[sarah_20pgn]

My son will be 3 on the 19th of December.He was dianosed with autism last December.What lead his father and I to take him to a specialist was the difference between the way he acted,and the way his cousin (whom is the same age) acted.Our son would never respon to his name being said.He always waned to play by himslef,and he never said many words at all.Here it is a year later,and Kaleb has made lots of progress.Our main concerns is still his speech.He still has yet to say but a few words like such animals and objects around the house.He tries his best to speak but its just as if he cant.Unfortuantley we are unable to get him into speech therapy due to him having no insurance of tenncare.Another concern of ours was how he never answers any simple small questions we ask such as"what's your name" or "who am i".He answers one question quiet well but in a funny way.Everytime no matter where we are or what we are doing if I say "kiss"he will run give me one.Please I am in such need of help right now.I feel so lost not knowing how to help my child in the manner that he needs to be helped in.

[Wondergirl]

Here I come to save the day!!

I am the local expert on autism. I have an autistic son who has a form of autism called hyperlexia. He read before the age of two but was socially deficient, hated loud noises, and refused to be cuddled and hugged. (He's 38 now and the wonder of my life--but that's beyond the scope of your question.)

I've supervised library volunteers with Asperger's Syndrome, another form of autism. (I just had a story published in their magazine! ) Asperger's is one of the highest-functioning forms on the autism spectrum.

There are so many variations of autism. I'm even pretty sure I'm married to an autistic guy.

Here is a website on hyperlexia (American Hyperlexia Association). I live right down the road from them and have used a number of their resources. Their books, along with other books about autism, can be checked out at your public library. You would do well to study up on it, through books and by reading websites. Here is a site on Asperger's -- ASPERGER'S DISORDER HOMEPAGE

Feel free to ask more questions on this board. Autistic kids' brains are wired slightly differently from people who are considered "normal" (is there really a normal?? ). The trick is to find what works the best for learning and for social interaction. It is an adventure and an exciting challenge!

[Wondergirl]

Btw, be sure you check out other things, such as his hearing and neurology. The doctor's diagnosis could be correct, but Kaleb is only almost three, which is pretty young to be making a hard-and-fast diagnosis that will affect his life and his education.

[sarah_20pgn]

Thank you so much for the information you provided about asperger's diorder.I spent a majority of the night researching about the disorder.That fits my son to a tee.He did have his hearing check by the way over the summer.He had perfect hearing in one ear,and normal hearing in the other.Im just trying to think of new ideas on how to communicate better with him.Yo help him understand things more better.Like I said before I have tried just about everything that I know.

[junsmai]

I also have an autistic son who will be 3 next month. He received speech therapy. I observed the process so I can also learn to work with him and teach him new things. It helps to sit with them and play with them and have a conversation with him. I would name the BALL or the BLOCK and make him build a tower. I understand that every child is not the same. But playing with my son and repeting myself. Helped him out and it took only 6 months for my son to learn to talk. Now that he can communicate he is interacting w family members and feels comfortable playing with others . Best of luck. There are free services for autistic children I didn't pay anything for my sons early intervention services. Call you county or city to see what is available.

[Wondergirl]

thank you so much for the information you provided about asperger's diorder.I spent a majority of the night researching about the disorder.That fits my son to a tee.He did have his hearing check btw over the summer.He had perfect hearing in one ear,and normal hearing in the other.Im just trying to think of new ideas on how to communicate better with him.Yo help him understand things more better.Like I said b4 I have tried just about everything that I know.

Eye contact is a big thing too. Teach him to look at you when the two of you talk. Also, help him initiate conversations. All these things take time, so don't get discouraged. Your son is undoubtedly a very smart little boy. Autistic kids usually are. He will possibly become "obsessed" with a certain toy or idea or topic for a while, until he maybe switches to something else. One Aspie I know has memorized every Elton John song and the date it came out. He also has collected them all and plays them on his CD player. My son reads a lot, especially history and music and classics and the annual Almanac. The information just soaks into his brain making him a master of trivia. He's great with crossword puzzles. Now all I have to do is convince him to become a contestant on Jeopardy!

Like another poster said, check for local resources through your village, township, county, and state. Call one of the schools in your area or the superintendent's office or even the state education department for the names and phone numbers of local professionals who work with autistic children. The public library will have a directory of social services for your county. If you can't find what you need, please ask a librarian for help. Don't walk out thinking there is no information available.

[megenius]

My mother is a speech therapist who specializes in Autism. Children with Autism need much visual support. Unfortunately, part of the disorder is a language delay (sometimes, both expressive and recessive). Most states have state run agencies that will provide services before the child is 3, and in almost all states, your local school system will provide services for the child, once the child turns 3. Since you cannot afford speech services, that might be something to look into.

On a second note, since many children with autism are not verbal, it might be helpful to introduce your child to some sort of picture communication. Oftentimes, we use pictures to help our children communicate, and eventually, this does facilitate language. There are lots of great websites out there which will help you with this! I hope that this helps! Keep your chin up!