Mutterings Of A Mindless Mommy

VH-1 Classic has announced their new project - “Rock Autism“. This project will begin on April 1st to kick off Autism Awareness Month and is designed to raise awareness about autism. The announcement was made at the Cable Television Public Affairs Association annual conference by Tom Calderone, Executive Vice President and General Manager of VH1.

“Autism is such a devastating disorder for so many families, and its rate of prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate, VH1 Classic has dedicated itself to making an impact on autism because many of our viewers are parents who are now dealing with this issue. We’ve also found over the years that this disorder has touched the lives of many of the artists and musicians that we work with at VH1 Classic.”

The campaign will include public service announcements, VH-1 Classic news breaks, and even on-air fundraising events. More information will be available in the coming days at a yet-to-be published website: http://www.rockautism.vh1classic.com/

Read the entire story here. VH1 Classic to Launch First-Ever Pro-Social Campaign

I ran across two interesting news bits today that I wanted to share.

Ped Med: Timing key to treating autism
An excerpt:

When it comes to treating autism, timing is everything, or at least a major
part, specialists say. Children with the neurodevelopmental disorder must be
taught what comes naturally to their peers, and while the brain is still pliable
enough to absorb the lesson, experts said. Because the immature nervous system
has a great deal of plasticity, many neuroscientists think early treatment may
enrich neural growth.

Parents Should Look for Autism Signs Early
An excerpt:

Doctors at Maryland’s Kennedy Krieger Institute, one of the country’s
leading autism centers, say they can now identify symptoms in children
younger than ever before.

These two articles are definitely related and of extreme importance in my opinion. The earlier autism is diagnosed, the earlier interventions specific to autism can start, and the chances of a better outcome. My daughter did not benefit from any Early Intervention services and that is partially my fault and partially the family doctor’s fault. The family doctor admittedly didn’t know much about developmental issues and felt that she was fine and would eventually catch up. It is my fault because I switched from a pediatric practice to a family practice early on in my child’s lives. I have since switched back to a pediatric practice for my children.

My daughter didn’t start receiving services until she was 2 years and 10 months of age and started at a developmental preschool run through the local school district. She has come a long way in the past five months and is starting to communicate quite well for which we are all thankful. It makes me wonder where she’d be had we started early intervention at 18 months or two years of age. I can’t get back that lost time so I don’t spend much time dwelling on it but everyone now and then I do think ‘what if’?

Have you ever wondered if you have any autistic-like tendencies? Many adults that don’t have an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis do exhibit these tendencies and may actually be an undiagnosed Aspie (Asperger’s Syndrome) or have High-Functioning Autism. This isn’t a bad thing as you’ve obvioulsy succeeded thus far in life, you’re alive and hopefully doing well. However there is information that leads to the idea that autism is inherited from a gene so it would make sense you, as a parent of a child with autism, may show tendencies. My parents joke with me that they should have taken me in to see a psychologist because they feel that I would probably meet the criteria for Asperger’s Syndrome. Of course after reading the diagnostic criteria I realize they’re probably right.

So Newsweek has a nice little interactie quiz online: The Autism Spectrum Quotient; take it, it is pretty interesting. There are 50 questions and you rate whether your definitely agree, slightly agree, slightly disagree, or definitely disagree. I ended up scoring a whopping 40 with 50 being the maximum score. That is in the “High” range and it notes that most people in the Asperger or High Functioning Autism score about 35. Hmmm. This is just a screening questionnaire and not a diagnostic tool. I don’t see a personal benefit in following up with a professional to see if the screening questionnaire is indeed accurate; I’ve adjusted to life well enough. Sure I don’t like hanging out and chatting for the sake of chat (unless of course I’m talking to myself) but that doesn’t mean I need a diagnosis hehe.

As a mother of a child with autism, I know first-hand the sleep issues that are so common among children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. My daughter seems to not need even half the sleep that is normal for other children her age. Not only does she have a difficult time falling asleep, she has an even more difficult time staying asleep. It is not unusual to wake up and find her asleep on the floor, in the playroom, or on the couch. Usually she doesn’t just get up and walk to another place to sleep she will pause to wreak havoc on the linen closet, the toy box, etc. For these reasons every door in the house has a childproof doorknob cover and we also have an alarm. It is not uncommon to hear of stories of children with autism leaving the house and wandering the neighborhood.

