Aspergers/Autism/Sensory Integration Chatter #4

Sorry I haven't been in....

Busy couple of days... really should update my ticker LOL..

Ahh so Mr #5 arrived on Monday. Everyone has a lot of processing to do. Surprisingly though, its Glenn who is most concerning. He is complaining of feeling unwell but isn't IFYKWIM. Seems with drawn & just before was hiding under his bed because he didn't want to see the midwife who came to check on the baby. that is really weird for him. DH has taken him out for a bit just on his own. Poor kid.
Dh is dealing with his emotions ok. A good nights sleep seems to have helped him a lot.
Evan was pretty "on egg shells" for a couple of days there. Seems mostly ok today but still a bit touchy. He is like DH, handles the immediate situation ok, great even. But then crumbles after the event has passed.
But Yeah poor Glenn.. Its so hard with him as he hides it well & goes un-noticed. I will have to try & include him a little more. I keep saying no to them holding the baby & stuff. Glenn has had a hold etc. but he looses interest pretty fast. But I try to make a deal about how the baby will be like him. They both have red hair so I have been saying how he will be like him etc. hmmmmmm

Congratulations fj!!will come back soon to write more...

Just had our feedback appointment. She says at this stage she's not thinking autism because he can make eye contact (although he finds hard if he doesn't know you) and can engage in conversation. He has quite strong sensory issues, speech problems and is developmentally delayed( not cognitive but, emotional, behavioral, self care etc).
She's put him through to an early intervention program, ot and speech pathologist. That's good right??
I'm totally confused, I don't know where he fits? If these things are part of a bigger problem or if they are three separate problems. Will get the report in a few weeks, although I don't know how much clearer that will be.


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ahhh there is the breaking moment for Evan... he just exploded at Isla & hit her over the hand with one of those sticky slappy hand things. Its made out of soft rubber stuff, you know those things you slap at the wall? It BRUISED her fingers he hit her that hard with it. Why....because she was annoying him... I just ignored him & seen to Isla. He went & sat on his bed before I even got up the hallway to see what she was screaming about. When I asked him what he did he just screamed & yelled that she was annoying him. I just walked away.

FJ wow that would be hard.... maybe get some social stories about newborns in the house? Try googling newborn ASD social stories. It may give another way of explanation for them which they would understand?

Laura - maybe a PDD-NOS diagnosis? I dunno.... but if you can get access to early intervention, take it. Seriously.... even if in the end its Sensory Integretion (and there are major changes in the cogs for SI and getting early intervention) than you need help no matter what... early intervention can help so much.

Going to ring the early intervention program today, hopefully the waiting list isn't too long.

In your experience what has worked best, group early int, in your home or one on one at the centre? I'm thinking group might be good for him but also worry it will push him too much because he's not good in group settings. I guess that's the point though.

One thing that's been getting to me is she discounted seeing him lining up the cars in her assessment as as something lots of kids do. True maybe, but he lines up all his toys.


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Huge congratulations efjay!!!!

I'm glad you have some access to early ed Loulabelle... and hopefully more luck nutting out the diagnosis as time goes on. I read in my book that lining up toys can be a sign of being undersensitive to visual stimulation, placing it as a sensory issue rather than autism as such. So perhaps sensory integration is the issue? Good to hear there is progress happening there. I've been told here to make sure a doctor doesn't write down sensory processing disorder as a diagnosis as therapies then wont be covered by insurance as it's a not a confirmed condition yet. Damn word games- just help these children!

Just read an amazing story on TACA... think it's not a commercial site so a link is okay. Zach

Has anyone had any experience with cutting out salicytates? My son eats an insane amount of apples and they are high in salicytates which some sources may be an issue. I know your daughter can't drink apple juice Christy- can she eat apples? I'm so hesitant to do diet modification given that E already eats less than 10 foods and wont add anything new so cutting things out is pretty major. But I could possibly replace apples with pears, wondering if it's worth a shot.

You could be right meow, wish she was more clear with me.
She did say he is oversensitive with some sensory seeking, especially smell and movements like swinging and spinning. Thinking maybe of getting a second opinion just to be sure.


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Laura - I've never heard of lining up being an sensory thing. I know that lining up and things like stacking, basically the repetitive behaviours, are activities kids use to calm themselves because they're about order and control and predictability. Certainly not something that should have been discounted. Are you able to get a second opinion?

Fiona - First, congrats :D
My DD also struggled with a newborn in the house. She regressed quite a bit and would do things to try and hurt him. Sometimes I would think she was going in for a kiss and then she'd wrap her teeth around his ear Mike Tyson style. The biggest issue with babies and ASD kids is that babies are unpredictable and make lots of unexplained and loud noise. Social stories help a little bit, and it gets better once the baby gets a little older and can interact. Good luck!

Going to make some calls today to get a second opinion, shouldn't be too hard as our gp said initially she would be happy to do another referral. In the meantime, we'll try and get in to EI, ot and speech.
I think her theory was that it looked like he was parking the cars.

I understand how it been such a long and hard road for all of you, I never really appreciated it.

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Sorry, I didn't mean to dismiss the lining up as I actually agree it's a spectrum thing. This was from a book about ASD, it was just trying to explain WHY they may do it and the reason they gave was to provide more visual stimulation. I dunno though, 'cause my son lines things up that are similar. Generally, the night garden cgaracters get lined up together, animals together, cars together. Did your son "drive" the cars and park them? I think that woman is projecting too much if she suggests lining up is parking. Glad you're getting a second opinion.

