Autistic children - Share your experiences here.

[yingying_ying]

hi adeline
how old is your son ?

I have heard of Divinity but did not send my boy there bcos of the distance from my home. However, I have spoken to the Principal and I find her very dedicated & passionate to this field. If only the centre is closer to my home, I think I might give it a try.

Have you visited the centre ? How do you find it?

BTW how old is your child ? Where do you stay?

Also did your son go through the full psychological assessment (the one that last for 3-4hours) or was he "clinically diagnosed" to be moderate asd ?

Congratulations on your current pregnancy & do take care

 

[jeanlee]

Hi Mommies
Pls aware if ur family member has fever and cough, quickly go for check up for everybody, especially ur special chn who is low immunity system........Pls inject H1NI vacinne......
Last tue, my 1st son has fever and cough,and recovered and unaware, my 3rd son, genetic disorder, got high fever without reduced, and doc also do not thorough check his lung, just say that his sore throat infection and is giving antibodies,on the next day, he seem not well, later breathing very fast. My hb realised that he is fever does not recover/subunconscious/mouthh color unusual together with breathing very fast. In the end he admitted in ward and was told by specialists he is lung infections.after 1 day in hospital, his conditions is bad to worst, admitted in ICU, with machines for breathings and checked out he caught the H1N1,in the end he passed away so sudden only 4 days.......
How sad that when I am not aware when he is unwell, do not take precautions.
Most of time, my son stay at home.we hardly have any contact with outside people.we suspect come fr sch or I just come back fr outstation.
My hb, me, 2rd son has no fever or anything or 4th has fever and recovred.So we still cannot understand why the virus has fallen in my 3rd son.
Maybe it is God's will that he need to go.........



Hope Mommies must take note when ur child has low immunity system, the virus is the most easily attacked.

 

[adeline999]

Hi YingYing,

My younger son is turning 3 years old in Oct. He just started with Divinity (full time) while waiting for placement EIPIC school. I think CEL might allocate either cerebral palsey centre in Pasir Ris or Metta school at Simei since I stay at Pasir Ris.
My son was diagnosed as "clinically diagnosed" to be moderate asd by KK doc since he has some autism traits. He has no words and cannot understand our words on top of being in his own world, limited play (mainly ball or trains), sleep disruptions and temper tantrums.
We will send him for the full psychological assessment probably end of year ...

I'm also worried for my 3rd baby since they said this might be genetic though there is no history in hubby & mine families ...

 

[adeline999]

Hi Hua tin,

I'm at loss for words ... pls take care of your health ... your families needs you.

 

[yeelan]

Hi Adeline,

My son oso joined Divinity a month ago(full time). Maybe we can share info if you dont mind.

Btw, what is mean by "clinically diagnosed"? My son has went thru the psychological assessment but the report only indicate "autistic". He can speak 1 to 10, bye bye or sometimes can heart the words like no or want. He understanding quite well.

 

[yingying_ying]

Hi Adeline
Don't worry abt your pregnancy - you have to think positive so that your baby will be fine

U never know - this 3rd baby might be sent by God to help you take care of your 2nd child, along with your first child

So think positive ok

I'm sure your 2nd child will be fine since he is only 3 and you are already taking steps to intervene

Good job.

For me, when my child was first diagnosed w ASD, i delayed his intervention (i mean i did put him on queue but that was it) I did not sign him up for any private intervention while queuing cos i was still in denial then. I cannot believe my son is autistic.... and I thought maybe doc diagnosed wrongly.... maybe he is just slow... so lets wait & see how ... but over time, i see his autism traits showing .. arms flapping, body rocking , temper tantrums, still non-verbal.... i started to get really really worried.

He is coming to 4 now... sigh.... Like all parents, I pray very hard that one fine day, he will be ok.

Hi Yee
"Clinically diagnosed" means your child was "labelled ASD" by the consulting doctor at KKH/NUH - ie this first doctor you see and has not gone through any sessions w any psychologist. Since your child has undergone the full psychological assessment, people usually simply use the term "diagnosed".

