i had an evaluation for autism for my son

[parker0907]

Tuesday i had an evaluation for my ds who is 4 will be 5 in june. They said he meets all the requirements for autism. i asked what kind because i know it is on a spectrum. she said it is high functioning. she said pdd- nos. i am so overwhelmed. I was not shocked, i suspected it for 2 years. i am now just concerned about his future. i am freaking out about the little things. He is in preschool right now. september he will be going to kindergarden, he rides a handicap bus to school but as far as being in school he will be with regular kids, i am afraid he is not going to get the attention he needs. he is not potty trained he speaks 2-4 word sentences. how will they be able to talk care of him?? And he has ADHD. i am just stressing out! thanks for listening to me.

[kme]

It's hard in the beginning to process a dx like this. Many kids with high-functioning autism/pdd-nos/Asperger's go to a regular school and are included in a mainstream class. So your son is not the only one and may not even be the only one in his class.

Having said that, you need to make sure he has an IEP - does he have one? That is how you are assured he is getting the attention he needs. Also, since he has a summer b'day, have you considered holding him back a year from kindergarten? Many people in our area do that with summer b'days, even with typical kids. We held my son back and it was a great decision - he is doing well as a 6 year old kindergartner and he has an IEP in place too.

I don't know about the potty training thing. You still have quite a while till Sept, but this may be another reason to keep him back a year.

Hugs to you.

[parker0907]

thank you for replying back. Yes he does have an IEP we need to make a new one now because of the recent evaluation. we have considered holding him back but i am worried it will do more harm than good. he loves the routine of getting up and riding the bus and he loves school. i know it will be ok i am just getting upset about the little things.

as far as the potty training he does it when he feels like it. but only if i take him. he has never asked to go. i just need to have a better routine with it maybe every hour after he gets home from school. i know that sounds easy but i also have a 8 year old and a 18month old. but i need to make a lot more time for this. thank you

[sbgrace]

I think it takes a while to process all of it. Even when you see it coming hearing it officially is an emotional hit or was for me anyway. And that fades in time as it all sinks in. This is the hard part.

My son is six now and I've been amazed at the changes in him since he was your son's age. Kids make a lot of leaps in this age range. He'll develop in ways that surprise you.

[beachbaby]

Didn't want to read and not respond. Lots of support here.

[CarrieMF]

Is he is a special needs playschool or in a class with typical kids? How does he manage the playschool, does he have an aid?

Once you get the formal reports & the IEP from the playschool, get a letter from his teachers. Then go to the school he'll be attending & let them know you'll be registering him in the fall(unless you hold him back), what his needs are, take a copy of his IEP & do what you can so on Day 1 he has an aid if it's needed.

[vocalise]

I have no words of wisdom, but just wanted to give you s.

[Lilypie32]

I can still remember the day I received my son's diagnosis and how overwhelmed I was. Please take it one day at a time and try not to worry about everything right now. Easier said then done, I know. There are some great support groups/chats out there so don't hesitate to reach out and ask questions.

My son has PDD-NOS and has been in an autism pre-k since he turned 3. Next year he also starts kindergarten but we are not sure what type of classroom setting he will be in. More than likely he will be in an autism kindergarten or a blended setting with an 1:1 aide. Without his 3 years in pre-k I doubt he would be as advanced as he is. School has been a godsend for him. IMO, I would not hold him back another year unless you keep him in a pre-k setting.

IEPs are required by law to be reviewed annually. So, your school should be doing this before deciding on his kindergarten placement. A good website for more info is: http://www.wrightslaw.com/. Also, does he receive any therapies at school? If not, then he should.

They should also be working with him on potty training. I am surprised they aren't. Is he in an all-day program for pre-k? My son started potty training in November 2008 and was mostly day trained within 2 weeks although we are still having issues with pooping and he wears a pull-up at night as he does not wake to go potty.

Don't hesitate to ask questions. We all learn and get support from each other. (((hugs)))

[parker0907]

the preschool he is in is a public school that goes to 5th grade. the preschool is divided 6 kids without any learning disabilitys and the other half with. thiere are aids, but when he starts kindergarden he will be in the same school but no aids from then on out. i think that is what concerns me.

he does recieve speech therapy every friday at school, for 30 mins.

they take him to the potty at school but he just sits there and says all done and doesn't go pee.

lilypie32 thank you for the website, also how did you get your son to potty what motivations did you do to get him to request to go? any help on this issue would be great.

thank you for all your support everyone i am just trying to let this all sink in, i am just wanting to keep busy so i don't cry my eyes out.

[Lilypie32]

It sounds to me like you need to send in a written letter to your child's current teacher/s and request an IEP meeting so you can have some formal school evals done to determine placement in kindergarten. He probably should be receiving more ST each week (based on the fact he is only saying 2 to 4 word sentences).

My son has speech every day in a group setting with his peers (approximately 30 minutes) and also 1-on-1 90 minutes per week. He also has OT 60 minutes per week. I also do private therapy at home.

As for the potty training, his teachers and I all did it the same exact way to keep it clear/consistent for my son. We hung pictures in the bathroom demonstrating each step from turning on the light to pulling down the pants and underwear to flushing and hand washing, etc. We also took him to the potty every 15 minutes during the day and kept him in underwear, no diapers/pull-ups at all. This was exhausting and created tons of laundry but worked VERY WELL. We also really praised him once he would go pee on potty and gave him either a penny (he loves coins) or an M&M (he LOVES M&Ms).

Feel free to PM me if you'd like.

[Fay]

You can have the potty training visual aids written into his IEP. Get EVERYTHING written into his IEP...it's a legally binding contract with the school. Make a list of all the little things that you think would help him (a "peer pal," lunchtime/recess support, play dough for when his hands need to be busy, a big bean bag for circle time, etc.), and put all of it in the IEP.

[kme]

Please let me clarify what I meant by holding him back....only if he will remain in an appropriate school setting. I didn't mean keep him at home. IMO that would be a mistake. My son was in a special kindergarten for at-risk kids last year and this year he is repeating kindergarten in a regular classroom. He could have gone to 1st grade but i wanted to give him another year to mature and I didn't want him to be one of the youngest in his class.
Hope that helps!

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by parker0907

thiere are aids, but when he starts kindergarden he will be in the same school but no aids from then on out. i think that is what concerns me.

Several kids I know with autism have full time aids. You may have more options that you realize.