Hey just a quick question.. What does everyone with older kids do regarding the easter bunny, santa, tooth fairy etc. Evan had a big carry on again tonight (happening so frequently atm :( ). Because DH had told him he spoke with the easter bunny who told him he doesn't bring toys, thats santa's job. Apparently there was a toy truck he seen in the shops... Anyway he wanted to know what the easter bunny looked like. When Dh tried to explain Evan lost it. Going on that DH was lying etc. Tried to get him to calm down & asked him what he thought he would look like etc. But The kids needs facts. But how on earth do you give facts on a lie?
I never wanted the easter bunny/santa etc to actually become a lie. We have always avoided the questions (Which evan started with when he was about 4 in regards to santa) & just explained about the magic of believeing & how it makes it special. But He asked me the other week if the tooth fairy was real. Asked me outright. Said other kids at school told him its your mum & dad. I didn't want to tell him as I knew he would run straight in & tell the others. BUT I did my best to avoid answering & told him to ask Daddy (LOL) as he wasn't home & I assumed by the the time he was he would have forgot. But before I had a chance to talk to DH Evan had asked him & he said Yes the tooth fairy is real. Now he is telling him that YES the easter bunny is real..

I really think we should sit down & tell all the kids (no way Evan could keep it tohim self) that it is us. I think he would be much happier with the truth. Its easier to process facts for him. But not these stories we can't back up or provide any real answers too.
What do you all think?

That might be an idea Fiona. One of the biggest traits for ASD people is to take things very literally, and because of this they have a very hard time with fantasy/imaginative play that isn't simply an adaption of real things. Evan, I'm guessing, would know what a bunny looks like, how big they grow, what they do - the easter bunny (a very magically creature) would break all those "rules" to be an exception to everything he knows. Santa wouldn't be as much of an issue because he is just a man who dresses in a certain way and travels at certain times of the year with the particular job of delivering toys, you could most probably get away with the tooth fairy too being more human-like and performing more human-like jobs. However, if he is very literal, if you do manage to convince him in any of these things being real, it will be a huge (and I mean HUGE) issue when you finally have to let him know that they are not because you are changing the goal posts (which never goes down too well).

just need to write it down. I am a total mess. Evan is at it again. I seriously don't think I have in me to do this.

eta- back to expand a bit...
We have had at least every day to some degree a melt down. If we go out, there is a melt down. If we stay home, there is a melt down. I can't handle it. Seriously I feel like if I get in the car I wont come back. Todays episode went on for over an hour. His room is completely trashed, every draw is thrown around the room, both mattresses off the bunks are on the floor. He threw a number of items out the front door. Continuously screaming at me & DH to get out of the house. I spent the entire time of it crying. Trying to vacuum the floor & just ignore it. I can not deal with it. I don't know how to deal with it, I feel horrible & like I should just leave.
What started it? I said no more hiding eggs around the back yard.
I just have no clue how I am going to handle this if it continues to escalate the way it has been over the last few days.

FJ :hug: Its very very hard, and yes we all go through the roller coaster.... with M school holidays is very hard, and always the added issue of anticipation is bad. Whenever some holiday that she loves, or a party or anything will encounter a meltdown. Mainly because her stress levels increase from anticipation, but in reaction to this, she can't handle changes to routine or changes in anything.... so school holidays, public holidays, changes, sugar.... etc etc etc... make life horrible. She had 3 meltdowns today. 3. I can't imagine going through that with a newborn...

I imagine that Evan is very frustrated and confused with life. Maybe each morning if you give him an ideal routine, and make sure you say that it does all revolve around needs of the entire family.... then remind him what is happening next? Also, if he starts feeling stressed, or you see him getting frustrated, you can always do some OT things...

Core work calms. Breathing calms. Make him blow up balloons, or do wheelbarrows, or sit ups, or squash him between two large cushions. Something to make him work that core and in turn help him calm down. I would do those things even when he isn't worked up, in order to help him calm down, put the fire out before the storm.

:hug: FJ - I'm sorry you're having a hard time at the moment. Hopefully you'll get a diagnosis and the help you need soon.

I found an interesting video that I thought I'd share.

Autism Now: Robert MacNeil Shares Grandson Nick's Story | PBS NewsHour | April 18, 2011 | PBS

Thank you. I think i did well tonight. It was starting, I was in shower & came out to the couch on the otherside of lounge room. So I got dressed & asked if he would like to go for a walk with me & Rohan & then maybe he would like to make pancakes for dinner. So he came, pushed the pram there & then carried on (in a good way ithink :/) about people parking on the side of the road & not driveways. Now he is shaking up the pancake mix. So far so good.

You did really well! I think pushing the pram... and shaking the pancake mix would be great sensory input! How did he go after that?

Kinda just delayed it to be honest. Wasn't as bad as it could have be. I need to work out how to take it it away with out more stimulation. The more you do with him to try & get rid of the "energy" the worst is it.. Had a friend of DH's here yesterday & his wife was saying about taking him for a walk/run around the block etc to tire him out. BUT thats the problem. He isn't tired he is over stimulated. So more stimulation is making it worse. BUT he can't just sit either. he wants to do stuff.
But Its like a rubber band being twisted. It builds & builds & the more you do to relieve just winds the rubber band tighter & then eventually it explodes. I don't know how to unwind it slowly.