We are getting really desperate!

Coreys violence has gotten out of control, I can’t even leave him in a room with my other children anymore because I can’t trust him not to hurt them.

Yesterday he punched his 7 year old brother in the head and then the mouth because he wasn’t ‘playing the game right’.  The night before he had a friend sleep over and I ended up ringing his Mum to tell her to come and pick him up after him and Corey had a big fight and were threatening to break each others neck.  Corey apparently pulled a knife on him too when I was in the shower.

Coreys behavior is getting bad at school too, where in the past he has always managed to control himself at school.  He has had a couple of detentions and has now been suspended from school for 3 days, which is to happen after the school holidays which we have another week off.

So as you can see, we really are quite desperate now as his violence really is out of control and I am so worried that someone is going to get badly hurt again.

The natural medicine that I got doesn’t seem to be helping at all.  I know it said it could take 3 to 4 weeks before you start seeing results and it’s been about 3 weeks now that he’s been taking it, but no change yet, if anything he is worse.

Today he slammed the door against his brothers leg and when I heard him crying and asked Corey what he had done to him, he grabbed a glass that was in his room and was going to throw it at me.

We have been told that he doesn’t have ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) because he doesn’t display his symptoms at all times in all places.  Although now he is starting to.  Anyway, I don’t know whether he ‘technically’ does have it or not but look, here are the symptoms taken from MyOutOfControlTeen.com

=> Are you concerned that your child:

• Is going to hurt himself? YES
  
• Is going to hurt someone else? YES
  
• May end up in juvenile detention someday? YES
• May experiment with drugs or alcohol someday? YES
  

=> Has your child:

• Lied to you? YES
• Stolen from you? YES
• Destroyed property? YES
• Ran away from home? YES (although he usually just goes to the end of the street)
  
• Refused to do any chores? YES all the time
  
• Refused to follow any rules? YES
• Been verbally & physically aggressive? YES VERY
  
• Had temper tantrums that knew no limits?!! YES DEFINITELY

So, these are the symptoms of ODD and yes he has every single one of them to a HUGE DEGREE – so you tell me – do you think he has it?

I know a little while ago I talked about having a forum where parents can get together and chat with other parents in similar situations, but I really just haven’t had a chance to get it established.

So, I am just looking at the MyOutOfControlTeen.com website and it looks quite good and it’s only $29 (which compared to the money I’ve spent on natural therapies and pscyhologists and pyschiatrists isn’t much) and they have a members forum which would be good.  So I might grab a copy of this and see what it’s like, it has a money back guarantee too so if it’s no good I’ll get a refund, but hopefully I wont need to.

Like I said – I’m desperate and I know many things online are just to make money and don’t actually work, but I’m desperate so I’ll give anything a go at the moment.  So I am going to get this and have a read.  I believe it has an ebook, videos and a forum.  I think we are going to go away for a few days in the caravan on Sunday, so I might print it out and take it with me to read.

So – wish me luck!

What is Autism

Autism is a developmental disability that affects, often
severely, a person’s ability to communicate and socially
interact with others. It is four times more prevalent in
males than females.

Currently, autism is believed to affect 1 in every 166
people. The rate of people being diagnosed with autism
has increased substantially over the past two decades.

Although this may be in part due to improved diagnostic
techniques and to changes in the criteria for autism
spectrum disorders, the majority of experts agree these
changes are not enough to explain the epidemic rates at
which autism is being diagnosed.

Autism Spectrum Disorders is an umbrella term that includes
classic autism (also known as Kanner’s autism or Kanner’s
syndrome), Asperger’s syndrome, and pervasive developmental
disorder (PDD).

Autism is considered a spectrum disorder because the number
and intensity of the symptoms people with autism display
may vary widely. However, all people with autism
demonstrate impairments in the following three areas:
communication, social relationships and restricted
patterns of behavior.

The spectrum ranges from those who are severely affected,
less able, and dependent on others to those who are of
above-average intelligence and independent, yet lacking
in social skills.

