Hi my name is Sarah Ellacott and i am a student at Sudbury Secondary School Canada.
I am currently working on an Independent Study into Autistic Children.
My thesis is : Autistic children are more likely to fit in and succeed in mainstream schooling if they have previously undergone treatment at centres for Autistic children.

During my independent study i am required to do my own research and to help me with that i am asking you if you have time to answer a couple of questions.

1) How many Autistic children do you have?.
2) What age/s are/is you child?.
3) Has your child undergone any type of treatment for his/her disorder?.
4) Is your child attending or previously attended a mainstream school? If they have had treatment, has this significantly helped your child to adapt?.
5) What type of treatment is your child currently recieving?
6) Do you feel that there is enough help and centres out there to help Autistic children?. Has your child ever had to wait on a waiting list for treatment?.

I would very much appreciate your help in my resarch and i thank you for your time.

Sarah Ellacott

My son is autistic (mildly) but he still has the disorder. He is 3 and a half and was diagnosed just over a year ago with PDD (aka) Pervasive Development Disorder. He has a speech delay problem and currently has a speech therapist. He is not in a treatment program. I have done all the research on the disorder myself after picking up Karen Seroussi's novel. So I have my son on the gluten free/casein free diet, he is also on supplements such as DMG- (dimythelglycine), magnesium and tums (for calcium supplement). He does extremely well on the diet and if I take him off the diet he has fits in public places. If he is on the diet I can take him to public places without the fits. He also has 2 cups of epson salts in his bath every time he has a bath. I am increasing his bath to every day now instead of every other day. Yes I think that our government should help more and yes there should be more programs out there for parents of autistic children. Also doctors need to inform the parents of all resources and the gf/cf diet etc...

Thanks for letting me share this with you please do not hesitate to email me anytime if you have any questions. I have done a lot of research and have many articles and other information that you may be interested in.
Respectfully,

Renee

Can you tell me where to get a copy of the gf/cf diet and where you got your information on the tums and the salt in the bath?

karen seroussi`s book. try it. it has alot of information

hi my name is jocelyn roy i am doing a project about autism and i have a brother that has autism and his is not really all that bad. i still have a lot of qestions about autims

Personally I've worked with autistic children for almost 2 years and I've learned so much about them. I came straight out of high school to do this and I love it, I'm only 19, and I have 2 kids in my class with the gf/cf diet. In my opinion it definitly works...only if you put your child on it when he/she first gets diagnosed. One child in my class has been on it since he was 18 months old, he does wonderful, when he eats regular food he's not himself and very hard to handle at times. As oppose to another child in the class who was put on this diet at 5 years old, after tasting all these regular foods. His behavior is horrific. He eats food off the floor, out of the garbage and off the bottom of his shoes, all because he's starving. He wants regular food. I think this diet works, as long as they start as soon as diagnosed. Thanx for listening!

1) How many Autistic children do you have?.
One
2) What age/s are/is you child?.
2-1/2 Years Old
3) Has your child undergone any type of treatment for his/her disorder?.
Early Developmental Therapy
4) Is your child attending or previously attended a mainstream school?
My child has to be 3 years old to attend a preschool specifically for Autism or special needs.
If they have had treatment, has this significantly helped your child to adapt?.
The therapy at home through AEA has helped tremendously!
5) What type of treatment is your child currently recieving?
Therapy one hour per week.
6) Do you feel that there is enough help and centres out there to help Autistic children?.
No!
Has your child ever had to wait on a waiting list for treatment?.
Has to wait to attend a school specifically designed for autistic children - why wait???
Jackie Loghry
jmbmloghry@aol.com

Hi I am a sister of a 12 year old autistic brother. My mother has just found out about a program called Sensory learning in Flint Michigan, and She was on a waiting list to take and get him treatment. Just recently they have called her and they have a spot for him in september. She has only heard great news about this program. There is a 97% succcess rate of this treatment. I don't know about your child but my brother is on the more severe level of autism and he was diagnosed at around age one so we have been dealing with his disability for a long time now and are very pleased to hear about this program. It is $3,000.00 which is why we have been looking for some help for donations. This program focuses on three sensory imputs, and they are visual, auditory, and vestibular. What they do is they overload your child's brain will all three of these at onece, and it opens up new pathways to the brain making them able to talk, and socialize better. Right now my brother goes to a school for autism. He has in the home workers come everyday to keep him on schedule and to help him. No I agree I do not think there is enough programs to help autism either. If you want more information on the Fline Sensory Learning program just go to www.flintsensorylearning.com or keyword: Sensory learning. I hope this has helped you. If you have anymore questions you can E-mail me @ Kittie121102@yahoo.com
-Autumn

