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The AuSM Blog
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Welcome to the AuSM Blog. Check back soon for updates.
your identity server isn't working properly. I tried 3 reasonable names including my own and won't ALLOW access.
Why isn't the Future Horizons conference on Autism and Aspergers July 24th in Bloomington promoted on your site?
I'm very new to this whole blog thing. Anyway, we live in Lino Lakes, right near Rice Lake Elementary. We have an 11 year old Aspergers kid, Calen, going into 6th grade at Centennial Middle School. Wondering if there are any families near us with a similar aged Aspergers kid who would like to get in contact, for the kids, the parents, or both. Calen really likes computer games and he would like someone to play chess with over the summer since his dad and I don't really play. If anyone has any advice about the whole middle school transition, especially any comments about Centennial, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks. Hope everyone is having a good summer so far.
Melissa-
I live in Circle Pines by Centennial Elementary. I have a 6 year old who is Austic but also have an 11 yr old who is going into 6th grade and has a difficult time making friends. He has never been diagnosed with Austism but I see signs similar to those of my 6 year old. Let me know if you would like to get them together. He loves playing video games and I think he has mentioned the chess thing to me once or twice. I would like to get in contact with you regarding your experience at Centennial. My son did not have a good start to kindergarten last year and would like to share this experience with you. Anyways, let me know if you would like to chat more. I only know one other parent in the district with an autistic child.
To the Kim in Circle Pines that replied to Melissa in Lino Lakes: I would very much like to get together to share experiences and hopefully have our boys know a friendly face in middle school. I clicked on your name but nothing happened so I'll just have to give you my contact info in the comment. Please contact me at melissasmaher@comcast.net, or feel free to call me at 651-645-9182. Thanks so much for responding!! I wasn't overly hopeful that I'd get any response.
I have a 15 year old son with Aspergers. We're having a difficult time finding groups and activities for kids his age anywhere let alone in the northeast metro area. If anyone has any info, I'd love to hear from you!
Please help me find a school for my 9th grade Autistic Daughter Jessica. Last year we sent her to a middle school and she didn't do too well. Actually, we feel she went backwards. So, were trying to help her as much as possible. The school seems to want to mainstream her and she is not capable of that. We are located in the Blaine/Spring Lake Park area. I'm desparate....Thanks much! Jaci
Jaci-
Did she attend the Blaine school district? Just curious. Have you thought about Centennial School District?
I'm new and not sure how all this works. My son is 5 and was dx in may with asd and my husband and I have been trying to find some people in the same situation as us to talk to. We live in Virginia MN and have not found anybody in our area to be able to talk to.
I was wondering if anyone has home-schooled their autistic child, and if so the result? We have 4 kids, the youngest (Bradyn age 3) is our autistic one. I have been unhappy with public school for my neurotypical children, and have already had bad experiences with Bradyn at preschool. If we explore social interactions from places other than school, I wonder if home-schooling would be more educationally effective.
Hi,
My company is currently looking for families taking care of autistic and aspergers individuals. We are developing a system that will provide a community, communication tools, education, personal health information etc. to assist the families in managing & organizing their lives. If you are interested please send me email at info@bluefinmedical.com
SD
Melissa-
We have an 11 year-old son with Aspergers Syndrome. He too is going into the 6th grade. (He's not looking forward to school-but I suppose most kids his age are not) He attends Basswood Elementary in Maple Grove, (Osseo Schools), however he stays with us every weekend. We live in East Bethel, just north of Lino Lakes.
Our son AJ love computer games too. We too have questions and concerns about middles school, perhaps we can share ideas, experiences, etc. -Allen&Dawn
Hi I have a son who has ASD and he has trouble making friends. We live in the North in East Bethel. My son is 14 and is in the 8th grade. We would like for him to meet some kids in the area to hang out with, and possibly the parents as well. I am new at this whole blog thing so forgive me for being so short. Please contact me if anyone is intrested.
Carrin-
I have never heard of anyone home schooling their autistic child. I personally think it would be a good idea. I know my son spends the day in the special ed room and is pretty much isolated from his peers. It would take the right kind of individual to do it. Is there a restriction on home schooling a child with a developmental disability though? Do you need to have a formal education?
YES...a lot of people do and actually insist on homeschooling kids with special needs like ASD. Yes, it can be done and your home district has to even offer some level of support (if you would want it.)
We found an "almost" homeschool solution that was very successful for us. Not wanting the challenge of developing a schedule and curriculum, we opted for an on-line charter school which supplies books, computer, etc. We chose and were very, very pleased with MTS Connections Academy. Check it out.
As for homeschooling, the MN Homeschool Alliance is a huge resource and advocate. Use it! Go for it!
I spent some time volunteering with the Epilepsy Foundation at the fair this year and I couldn't help but wonder why the Autism Society does not have a booth in the Educational Building. I think it would be a great resource to have there.