Actually since your child has gone through full diagnosis, usually the report will indicate "mild ASD" or "moderate ASD" etc etc... how come your report only has "autistic" ?

In any case, your son is very smart , can say 1 -10 ... my son cannot lei. Sigh.

Hi JeanLee
Like Adeline, I am speechless when i read your post. You must be feeling really awful now. But do take care yah. "Jie Ai Shun Bian"
Like you said, maybe it is God's will..

No point asking yourself "why, how come" .... just try to lift your chin up & move on ...i know it is easier said than done but you have to try.

Take care yah.

 

[yingying_ying]

Wow Adeline

I just re-read your post ... wow I didn't realise you live in Pasir Ris & u send your son to Bishan!

I admire your dedication. How do u manage that? Do u drive him there yourself? Is there a school bus service? I feel so ashamed of myself now (haha) cos i had initially wanted to enquire more at Divinity but when i look at the location (distance), i thought "hmm better not... i don't think i can last the journey twice a day, 5 times a week" .... sigh... now i feel so bad. i feel like i m such a lazy mom.

 

[yeelan]

Hi Ying Ying,

Thanks for your explanation. The report only show "diagnostic criteria for "Autism". Even when gone thru the assessment tat time i has asked the psychological doctor, he replied me that not fair to tell tat my son is mild or severe becoz he is still young and does not present with any severe behaviroal challenges. He only said tat he has potential to improve a lot. Actually, his problem is not much eye contact & less verbal (mainly babbled) & not reponse well when called his name.haiz....

Btw, do u enrol ur son to any EIPIC or private centre now? I have appointment with EIPIC next week but I dont think tat i will enrol my son there coz I dont feel tat is enough to him tat only 3 sessions for 2 hrs per week.

Hi Jeanlee,

Sorry, to hear that... pls take care yourself & your families need u...

 

[yingying_ying]

Hi Yee
which EIPIC centre you going?
If it is ACC(by AAS) , ARC or AWWA, i think you should go ahead lei. Hmm i'm not sure if i will be penalised for saying this on forum... but well .... just my personal opinion only. If its your turn, you should go for it.

I heard rave reviews abt ARC & AWWA.

For my son , we attend ACC. And yes I have the same grouse as u ... my son attends only twice a week which i feel is insufficient. I would have preferred a daily programme, if possible.

BUT, nonetheless i love the one-to-one attention they are giving my son & all the children there. And I love every aspect of this school & the teaching staff, except the frequency. And I appreciate the principal's hands-on approach. She is always there to look into every aspect of the child's development and she is quick to intervene if she feels a child is not "developing right". Recently, there was a reshuffle of teachers to ensure the kids do not get too used to the same teacher but to allow the children to know the other teachers within the same school. I felt that was quite a good arrangement.

Of course my son is still not talking but the "older kids" there have started to talk pretty nicely & decently ... and i keep my fingers' crossed that one fine day, my son will talk like them

I'm not sure if the other EIPIC centres also adopt the one-to-one approach but I have heard they are very good too.

 

[yeelan]

Hi Ying Ying,

Rainbow in Yishun.Btw, what is ACC, ARC & AWWA? Sorry, to asekd this coz I quite new in autism world coz my son diagnoesed as austitic only 3 mths ago.

You mean your son is totally not talking or will babbling? Beside attend ACC any other program that ur son attend?

I also pray hard for all the parents like us that one fine day our son will talk well.

 

[momto3]

YingYing,

May I know which AAS, your son is in ? as I am on waiting list for AAS (Simei)......

Yeelan,

Yes.... for parents like us, our only wish is for our darlings to speak....

 

[lin]

hi all,

am concerned also abt my son. he is now 20 mth.. delayed in speech. doc mentioned "AUTISM".. worried me.. what is the symptoms like?
arm flapping.. my son also like that.. but he did have eye contact. pls enlighten me..

 

[darfyodin]

Hi Lyn!
There's a wide range of sym for Autism - delayed/ no speech, lack eye contact, little or not responsive to surroundings, fear of loud noises, fear of crowds, CRAZY tantrums, obsession with spinning, obsession with mechanical stuff(Thomas and friends usually rank high!). Almost no two kids will have all the same sym.

