Autism: How Do You Know?


When my grandson was born, we were all very excited. He was a miracle, and he still is! But things were different. We soon realized that there was something wrong. Although we don't have a complete diagnosis, we do know that he is on the spectrum. 

There are certain signs when it comes to Autism. It can be hard to diagnose the disorder. As a parent or grandparent, you will be the one who is observing. The first thing to look at is how they interact with others. Do they make eye contact? And do they respond to their name when you call? Social relationships are a definite key to autism.

Another sign is speech and hearing. We had my grandson tested for his hearing and he was perfect. But his language development was just not where it should be. He didn't talk and didn't make eye contact. My daughter started taking him to speech therapy and it seems to be helping. He babbles more and is becoming more and more comfortable with going alone in the doctor's office. 

Another sign is tics. My grandson runs back and forth and is very repetitive. He waves his arms and walks on his tip toes. This is normal behavior for autism. There are ways to calm him down and get him to focus, but his tics are normal for him. 

While there is no cure for autism, there are therapies and treatment that can help a child to learn and be social. That is where we are now. Quinn will be 3 in November, and we will continue to help him to deal with the autism. It can be hard for sure, but there is hope. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let's get this party started, kids!

Image
  Hey everyone, I'm Donna and I have been a teacher for many years. I have so many interesting stories to tell about being a teacher. We have all been in the classroom, but how many of us have been teaching in the classroom? As one professor in college told me, "as a teacher, you will never be rich and never be bored." Boy, was she right! I became a teacher because I love kids and I wanted to make sure that they learn and have a great future! I still feel that way, but I never knew all the different things that you would have to deal with that have nothing to do with the actual teaching.... The TMI Student When I was teaching younger children, I would often start the class off with a morning circle time. This was the time when we would go over the calendar, weather, and schedule for the day. I would also ask the students how they were doing and try to make sure that I was taking an interest in their lives. On this one particular Spring morning, the students and I were dis...
Read more

Back To Business!

Image
  It has been a while since I wrote a new blog. I went on a little vacation and over those weeks I did some thinking about the future. I stepped away from teaching in June for many reasons. It wasn't me anymore. But I did enjoy it when I was in the classroom. That's why I came up with Tales of a Teacher. I wanted to share my stories with you. I still would wish that I could get some more readers and followers. I promise to keep it real and welcome comments at any time. So, here is the issue.... I'm going to be 59 at the end of March. Yikes! I don't feel that old and hopefully, I don't think I look that old. I have lots of energy, eat pretty healthy, and love the outdoors! I'm not ready to retire and be done and frankly, we can't afford it. So, what do you do? Go back to the classroom? Be an assistant teacher? Sub? Or do you go in a different direction? Something totally new? I'm searching for all different things that I think I can do and that I am quali...
Read more

How Important is Tutoring?

Image
As a teacher and now a private tutor, I have seen how important it is to supplement a child's education. All children learn differently, and some do need the added benefit of a tutor. With a tutor, the child gets the attention that they need. It is often one on one and there are no distractions like those in the classroom. The tutor can really focus on that child and figure out how they learn. This is extremely beneficial. A tutor can also help your child to retain the information that they are learning in the classroom. One of the students that I tutor comes to me with projects and homework questions that he needs to do for his class. By having that extra hour after school, he is once again able to go over the things that he learned during his day in school. That extra time is helping him to retain the knowledge so that he can be a better student. And last but not least, a good tutor can help your child's self-esteem and confidence. I am constantly giving praise and offering s...
Read more