Hi I am a sister of a 12 year old autistic brother. My mother has just found out about a program called Sensory learning in Flint Michigan, and She was on a waiting list to take and get him treatment. Just recently they have called her and they have a spot for him in september. She has only heard great news about this program. There is a 97% succcess rate of this treatment. I don't know about your child but my brother is on the more severe level of autism and he was diagnosed at around age one so we have been dealing with his disability for a long time now and are very pleased to hear about this program. It is $3,000.00 which is why we have been looking for some help for donations. This program focuses on three sensory imputs, and they are visual, auditory, and vestibular. What they do is they overload your child's brain will all three of these at onece, and it opens up new pathways to the brain making them able to talk, and socialize better. Right now my brother goes to a school for autism. He has in the home workers come everyday to keep him on schedule and to help him. No I agree I do not think there is enough programs to help autism either. If you want more information on the Fline Sensory Learning program just go to www.flintsensorylearning.com or keyword: Sensory learning. I hope this has helped you. If you have anymore questions you can E-mail me @ Kittie121102@yahoo.com
-Autumn

Just wanted to let you know that I teach Autistic students and if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know! My email is: kimteach22@aol.com

yes i need some help i have a son and he is 6 years old just beed diog with autism and if you can help me. he is also a diet to. and if you can helo us please email me at wana@webshoppe.net

thank you
rayna winslett

Yes I would like to help out. My daughter of whom is 5.5 years old has been going through therapy since she was about 19 months old.

Yes I would like to help out. My daughter of whom is 5.5 years old has been going through therapy since she was about 19 months old.
My name is Shawn Mitchell and I would be glad to do what I can to help you. First just answering your questions would be good.

1. I have one autistic child

2. She is 5.5 years old

3. Yes, she has been going through much therapy over the last apx. 4 years.
a. until age of 3 she had a
Speech therapist
OT Therapist
PT Therapist
Special Education Therapist

b. At age of 3 she only had the following:
OT Therapist
Speech Therapist

3. She has been receiving the above therapy session since age three, and continues to do so. We have an appointment for the Autistic Clinic at MCG in December. She has been under the care of a neurologist since approximately 19 months of age. Her first medicine was clonidine, then onto Tazadone, she is currently taking Risperdol. During this time there have been other clinics that myself have gone to and our whole lives have been transformed to care for our daughter.

4. Our daughter did attend a public school for approximately 3 months at age of 3 for special needs children. She got very nervous and upset and ended up pulling all of her hair out again, after it had just grown back in. She has just started another class scheduled and we have a head full of hair. I am hoping that it will work out and that she will not get over upset, nervous, and start any old behavior or regress. She just started this class 10/14//02

5. Speech Therapy, OT Therapy, message therapy, strict routine schedules, medication: Risperdol. I do give her lots of repetitive exercises, and mental exercises, which has been demonstrated to me over the years and of which I have read about doing.

6. Yes there is, in my state of Georgia. I am not aware of what other states and or places might have available. Yes there are waiting list but they are worth the wait. A parent has to be willing to work, cope and take responsibility for their children the problem that I have learned is that a lot of parents don't want to take the time, do not educate themselves about the items available, or are in denial. I do not think that this is a governments job, as for being a tax payer myself I do not want taxes to be raised any more. There are plenty of other agencies, donations and ways to raise money other than taxes. This is not a government problem, besides if you have insurance then they should pay for your needs but they don't.

I have a senev year old with ASD. It took two years to convince the school board to have him included in his home school where his brothers attend. I provide the mentor privately. I consider public school as more of a social tool and do as much ABA as possible. I believe in birth to five he would have done well with an intensive Autism program. But he does peer model and needs the mainstreaming and social influence mainstreaming and playgroups provide. I have two other NT boys, who are glad their brother is in school with them. It is as life should be. It is amazing how much the other children respond to him. He currently gets what liitle he can from school, and we supplement what we can with pre-teaching and re-teaching through DTT. He is doing very well. This year in First Grade, he has been able to participate inclass, write on the board and even take the spelling test with the rest of the class using a soft board and attaching the letters. (He can write but doesn't like to put enough pressure to make it legible, and we are working on typing.) Everyone who wants to be able to mainstream must have the supports. Receiving early intervention specific to a disorder seem to be the best way to help a child learn to handle their personal chaleenges before they have to face their academic challenges. I wish you the best in your studies.

I can help you with your research, check out my site than contact me for any futher info you require. I disagree with the generalisation that children will fair better in public schools if they have spent time in specialised schools, however I do recognise their importance. www.jesseka.com

hey babe how is ya i told u i will find u.