Get your kid check out by a professional in the area asap cos early intervention will yield the most improvements.

My boy diagnosed at 2 plus, he's now 5 plus. Just need loads of acceptance, love and patience...

Good luck!

 

[yeelan]

Hi Yvonne,

How ur son progress? If he able to speak well?

 

[bktoh]

Dear Parents

Anyone has any good therapists to recommend? Preferably using ABA and home based. You can email me privately if you like to. Email:[email protected]

Rgds
Bktoh

 

[darfyodin]

Hi Yee! My son's able to speak in sentences and all now - just not necessarily always grammatically correct.

About 2 months back I sent him for neuro rewiring sessions on top of his regular speech and occupational therapy sessions, and we saw a marked improvement not only in his speech (he started to initiate meaningful conversations and started to bargain for things in a logical manner) but also ability to logic and accept some changes in his old routines. Neuro rewiring may be something worth trying out. It's non-invasive, just need kid to be able to sit and watch either your own DVDs or a pre-programmed clip.

 

[yeelan]

Hi Yvonne,

Where can find neuro rewiring sessions? Did you send him to kindergarden since he alry 5 yrs old?

 

[darfyodin]

Hi Yee!
Think there are a couple of centers in Singapore offering neuro rewiring theraphy. My son goes to Autism Clinic at TMC. Their website is
http://www.autism-nutrition.com/contact.html
Look for neurofeedback. Each session cost around $50, pending how many u sign up for.

My son's in Catholic Kindergarten. It's a mainstream school but they do have at least one teacher qualified to deal w special ed from what I've gathered. The staff there have been very reassuring and committed in helping my boy. Actually, it was a few teachers in the school who encouraged me to keep my boy in there instead of a special ed school which the psychologist suggested for me to do 'immediately' when he got diagnosed with Autism initially. So far, apart from his horrid colouring skills, he's coping fine. Even picked up some Chinese, a language nobody at home uses.

Where's your child now? How's he doing?

Many times, things may be frustrating, but given time, you'd be surprised at how much improvements can be made with some hope and loads of effort.

 

[yeelan]

Hi Yvonne,

My son 2.5 years old. Now he attending special school call Divinity. He able to speak like 1 to 10, abc, apple, fish but not calling daddy & mummy yet. So far he problem is not response well when calling him & not much eye contact.

 

[kath_tan]

hi adeline.....i think yr son shld be able to improve from Divity...i do agreed that the principal is not bad....but due to the timing...we cant put our son there...that is a waste...

I think all of us would love/like to work with our ASD kids.....they do feel that do but at times, they cant copy with what we want from them...just give yr kids time to learn .....

 

[andreatyt]

Hi mummies,

Can any mummie's child is attending school EIPIC at Rainbow Centre or Moral share their experience with me.

Thanks

 

[andreatyt]

nobody here liao?

Want to know if any of u have experience with the EIPIC at Rainbow centre /Moral/Fei yue. Pls share.

thanks

 

[jezmint]

Hi Yee,

I think it's great that your son is even able to speak all those words! have you tried using visuals to help him associate who Daddy and mommy is?

It might work especially when ASD kids are visual learners. Just create a flash card of yourself with the word mommy on it. It might take some time but it will be rewarding!

 

[darfyodin]

Hi Yee!
My son's therapist gave me the same suggestion as Jazmint and it worked. Can use flash cards for other objects too to help build vocabulary. Like, Isaac used to run to me out of fear whenever he hears a plane fly by and I'd tell him "airplane" and show him a picture of it.

With eye contact, u can try getting his attention with items instead of just words. For example, I'd hold his cup of milk right infront of my face when I asked him if he wanted a drink. It helps entice the child to look up for a start.

 

[yeelan]

Hi Jezmint & Yvonne,

Thanks for the suggestion, I will try it out!