So what can you do about sleep issues? Well, there’s several things you can do to see if they help - forewarning some or maybe even all of these will fail at one time or another, addressing sleep issues in children with autism is an ever changing and ongoing process.

1. Weighted blanket - since children with autism typically have sensory processing issues a weighted blanket may enable them to fall asleep and stay asleep. The blanket is sewn with weights inside (poly-pellets, river rocks, sand, etc) and provides the child with the sensory input that they may need - deep and consistent pressure. Our weighted blanket is in the mail and should arrive midweek.

2. Bedtime routine - a bedtime routine is a great idea for any child. A nice warm bath, even one with some aromatherapy, will help quiet the child. Read a book, snuggle with your child a bit, get them off to sleep in a very relaxed state.

3. Reduce stimuli in the evening hours - turn off the TV well before bedtime, put on some nice classical music, dim the lights. Basically reduce the amount of sensory input the child is taking as his bedtime nears.

4. Ensure the child is well-fed - A nice healthy dinner can ensure that the child is fulfilled throughout the night and doesn’t wake up hungry. Children with autism often-times have feeding issues as well so I know this can be a challenge.

I practice Attachment Parenting and don’t advocate leaving your child to cry-it-out if they are not willing to go to bed. How would you feel if you were three or four, petrified about sleeping alone in a big room, unable to communicate those fears, and your one rock is leaving you all alone? I know I wouldn’t feel good. It is not unusual for my children to crawl in bed with us or my husband or I to crawl in bed with them (API’s Safe Sleeping Guidelines). This isn’t for everyone but this is about how I parent so I thought I’d share.

Whatever methods you choose a lack of sleep is difficult on both you, the parent, and your child. Some sleep issues can take years to resolve so persistence and patience are key. I wish you luck in finding the ultimate sleep solution for your child; we’re still hunting.

On Wednesday, March 7, 2007, the Autism Society of America issued a legislative action alert. Parents, friends, and any one else that supports the push for Autism support in the United States please go to the following link and follow-up with your Congressperson: Lifespan Respite Care Act (P.L. 109-442).

A bit of information from the site:

The Lifespan Respite Care Act authorizes competitive state grants to Aging and Disability Resource Centers in collaboration with a public or private non-profit state respite coalition or organization to make quality respite available and accessible to family caregivers regardless of age or disability. The law allows grantees to identify, coordinate and build on federal, state and local respite resources and funding streams, and would help support, expand and streamline planned and emergency respite, provider recruitment and training, and caregiver training.

Respite care is such a fundamental part of parenting a child with autism. Parents are often overworked, overtired, and overstressed and taking a little time out for themselves will greatly enhance their quality of life. The child also needs a break from their primary caregiver and can have some fun with a respite worker. Please take a few minutes to contact your Congressperson via email, US Mail, or a phone call. This bill needs to be funded!

If you are reading this, you may be asking yourself “Does my child have an autism spectrum disorder?” In my opinion, if you even slightly suspect it you should speak to your pediatrician. In my experience both personal and in talking with others, most pediatricians do not know enough about autism to diagnose it and will refer you to a specialist. There are many different specialists that will be able to diagnose your daughter but the most common is probably a developmental pediatrician. Forewarning, the wait for an appointment can be long; it is not unheard of to wait for months. For our diagnosis we chose to see a developmental psychologist who specialized in autism spectrum disorders instead of waiting.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) has broken down the autism spectrum disorders into the following categories: Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and PDD-NOS. There are a variety of diagnostic tools available to practitioners to assist in providing an accurate diagnosis. The site linked above, childbrain.com, has a great screening tool that you may be interested in filling out: PDD Assessment Scale/Screening Questionnaire. Please note that this is not a diagnostic tool but I, personally, found it helpful when I was researching autism on my own. I ended up printing a copy and taking it to the psychologist on our first visit and it helped her understand where I was coming from as a mother.

In closing, I highly suggest reading the Beginner’s Guide to Autism: Starting Out.