Surviving Autism

With our government tied up with so many things to do and so many things in mind, not to mention their personal motives.  It is nearly impossible for them to make the rights real for persons with disabilities.  Imagine more than two bills being passed by different senators all aiming for the same purpose I hope, make the life easier for persons with autism (PWA) and their families.

During the World Autism Day last April 2, I wrote in my main blog about how the government can make the rights real for PWA’s.  So far I haven’t heard any action with regards to the above mentioned bills.  Enrollment is nearing again and some parents from the school my daughter studies can no longer enroll because they don’t have money anymore and the school is already having a hard time collecting debts from parents of existing students.  They already are losing good teachers because most of the teachers are finding greener pastures abroad!  Imagine! We are losing good and caring teachers who understands our kids well!

Please if somebody is listening.  Do something for the PWAs.  Instead of wasting time and money on the impeachment and  battling about who is allowed to marry who, give the time and money for those who really need it.

I think the truth about kids with autism maturing as they age is true because my daughter who will be 10 tommorrow shows significant changes in her behaviors. It’s something to be told to all parents who are just in the early years of living, raising and taking care of their child with autism, a little hope at the end of it all. Their peculiarities will not go away but they will definitely mature in time and with a lot of patience your child can live in harmony and independently and you as a parent don’t have to be worrisome for them.

Now that she’s 10 she’s showing interest in helping and actually doing the household chores like washing the dishes and clearing her mess on the table, taking her trash on the garbage disposal, going to the toilet ( with some accidents along the way still but huge
improvements from way back) and she
to do uncomplicated things like turn on or off the lights, close or open the door, get the scissors, spoon, plates, glass. Cups etc.

I always thought my daughter will be a baby forever because of her ways.  But yesterday I was hit with reality, she is growing up and is turning to an adult real fast.  She’s now on the stage of puberty.  Her body is taking form now and there are a lot of changes in her physique that I am not ready to face with her yet.

It’s really true that you can never prepare yourself from anything.  T is just turning 10 in January but her adolescence comes fast.  I’m not ready, she’s not ready.

God another set of fears are rushing on me.  In fact I had nightmares last night.  God help me.

There’s a huge difference with my daughter now compares to the first day she had her interventions.   I think kids with autism will mature in time and I think that’s what’s happening to her although I believe the interventions she got school and therapy helped a lot.

I just had a meeting with my daughter’s teacher and she said although my daughter is a fast learner and she sees a lot of potential in her,  she can see how uninterested she was in academics.   Because of that, next school year there will be lesser academics and more practical and applied daily life practices will be taught to her and they will focus more with familiarizing her with her own name, home address, phone numbers , computer lessons, socialization and domestication.

Honestly I’m excited with the new curriculum that will be given to her.  As her mom I see that what she mostly need are lessons about taking care of herself and knowing important details about her in case she gets lost (God forbid) or an emergency arises.

I’m also excited about more socialization activities because I think she is very much ready to have playmates and hopefully she will be encourage to talk more often when she is exposed to kids like her.

As soon as you see something different with your child don’t delay and immediately seek a specialist to test your child because early intervention really helps.

Give them all the love and care you can give. These kids are very loving and caring person. They will always be innocent and pure so give them all the love and understanding. They don’t hurt people unless they were raised violently. They are not aggressive people who harms without a reason to do so. They have feelings that they can’t explain ergo the peculiar mannerisms and habits. Try to be as patient as you can but I know sometimes its too much you loose. If you do talk to them apologize and show them love as much as you can.

Take them out don’t hide them from public eye. Never be ashamed of your kids. Expose them to environments they’ve never seen before. Don’t mind the stares or the rude comments. Just know when you should leave the place before things gets out of hand.

Find interventions like occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, socialization, special schools. You will always find a support group in the guise of the moms with kids with autism.

Don’t loose hope, these kids are a blessing. They will be your source of joy and comfort. They will love you unconditionally and they will be your baby forever.

Yes , its her birthday today.  She is 9 years old now .  From the first time I started with her intervention for her autism (OT and one-on-one class), she improved a lot.  She listens and understands and communicating much better than before.  Thank God.

I hope I’ll get a schedule soon for her speech assessment because I can tell she wants to talk now.

I know its been a looooong time since I made a post.  Embarrassing to say but I lost the password and even the email recovery doesn’t even work to get it.  I think this blog has been hacked or sort and whoever hacked it decided to return it to me today.  Thanks for the Merry Christmas gift, as if.

Anyway, I promise I’ll try to update as often as I could.  By the way this blog won a special award as an Advocacy Blog Awards from the Emerging Influential Blog Awards couple months back but I wasn’t able to share the honor because I can’t post.

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Birthday Jesus!

My daughter is a very picky eater.  She doesn’t eat just anything you give her. She has to smell it before she take it in her mouth and if there’s a scent in the food you prepare that she didn’t like she wouldn’t even smell it.  She will shove it away from her.

This past few months, since after that food seasoning Magic Sarap TV commercial went on air about the many ways you can cook and serve eggs she suddenly likes eggs.

Everytime she wants to eat she would point to the fridge and shout eggs in her own language.  If you didn’t understand her she would take you to the fridge and point the egg.  Which means she wants egg.

She would watch me cook it for her.  She liked it fried, not sunny side up, she doesn’t like runny egg yolk, she wants the yolk as the same consistency as the white.  She could finish two whole eggs in one eating and she even want more every meal but I try to moderate her egg intake because too much of everything is bad.

She is also brand conscious because of those TV commercials.  She can recognize Nestle, Sustagen, Lactum, Magnolia, Johnson’s Baby Lotion, Dove and any other brand she sees on TV even at a distance.

When we are out in the mall she would direct herself to the supermarket or to Watsons and Mercury Drug a place I think she feels comfort because there are so many things that are familiar to her.

Knowing my daughter has great memory and brand recognition I feel that although her phase of development is slow she will be able to pull through someday.  I’m not expecting too much but I am hopeful.

I’ve blogged about this before but I will blog about this again.   It seems like people nowadays forgot the lessons they learned on their GMRC (Good Manners and Right Conduct) and were absent when the teacher said it is rude to stare at people.

Since the school year began, I have encountered more than 10 people staring at my child.   It annoys me so much although I know my daughter is not bothered at it.

Well I am bothered.  The stares are just annoying that I have to stare back at them to give a taste of their own medicine.

I know I stare at people sometimes, especially if they look nice to look at but I know when to stop and I know my stare wasn’t as obvious and as scrutinizing as the stares my daughter gets from people.

Stop staring please!

I feel insulted whenever people ask me “Why don’t I make another baby/ sister/brother for my daughter?”

Ugh, are they so insensitive to ask such question?  What if I ask them “Why do you look so ugly?”   I wonder what reply would I get.

I  was trying to be nice by saying “I am worried that my next child will be like her.  It’s already hard taking care of one I don’t want another.”

Why don’t they just lay-off with their asking and mind their own business.

But honestly, even if I decided to have another child in the near future I have this worry that what if she or he will have autism too.  Its too much.

Its also expensive raising a child with autism alone.  They were already told a million times I am a single mom so what do they expect me to find another sperm donor? Duh.

Lay-off with the questioning will you?