What Causes Autism?

Unfortunately, no one knows the answer. This is one of the
primary missions of Cure Autism Now to fund the crucial and
necessary research to discover the cause of autism, in
order to design effective treatments and, eventually, find
a cure.

Here is what is known so far:

There is a genetic predisposition for autism spectrum
disorders.

Some brain circuits are different in a person with autism.

Serotonin, a neurotransmitter important for normal brain
functioning and behavior, has been found to be elevated
in a subgroup of people with autism.

Some children with autism and related disorders have
biochemical and immunological problems.

Many experts in the field of autism – for example
Dr. Edward Ritvo of the University of California
Los Angeles – theorize that there exists a genetic
predisposition to autism spectrum disorders.

This predisposition, perhaps encoded within a certain gene,
interacts with an as-yet-unknown environmental factor or
factors and causes alterations to the immune system, the
sensory nervous system, the brain and often the
gastrointestinal tract as well. These changes then cause
the affected person to exhibit the symptoms of autism.

Autism Does Not Discriminate

Last year I went on a 5K walk at Dodger Stadium in Los
Angeles benefiting Cure Autism Now. I saw thousands of
children, their families and friends that are affected in
one way or another by autism.

There were people from all walks of life, professional
people like athletes, lawyers, doctors and people you see
everyday in your own community. People with children that
have autism, all getting together to raise money to help
find a cure.

Before the walk, I received a letter from a mother whose 4
year old son Danny has autism. She was asking for donations
and letting people know about the Cure Autism Now second
annual Walk-A-Thon.

After reading her letter, I had a better understanding of
not only what autism was, but what parents and the children
with autism go through on a daily basis. Below is part of
that letter. I think after reading it, you will be more
understanding as I was.

Start of letter

It’s Walk-a-Thon time! A year has passed so quickly. I
want to share with you the progress that Danny has made.

He is amazing. A year ago he couldn’t even tell me he
loved me. Now, when I say “I love you Danny” he yells
back “I love you more!!!” I waited so long to hear those
words. But what is so difficult is the fact that he doesn’t
know what the words mean. He says them from memory. It’s
like a recording. Every time I say I love you… he
automatically responds with the same answer, which is very
common with most autistic children.

I ask him what he did in school each day and he can tell
me bits and pieces, but he also repeats the same thing
everyday or tells me what they did a month ago.

Autistic children have amazing memories. He can take a brand
new puzzle, dump all the pieces off the board, pick up any
piece without hesitation and put it in it’s proper place
without even thinking. His mind is incredible.

I wake up in the mornings wondering what kind of day Danny
is going to have, and I pray that it’s a good one. He is
extremely sensitive to his surroundings. If things don’t
go in the same pattern that he is used to, he flips
out…screaming and kicking.

I still find myself in denial sometimes. When we are out in
public, I try to do everything in my power to make sure
Danny gets his way, as to not cause a scene.

I remember one Friday, I wanted to take a special day and
make it “all about Danny,” I was going to take him to an
indoor playground. It was pouring rain that Friday, but we
trampled through the parking lot and into the playground
and took off our shoes.

Danny wanted to play the video game and another little boy
also wanted to play. Danny doesn’t do well when other
people are in his space, so he started screaming at the top
of his lungs, threw himself on the floor kicking me and
anything else that got in his way.

I tried to pick him up but he was kicking so hard I could
barely lift him. Every mother and child in the place was
staring at me. I tried to calm him, but his screams got
louder, as they always do when you try to reason with him.

As I carried Danny to the bathroom to get him away from
everyone else, I heard one of the moms say to her
friend…”I wish she would shut that kid up!!!” I couldn’t
help but break into tears.

We didn’t even last five minutes in public. I grabbed our
shoes in one hand, Danny in the other and ran to the car
in my socks in the pouring rain. I just sat in my car and
cried.

I wish that woman could spend just ONE day in the life of
Danny. I sometimes want to wear a sign around my neck that
say “My child is autistic, please excuse the excessive
noise.”