 

[momto3]

Jazmint,

hmm.... thanks, think I also needed to do the visual aids for myself, have done the powerpt but didnt really do it frequently.....

thanks

 

[leecl]

Hi Yee,

I'm new here.I have a son 4 years old with autistic which dignosis by doctor-kk.Feel sad and lost with him....We bring him to meet doctor when he 3 years+.Now he study at Simei Metta School for EIPIC.3 times per week.But i don't think is enough for him.He need OT and ST asap.School told me that due to many student they just able to give my son one month one time OT and ST haiz...

Adeline & Yee, i intend enrol him to Divinity,don't mind can share with me the information about this school?the teacher ok or not?Your child have any improvement or not after attending Divinity school?

 

[yeelan]

Hi Lee,

My son joined Divintiy only 2 mths. 1st month is school holiday program more on outdoor activites. This month only he focus on OT,ST and self helping skill.

Before joined he able to speak 1 to 10 now he able to speak alphabet, apple, orange & fish. When i asked him where is 5 he able to point. My in law family said he responsed better than last time. Last time, he very scared of water play ground or swimming pool but now he can play in water play ground.

 

[yingying_ying]

Dear All

Sorry MIA for a while as I have been really busy.

Talking abt special school. Anyone heard of Sunshine Kids at Katong Junction?

A friend of mine recently "recommended" me to this place. Actually I am no longer looking for a special school as my son has just enrolled into one. However, this Sunshine Kids that my friend recommended is very "enticing" in that the distance is very close to where i live. Just 8 mins drive compared to the current special school where i have to drive my son for 20-25mins everyday.

I actually visited the place. Hmm altho the Principal was nice & warm & was able to give me a pamphlet with "good reviews" from some past clients of hers, I personally felt that her centre felt a little "empty & cold" as in there was a big empty area ... hence it felt kinda "empty". And I wasn't allowed to view the classrooms so I really do not know what the centre is like apart from the cold spacious empty area which i felt would have been put to better use if converted to an indoor "playground" for the kids (eg padded indoor playground with some little tykes slides, lerado "crab" see saw, or a mini trampoline or a mini ball pool to help special needs children with their sensorial & gross motor development esp since it is a preschool.

In addition, although there were some pretty good reviews from her past clients, I felt something was "missing" - there weren't any visual aids or schedules commonly used to teach SN kids - or maybe they do have ...just that i did not see.

Appreciate if anyone can come forward with your honest , earnest opinion. The pull factor for me here is of course the distance

Thanks !

 

[upie]

Hi, haven't heard of this school, but sometimes its good to go with your hunch (in the event that you cannot get any useful info about this place)

 

[yingying_ying]

Thanks v much Upie.

Yeah I know what you mean.... sometimes, when we reach a roadblock, and there is really nothing to help us decide, that is where instinct comes in

But I am clearly in a dilemna hence I don't know if my instinct can at all be "trusted" at this stage (hahaha)

I mean I just hope that my instinct is "accurate". I mean , I wouldn't wanna deprive my son of a good opportunity to progress & develop of course (i mean looking at positive past reviews, i did feel very tempted to give it a try but my husband did raise concerns over the "authenticity" of such reviews ). And neither do I wanna "jeopardise" his progress by simply putting him "somewhere near home" ...it would be sad if his already slow progress is further impeded just bcos mommy is too lazy to go the extra mile day in day out. Sigh ....

 

[winmel]

hi everyone, suspect my child maybe autistic.feeling v lost ... can anyone tell me how to join the shoulders yahoo group for support?

 

[momto3]

Hi wimmel,

The 'shoulders' group at yahoo has ceased its 'service' since 31 July 2010..... did you send your kid for some consultation with any docs etc to confirm your concern ?

 

[winmel]

hi momto3, thanks alot for the info.... is there any other support group for parents of autistic children in singapore which i can join?

my son has not been confirmed autistic by any doctors. i m worried as he is abt 2.5 yrs and doesnt talk much. Also has really crazy tantrums at times. He screams whenevrer any strangers approach/touch him! But the strange thing is with my hubby n me, his eye contact is good and he responds well to his name when we call him. he is able to carry out our instructions most of time (except when he is disobedient).

hi Yee and Adeline Nyo, can you share more with me abt Divinity school? How are the teachers? Do you see any improvement in your child after they attend lessons there?...Thanks so much in advance

 

[momto3]

Winmel,

I am not sure of any support grps at present moment, if you need to send your kid to some early intervention therapies, you mite want to consider gg to govt hospital, actually the docs should be able to advise something, cuz if he is just have language delay then they will send him for some speech therapy etc, just my 2 cts

 

[yeelan]

Hi Winmel,

So far he happy at Divinity. Now, he talk more but only words not sentances & not even call daddy & mummy.