Hello everyone, I am the husband of Marlena (she blogged earlier). If there is anone that lives in the northern suburbs near Blaine, Ham Lake, East Bethel or even Isanti or Cambridge and has a teen with ASD we would love to get to know you and have the kids meet. Finding friends...true friends are not easy for our son. He gets "used" alot and that really frustrates us. It would be great for our son to meet other kids around his age that is struggling with the same things caused from having ASD. Please email us at marlenart@msn.com. Thanks.
I currently have a 8th grader in an Aspergers program here in MD. His IEP dictates all the supports available in this area. I am considering moving to the Northeast suburbs of St. Paul. Can anyone give me some insight on which school district might be best for him. We will probably move sometime this school year, so I am mostly concerned about the high school support systems.
My son who is 6 is on the spectrum.
When he was young it was impossible to get him to brush his teeth and therefor he has some serious dental problems now. We tried the traditional route with a regular dental visit with novocaine and that did not go well. He kicked and screamed the whole time and the Dentist could hardly get the work done. Our Dentist told us he need to be put under (anesthesia) in the hospital to finish the remaining dental work.
Our medical insurance had denied paying for that and we being told that will cost us $3,500 and the remaining dental work is going to run $1,600. We plan to appeal this. I am wondering if anyone else has ran into this problem and I am looking for any advise or recommendations.
Thank you,
Karen
Thank you
Karen-
Does your son have disability insurance? If not, have you considered apply for TEFRA or MA. If he is on the spectrum he will most likely qualify. I would call your County and check into that.
I haven't checked this site since the end of May and I apologize to anyone hoping to hear from me. I'd like to respond to Allen and Dawn who have an Asperger's kid in East Bethel. If you would still be interested in getting the kids together please give contact info on this site or feel free to call me at 651-645-9182, I don't mind at all. Any families anywhere around Lino Lakes please feel free to contact me if you want to talk or get kids/parents/families together.
I have a funny story about homeschooling that may or may not pertain to you. After a bad day at school I took a walk with my 11 year old. We had a serious discussion about homeschooling and I asked him to think about it and tell me honestly what he thought about it and if he'd like to give it a try. He thought quietly for a few minutes and then said, "Mom, I don't want to hurt your feelings or anything, but even though I don't like school, the best thing about it is that I get to leave and get a break from you and Nolan(his 4yo brother)." Oh, the pain of realizing that they don't need us as much as we want them to! Now when he doesn't want to go to school I just remind him that it is our break from eachother and that we all need a break. I hope all of you enjoy your "break" when your kids are at school!
Will the state assist you financially if you were to quit your job to stay home and homeschool your child? I would give anythign to do that so I can bring him to doc apt's during the day and therapy groups but I cannot afford to not work.
Hi
My 5 1/2 year daughter was dx with ASD in December. I am looking for a babysitter/childcare person for approximately 3 hours a day mornings tues to friday. I also have a son who is 2 1/2. I live in the midway area of st. paul. Anyone know a good babysitter/childcare who has experience with ASD? Thank you very much
charlene
There is an ASD conference in St. Cloud Feb. 22-23, hosted by Carol Gray, leading author for creating Social Stories for ASD. www.greater-mn-online.org/events
Hello. I am new to post here. We have a fun five year old little boy with Asperger's. I'm looking to enroll him in some sports classes and wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I have him enrolled in a starter Foss swim class and have emailed some martial arts instructors to see if they have worked with aspies before. If you have found an especially helpful instructor in any sports area, I'd love to hear your suggestions!
I am new to this and I think my son may have high functioning autism. He will be three in May. The school district where he is receiving speech therapy is doing some testing and observation of him. I was calling around for professionals that can diagnose-pediatric neurologist, psychologist, psychiatrist and every one seems booked up for months. The key is early intervention. Does anyone have any suggestions for me to get into someone ASAP. Any help would be appreciated.
We are moving to the Twin Cities this summer and we have a seven years old with autism who will be in first grade. We appreciate any information about the best public schools that address needs of children with autism in the area and whether or not they use ABLLS-R in their evaluation and follow up. Thanks.
Tibiala.
HELP!!!! Im going to be guardians to twin autistic 6 year old girls.How can I help them adjust to a new home and a new mom? Ive read and watched everything on autism and I know nothing!!!!I could use some support 24 hours a day 7 days a week!!!! PLEASE BE MY BUDDY!!!!!I live in wells mn between albert lea and mankato,I know about the conference this weekend but missed registration so I need someone to cry or yell at...anybody willing to help????? Renate Camp camp10@bevcomm.net
I have a 6 1/2 year old boy in kindergarten and was just recently diagnosed with AS. This year was not pleasant to say the least. I too am looking for another family with an AS child that could possibly could meet. Very hard to find friends and other families that understand. In the St. Cloud area.
Hi,
We have an 8 year old daughter with severe sensory issues. She more than likely has Asperger but we do not have an official diagnosis yet.
Our OT recommended a weighted blanket for our daughter to help with sleep issues and to help calm our daughter when she is overly hyper.
These blankets are very expensive.
I was wondering if anyone has ever been able to get MA or Blue Cross Blue Shield to cover a weighted blanket for their child?
