quite a few repetetive and obsessive behaviors but does have some ability to interact socially. He is starting 4 year old kindy next year. in our little town we don't have a special school but he should have a teachers aide and the speech and occupational therapists are working like crazy to get him as ready for it as they can.
If you want to chat my email address is e.jamieson@bigpond.com

Hi Georgie,
I was reading back over this reply and was wondering how school has been this year for William? My special boy flew the coop before the end of last year and sadly has not experienced much success at High School. It's a system failure that distresses me terribly - so I'm hoping that William is making steady progress to prepare for this eventual (and very stressful) change.
Hope you're all still well and positive!
Louise.

Hello I hope this works as I have been coming back here on and off for a year now and it keeps logging me out !!!!
This time I have reset every single thing on my PC started allover to see if that helps LOL otherwise I will give up I guess?

So apologies evryone for not posting replies I should have just got on from someone elses PC I guess I didnt think of it... ANyways how are you all ?

louise... Willy is OK he is 7 in December is so tall around 140cm I think and weighs around the 55kg mark LOL

Have had a few BAD issues with the school one very serious matter that is too much to go into here but it involved Willy coming home from school with bruises and around the same time he was terrified of going to school too! Got it sorted I think and apart from that things so far are ok at school at moment apart from him sleeping in LOL

Since I have been gone from here I have started an Autism Club !

www.autismclub.com

I decided to start it as there is nothing on the net for parents carers and anyone affected by Autism to meet up offline or help. chat etc to eachother online that is also FREE !

So please come over and have a look and pleas join I cant afford to send it to the search engines just yet so not many ppl know of its existance but soon I hope to change that and we can all help each other !

Phew now thats out of the way I am actually haveing trouble woith my little one now almost 2 sleeping

Any ideas ? I am dreading it but am almost sure he is heading down the same road of ASD
I cant remember if I posted here or not last year but just after his needle he almost died and ended up in westmead hosp for a week after getting Meningitis he also started to change at the same time and speech which was just starting to develop has come to an almost halt as well as his sleep patterns from ababy sleeping from 10pm til 9am every day now going to sleep at around 3am sometimes 4 !
so as I already had a gut feeling what caused Willys ASD I have since stopped Tommys needles and started a diet with a little improvement but no improvement on sleep patterns am stuck !
Apart from phenergan has anyone had any luck or have any ideas on getting little ones to sleep ?

I am desperate LOL

hope you are all well

chat soon

Georgie, Willy and Tommy
*hugz*

Wow Georgie...what a time you've had! Thanks for the Autism club link - I will visit to see it. In the meantime, I empathise with your sleeping woes. My little fella is a poor sleeper and it's sending me mad! Maybe look at accessing a sleep school through your major city could help Tommy? I tried this only to discover that at 2 1/2, Finlay was too old and didn't qualify!
Keep smiling,
Louise.

i have 3 young boys 4 & under i have a friend who son will be 3 in december he was slow to walk & doent talk he has had his hearing tested but all is ok she is taking him to learn sign language so he can communicate all he does is scream & yell another friend who does not know them suggested he may be autistic what do you think ?