Now, I think u shd bring ur son to see doctor to check whether he got any problem before you make any decision.Maybe youself think too much.

Hope you all the best...

 

[yingying_ying]

hi winmel
there is a shoulders.freeforums in place of the former shoulders support group but somehow "traffic" is not there .. perhaps because it is at its infancy stage & things will pick up later.

http://shoulders.freeforums.org/open-forums-f29.html

ALternatively, if you have any concerns / issues regarding your child or his condition, you may come in here , drop us a line...

I'm sure most mummies here will be more than happy to offer a listening ear, offer advice to the best of our knowledge. Likewise , if you hear of anything new, feel free to share your knowledge with us too

we can all exchange notes, so to speak.

this is already a mini support group

 

[momto3]

Yes, I agree with ying ying, we should try to 'come' to this thread often.....

to share whatever we know

as no one else shares the same sentiment

 

[lin]

Hi,
My boy is 21 mths old, still not talking.. doc also mentioned autism.. which also worried me.. we are going for the speech therapy and hearing test. and the development unit to test for the development delay milestone. finger cross..
what the actual symptoms of autism for mummies who child are autistic? all autistic children have no eye contact? my boy do have eye contact, but he cant talk nor babble.. he cannot build a tower of brick.

 

[yeelan]

Dear mummies,

Who have soft copy of Flash Cards that can teach our son? If so,dont mind pls send it to me.

Thanks.

 

[kath_tan]

HELLO mummiess.....

me have been MIA for a long time too....been very busy at work....

I have successfully toilet trained my son.... & i have this book for sell... TOILET TRAINING FOR INDIVDUALS WITH AUTISM by author MARIA WHEELER, the book condition is 9/10, & i am selling at S$ 20 (negotiatable) include postage charges. This book teach/guide us how to toilet train our kids with examples. I bought is book at ARC for S$ 32. I just wan to share with other parents as i have already done it & it would be good for other parents to save some S$ too.

Interested party can email to me at [email protected].

Toilet Training
Author : Maria Wheeler

Toilet training can become a battleground for caregivers and children alike, especially if the child has autism or other developmental challenges. In this book, Maria Wheeler offers a detailed roadmap for success. She stresses the importance of visual cues, such as picture schedules representing the steps of the toileting routine. Other crucial elements are repetition, rewards, and teamwork with teachers if the child is in school. You will find many original and commonsense solutions for transitioning children from diapers to underpants, stopping "repeat flushing", monitoring fluid intake, coping with a noisy bathroom, using Social Stories, and much more. Wheeler's methods help caregivers to avoid making the child feel like a "failure".

 

[kath_tan]

agree with ying ying & momto ....we should come in more often & share the experience as there isnt alot of kids ard us with this kind of conditions...

 

[jevinsmum]

Hi everyone, I chanced upon this thread while searching the net for suitable childcare for my 4 yo son who's autistic. I hope to gain more sharing from here since the shoulders group had stopped.

My son is currently attending EPIC @ Metta Simei 3 mornings/week. I'm looking into other centres that he can go in the afternoon and the other 2 days when he's no lesson.

Any recommendations? We live in the east but we're getting desperate and may consider other centres. So far from the older postings, I saw Divinity and St Gerald mentioned.

 

[momto3]

Hi jevinsmum,

Welcome here

I think there's other school, Kits For Kids, you can google to get their no., they have a branch at Tampines

I am also staying in the East and on the waiting list for AAS Simei, are you sahm or ftwm ?

 

[momto3]

kath, so true, you know I cant share the concerns of my son with my other friends

they will nvr understand how we feel ...... I havent break the news to my friends too.......