Thank you for the help!
Teresa
Hello I am a parent of a 13 yr old son with Autism. And I was just informed of this school Lionsgate academy. IF you haven't heard. You may want to check it out. It just for kids with Autism Grades 6-10th. We need to show that there is a need to the mn dept of education for this school to get started.
Lions@LionsgateAcademy.org
Thanks
Tricia Favreau
What kind of safety devices can we use to keep children in their rooms and in the house? Social services said I cannot use any locks on their bedroom doors or outside doors even though the kids are runners.We have a screen door for their room with an outside lock for at night but they said NO! Any suggestions? Renate
Renate,
We have had some problems with our daughter wandering. There are several devices on the market that will alert you if your child wanders to far away. Brickhouse security has several of these devices:
www.brickhousesecurity.com/child-locators-personal-gps-tracking-device.html
I'm not sure how good the products are but there were definitely something that we have considered.
Another thing that we have found helpful is the safety 1st door knob covers. Our daughter is 8 years old and has just now figured out how they work. Even knowing how they work 85-95% of the time she can't get the door open with out our help.
Ultimately we have decided to see about a service/therapy dog for our daughter. It is my understanding that a service/therapy dog can be trained to deal with safety issues like wandering, as well as other needs the child has.
I hope this helps.
My son has Autism and will soon turn 5 years old. He will be in need of several immunizations. I am concerned about future immunizations. He is really doing very well now. Does anyone have any information/opinions/feedback on this issue?
Barb
I have a 3 year old that received a medical diagnosis of autism. He has been accepted into MAC but our insurance does not pay. I am considering putting him on MCHA who have told us they cover this type of service. However, MAC says MCHA does not pay for their services. I am wondering if anyone else has MCHA and has a problem? Or is MCHA paying for services? What other options should we consider? Thanks!!
Thank you for setting up a blog. We have an 8 year old son with aspergers syndrom. It seems that the 3rd grade is certainly a transition time for him. As a result he seems to be showing more signs for frustration, anger and disassociation. We were wondering if you had any research on diets and the affects on behavior with Asperger childres. Alternatively, we were wondering if any of the parents out there had experience any success with Gluton free diets and the like? How can we explore that with this blog? Thank you for your help.
DISCOVERY SERIES - THANK YOU!!!
I highly recommend this series for anyone who a child with Aspergers.
My wife and I recently attended the Aspergers Discovery Series. I just want to say thank you so much to the presenters for volunteering their time and sharing their stories and knowledge with the class. This is just another step in our journey to educate ourselves for our Son's benefit. He is only four has has a long journey ahead of him...
BJR
I have worked directly with children who have medically been diagnoised with ASD, and their families, for 5 years. The number one priority of parents of lower functioning children is communication. They want to be able to communicate with their child. They are happy with speech/language and OT services in a self-contained classroom. The number one priority of parents of higher functioning children is to have their child mainstreamed into a classroom where they will have good role models. I have not heard of home schooling a child on the spectrum. Children on the spectrum like to isolate themselves and play video games. I believe they need good role models to improve their social communication skills.
There are a lot of interventions out there. You as a parent have to decide what is best for your child and your schedule.
I have a 30 year old step-son who is living with my husband and me. Although he has never been formally diagnosed, aspergers has been suspected for most of his life I guess. We would like him to live a more productive life - to have a job, friends and some sort of assisted living. We don't know where to begin. First we need to find a doctor who recognizes and knows how to deal with this disorder and then we need some guidance on how to proceed with finding a way for him to live somewhat on his own. As it is now he has no friends and confines himself to his bedroom almost all the time playing computer games and chat rooms. He is extremely intelligent, but he needs to be reminded daily of what he must do such as bathing, making or changing his bed, caring for pets, etc. He forgets and zeros in on one item only and forgets everything else.
Please, can someone give us a place to start.
Is anyone monitoring this blog? If not, maybe it should be taken down as it's frustrating to already distressed parents to not get response or help--we don't need anymore of that!
For any parents in the Centennial School (Lino)dist: Our Aspie son had a great middle school experience there--high school has good results too. For your older kids (junior/senior) look into PSEO beyond 12th grade(Mn law mandates schooling until 21 yrs old). Your kid goes thru the motions of graduation, but remains in HS & can attend 2 yrs. at Century (or other)FREE. Best of luck.
My son has autism. So when we decided to research immunizations and "be careful" we decided to immunize our daughter. I wanted the MMR vaccine given separately- my doctor said we could but only one person has requested it before. This is the note I got back from the dr. office :
Hi Cary,
I am the nurse who orders the vaccines and we are no longer able to order separate vaccines for the MMR.I checked with several other clinics and with the travel clinic and no one has any separate MMR components. Sorry. XXXXXX XXXXXX RN
----- Message -----
From: SNYDER,CLAIRE R
Sent: 4/24/2008 9:04 PM
To: Office of XXXX XXXXXXX MD
Does anyone know where I can vaccinate my child the way I want to?
cary_snyder@hotmail.com
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