Been dealing with this for a very long time
I usually do not post that often if ever , mostly because I never have the time or my beautiful daughter interrupts what ever time i try to get.. part of her autism dx. We work on this continually not interrupting, quiet time.
She is no longer a little child not physically , she is 18 and I will tell you that I would like to find somewhere for her to be able to be safe and make friends and fit in somehow. She has a connection where she cannot read or write although she tries her hardest and loves books.. and littel people dolls. She was bullied in high school somehow so she is home schooled not the best for her social abilities. She is funny and has a well interesting sense of humor. These kids needs somewhere for them , no a facility but where they can have fun and be creative. She cannot go to college, she cannot it seems get in voc school due to she cannot read or write or process things well. She is influenced by peers , she cannot count but she can work a computer and video and cameras and other wondrous things . She has never been on a date , never will be able to drive. She cannot read names or text on a cell phone or a computer but she loves it , looking watching.
She will repeat the same thing over and over and over. I am with her 24/7 most of the time. Once I went outside to take care of the dogs and she wanted to use the micro wave ,, i had told my husband to get the one with the pictures , he did not so we worked on 1 m in , 2 min , 3 min .. she does not like number 3 and she put it on for 30 min.. ok i came in smelt the burnt smell.
I guess i am just getting tired. I used to work full time and she went to school , now i work from home part time. huge pay cut. We are also losing our home and this upsets her and I understand but we tried , we really did try. We even were apart as a family for over 2 years so my husband had to work somewhere else for a job. He has now lost his job .. so he is home and it is hard between them.
She is attached to me and has been since birth, we had her in numerous activities while growing up , we tried, soccer , voice , karate , school kept telling me on her iep she was doing better , i kept saying she cant read , she is getting worse especially once she started high school
I noticed many posts on here are of young and this is good that diagnosis and treatment are improving for many. My daughter was diagnosed in the 90s and their are way less girls then boys.
I wanted to just share about what happens a little bit as they get older, it is not easier and sometimes it breaks your heart. I see her pick up a dvd or a cd in a store and if she see other kids her age she pretends to be reading it .. because she wants to so bad. I dont know if anyone else has had to deal with this or could imagine going to a store and trying to get shampoo and not know what it says and bring back shaving cream or conditioner. I could not imagine in her head how hard each day must be.
Because now we are all a world of words and typing and data.. what i need is a talking picture dictionary for her.. Any ideas moms and dads
Red Cardinal 571
Bless your heart Tink571. You were chosen by God to be the AMAZING Mother you are, to your precious Daughter. I wish the best for your daughter and you. Thank you for the insight of what the future may hold for so many of us blessed with a child of special needs....
Could she audit an art class at a community college? If she is able to listen and follow some instruction and the teacher is aware of her situation it might be a good option for her... she can do something that doesn't require reading or writing, and she can be around other people her age. If she doesn't adjust well, you might want to consider sitting in the class with her until she adjusts.
My son is 6 and though he can talk somewhat he has a lot of trouble with verbal communication and needs alot of prompting to speak. One of the things they use at school is a communication program on a tablet computer where he touches the picture on the screen and and the computer says the word the matches the picture. It is not a dictionary, it is communication software. Is this what you are talking about? There are lots of systems like this around and they do not require tradtional "reading" skills. Though the device or software does supply a word to go with the picture (this is how my son is learning to read), the user only needs to be able to identify the picture.
Quoting Hottubgodess:
First off you need a break. :).
Connect with your closest autism center. They may have what you need. Also, there are homeschool groups that have social groups as well. Reach out, you might be surprised.
I would have her clinically tested to know what her strengths are, you just mentioned her challenges. Once you know her strengths/challenges she could go to a school that can assist her in becoming the best that she can be. In South Florida they are making a school specifically for students with autism; up to age 21. After school she can work with her local county Vocational Rehab department in attaining and keeping a job.
The best thing for you as the parents is to do research of what is the best resources for your child to be the best that they can be.
Thank you so much .. i will check these out..
I did find a app for a smart phone for the blind that you can take a picture of the page and the phone will read it back to you.. also identified money for reference but it does assist with change maker so its called looktel , still checking out the options..
I read it can be added to phone or ipad... they are still according to their website in progress so i sent email but do not have response yet.
Socialization is issue yet to figure out with they so call them adults just case of age issue. She is homeschooled and provider ordered speech and ot for her but they wanted to send her to orlando .. and then said they dont offer speech.. ( what the hec)
I agree life is hard enough for us let alone our children to try to have to do this and not have additional some type of assitance. I feel as if I am floundering and of course she feels lost .
Red Cardinal 571
Thank you all for your ideas , I will tell you once your children reach 18 you are their fighter even though they consider them adults. She is very visual and the issue is too much stimulus from too many people in a room or class is when she shuts down and the austitic traits for her seem to escalate.
I hope and pray for all of us and our continued efforts to help our children be the best that they can be for their future.
Check with your autism support group in your area. Through them I found a day home for my son who is 13. I can take him there one evening a month so he can have time away from me and I can pamper myself for a few hours. As they become adults there are all day programs for him. It is kinda like an adult day care but they do so much more. it is a working farm. It doesn't matter there level of care needed it goes from group down to 1 on 1...just a thought...
What made you smile today?
- tink571
on Sep. 8, 2012 at 8:34 PM