 

[kath_tan]

hi Momto....dont be sad....that is part & parcel of our life.....we have to accept what GOD has given to us & he know that we are able to look after our special kids....dont blame yourself & look at the bright side....ok.....

It is ok to let your frenz know as they will know anyway....if they cant accept that then no choice right....

<font color="0000ff">hugz hugz momto</font>

 

[momto3]

kath,

Thanks so much ...... actually it doesnt matter to me that others cant accept him (he is my son, I will love him no matter what happens) .... is that I dun want him to be labelled etc .... I know I have to be strong for him and do whatever we can to help him

thanks

 

[yingying_ying]

Hi Jevinsmum
Is your child mild -moderate ?
Does he pose any "behavioural issues"? Eg severe meltdown, tantrums, throw things, hit people.

If he doesn't, and since he is already attending 3xper week at Metta (ie since there is already intervention), why don't you consider a normal childcare ? But of course, choose a childcare that is GENUINELY SYMPATHETIC towards our "type" of children &amp; assure the school you will "work hand-in-hand" with them as "partners".

My son is in special school cos he has behavioural issues .. if not, i would love to send him to mainstream CC if possible. Cos sometimes if you find the right CC, they will be willing to help the child integrate and this is very important for our children cos the earlier they learn to integrate , the better. And this is something special schools cannot provide cos they do not have "neuro-typical" kids to help our children "integrate". Of course, given our children's condition, i m not saying "must go mainstream" ... I am saying we should consider sending them to mainstream only if they do not pose any behavioural issues, has suportive teachers &amp; yet at the same time, we also provide them with early intervention (eg your 3xper week Metta is good indication) ..and if you can afford, add in some ABA, OT to "assure mainstream CC" your son is getting appropriate help

Some CCs are worried you are SOLELY relying on them to help you take care of your child so they may not wanna take the child in ... but if you can tell them your child is currently undergoing EIPIC, they might be more receptive

And this can be good for your child.

My boy is currently in special school ....and I can't wait for the "recommendation from the school" to have him try mainstream (sometimes, they do recommend; sometimes they don't) ... i m still hopeful for my son

 

[jevinsmum]

hi momto3 &amp; yingying,
I was a FTWM but started taking part time this year to accomodate my son's schedule as I found that he wasn't very occupied on the 2 days when he's not at Metta. I tried doing some learning activities at home with him but didn't accomplish much as his attention span is very short and is hyper active. I also find that he's got no avenues to socialise so I thought sending him to a CC may keep him more engaged.

I wanted to send him to integrated childcare but there's no vacancy so I started looking for others in Jun. Since then I only managed to find a mainstream CC - Cherie Hearts @ TP who's willing to accept him.

I must say the teachers there had been very acomodating as my son do have meltdowns whenever he arrived at the sch but they said they managed to calm him down after a while. He also likes to climb up high places or not sit still and join in their activities. They said he usually has another teacher to help look after him.

My worry is that they are just simply helping to look after my son and not really integrating him into their activities and also with the friends as they're all not familiar with special needs children. As we can't observe how he behaves in class, we can't really evaluate if the sch is suitable for him. Recently my son gets very emotional and refuses to change whenevr he's to get ready to go this CC, so we're not sure if he's been traumatise or he just doesn't like to go CC for the long hrs. He never gives problem whenever he's to wear his Metta uniform and he loves to go there.

I thought of looking for other CC that has a least a teacher who's trained in special needs so that he can really be integrated. I've been to Kits for Kids at Telok Kurau but don't really like the environment as it look pretty run down. Not sure if the Tampines one is the same.

Recently I've started him on the I.C.E program at PCS Tampines twice weekly for an hr each so that he has the teacher there to really integrate him into their CC programs. Hopefully after a few more sessions, the teacher can recommmend him for their ICCP and I can enrol him in that CC since he seems more comfortable there than at Cherie Hearts.

 

[yeelan]

Hi Jevinsmum,

Maybe you can check St Gerald's which they have special need class and normal child care. Normal child care have special need teacher as well. The centre is near Dhoby Ghaut.