Despite Danny’s outbursts…he has made incredible
progress. He is talking so much. Almost too much. (just
kidding) He can write his name all on his own and is
starting to sing songs(which he would never do before) He
is a very expressive little boy…

End of letter.

After reading that letter, now when I see a child
screaming and kicking in a store or someplace, and we all
have, I think that the child may be autistic. It made me
realize that it’s not the child’s or the parents fault and
I should be more understanding.

The number of autistic cases is rising faster than we can
count, but progress is being made. At Cure Autism Now,
they are currently funding more than 15 research projects
examining the causes of autism. You can go to Danny’s page
at Cure Autism Now and you will see a picture of Danny,
who is 5 years old now and his father at last years
Walk-A-Thon. You can donate what you can, learn more about
autism and find out where there might be a Walk-A-Thon in
your area.
Danny’s page

Thank you,

About The Author

Paul Bittle is the owner of http://www.bitsnwits.com an information web site with free articles and free courses. Also, for Danny’s page you can go to Bits N Wits home page and look for Special Announcement.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Bittle

More people are becoming aware of Autism these days and although no-one likes to think that their child may have something wrong with them, the number of children diagnosed with Autism seems to have increased over recent years. It is because of the increase in awareness of the disorder that people are learning more about the symptoms of Autism and then may relate them to their own children.

There are many symptoms of Autism and these symptoms will vary from child to child. Some symptoms are also similar to symptoms of other disorders so if your child has one or two symptoms it does not necessarily mean that they have the disorder. So even if your child is slower at some developmental milestones than other children it may not mean that they are Autistic, some children are just later at developing than others.

If you are concerned about your child’s development then you should speak to your health care provider who should be able to recommend whether further testing should be considered. There are no blood tests to test for Autism and it can only be diagnosed by several visits with a paediatrician or psychiatrist and so it is important to seek the help of these professionals rather than to self diagnose your child. The earlier that you have your child diagnosed by a professional the better chance of successful treatment for your child.

All children are different and each child will develop at their own rate so don’t compare your child with other children and immediately assume that something is wrong with your child because they haven’t reached a particular milestone that everyone else’s children seems to have reached already. You will find with children also that even though they may reach some milestones later than normal, they may excel at others and reach them much earlier than normal.

As a parent, sometimes you just ‘know’ that something isn’t right. You just know in your heart that your child has something wrong and that it is a bit more than just ‘normal late development’. If your gut instinct is telling you that there may be something wrong then by all means consult a doctor and if they don’t agree but your gut is still telling you something is wrong then get a second opinion. Don’t under estimate a mother’s instinct.

If your child is Autistic it can change your life in a big way. You will need to learn as much as you can about the disorder and you will need to change your lifestyle to suit it. Although a diagnosis may take some time, once you have that diagnosis it does bring some measure of relief as you know that there is a reason for your child’s behaviour and once you know what it is then you can take steps to treat it.

Here are some of the signs of Autism that if your child shows then they may need further evaluation.

1. No eye contact

2. None or minimal communication

3. None or minimal show of emotions

4. They do not pretend play

5. May use repetitive movements

6. Is very upset with any changes in their life or schedule

7. May be unresponsive when spoken to

8. Will have repetitive habits

9. May lose skills that they previously had

10. Experience greater sensory reactions, such as they may be sensitive to certain smells, lights or noises.

If your child shows any of these signs then you may want to seek professional help and get a diagnosis so you can start a treatment plan. Remember though that children do develop differently and some will take a little longer than others and that is completely normal, so don’t stress too much over a little delay in reaching a milestone.

Sheryl is a mother of three boys one of whom suffers from Aspergers Syndrome which is a member of the Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has now dedicated her life to helping her son deal with this disorder and live a normal life. To find out more about Autism, Aspergers Syndrome and ADHD visit her site at http://www.ourexceptionalkids.com

Or visit her blog at http://www.ourexceptionalkids.com/blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheryl_L_Polomka
http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-My-Child-Autistic?&id=1144425