I have a son with autism. He is currently in the first grade. He is in a mainstream school. They provide speech therapy,occupational therapy,and life skills. He has not recieved any treatment from autistic treatment centers. Had I known there was all of the help I had to find on my own,I think he would have done much better had he been to one of the centers. He is currently on medications,depakote and clonidine,for his manic and sleep problems. Since starting school we have seen a drastic improvement both socially and academically. I do not feel there are enough places to get help. I had to make the school help him! He is an only child,but I am always at the school because of faculty conflict. Everyone wants to be boss. I've never even been referred to a center by his doctor,so I know there are others in my shoes who need more centers. Hope this helps!

Deborah Lashley

I have a five year old daughter who attends Cleveland Public Schools.She has also received treatmant outside the school system and been placed on several waiting list.Some have got in contact, some never responded.I feel there's never enough quality facilities for austic children.My daughter recevies postives marks/quotes at her I.E.P meetings but not enough to be placed in to mainstream.

Hi, I am a mother of two (son 11, daughter 9). My daughter is affected by autism. She has received services since the age of 1 1/2. Such as speech. She started in a TEACCH public school at the age of 3 (special classroom). Almost no advance were evident. At that point she could say around 10 words, but would only use a word every couple of months.

I started a 25 hour per day ABA program for her at the age of 4 1/2 . Improvement was phenomenal....... within 2 weeks she spoke 50 words and had numeral and letter identification. No joke.

She just did not have the right approach. She has been in a public school until she was 9. The school team was always willing to do their best, but were not prepared/trained in the area enough and progress was slow unless I ran the team myself.

I am also a school psychologist and autism behavior/educational consultant and had to take much time of to train her staff.

I finally placed her in a private school in Sacramento (moved from Hawaii for this) and she is doing much better and cruising along.

As a professional working with many of these kids...... I consult in NM, WY, CO, HI and have taught at Universities. I have found that the children that had a home run ABA program for 1-3 years seem to be better prepared for the puplic school system.

However, the key element to all of this is that the school staff is adequately prepared to take these students on. It is not enought to go to a couple of conferences to teach these children. There has to be intense training with ongoing consulting/supervision. For example: One teacher was very proud have taught a child to identify all colors receptively/expressively (give me red/what is it)!!!! She closed out the program and moved on to other things. Well, not good enough. The average child with autism must now systematically learn to be able to identify colors on various items. Hold up a school bus and say "what color is it" and later, ask the child without showing a school bus "what color is a school bus"?, and at the end "tell me something yellow". Most teachers do not understand how detailed we sometimes have to get, and how to move this programs along appropriately. This coupled with having to deal with challenging behaviors, makes our job very hard.

In closing... I would like to say that I do believe that in theory our kids can make it in the school system. It can and is done in many places. I wish all of our kids could go to their public home schools. Take care, Tanja Brown

In response to your mess.
1. I have 1 autistic 5 year old son and a gifted 7 year old son
2. Roc is a 5 year old high functioning autistic /PDDNOS son
3. Roc has recieved intensive early intervention from 18 months ro 36 months (10 hrs of ABA discrte Trial Therapy, 6 hrs of speech/language, 3 hrs of ot: a week). At 3 years of age when the school district took over some of the responsibilities speech and language therapy was no longer part of his therapy schedule due to I felt it was not an appropriate setting so we enrolled him in a mainstream christian school with high academics and continued ABA therapy in our home. Along the way my husband and I attend yearly an autism conference in Pasadena, have been trained on floor time , PECS and took Roc's baseball interest and had him join a baseball team first at 3 as a bat boy then was placed on the team as 4 year old. He currently takes private swimming lessons @ the YMCA and has been on a waiting list for a social skills class whiile continuing his academics at the christian school/ ABA Discrete Trial TRaining for 6 hrs a week due to buget cuts?

4. I have not been placed on waiting list in regards to therapies or approval of parent education (conferences). Only most recently for the swimming and social skills class

In response to your mess.
1. I have 1 autistic 5 year old son and a gifted 7 year old son
2. Roc is a 5 year old high functioning autistic /PDDNOS son
3-4 Roc has recieved intensive early intervention from 18 months ro 36 months (10 hrs of ABA discrte Trial Therapy, 6 hrs of speech/language, 3 hrs of ot: a week). At 3 years of age when the school district took over some of the responsibilities speech and language therapy was no longer part of his therapy schedule due to I felt it was not an appropriate setting so we enrolled him in a mainstream christian school with high academics and continued ABA therapy in our home. Along the way my husband and I attend yearly an autism conference in Pasadena, have been trained on floor time , PECS and took Roc's baseball interest and had him join a baseball team first at 3 as a bat boy then was placed on the team as 4 year old. He currently takes private swimming lessons @ the YMCA and has been on a waiting list for a social skills class whiile continuing his academics at the christian school/ ABA Discrete Trial TRaining for 6 hrs a week due to buget cuts?

5. I have not been placed on waiting list in regards to therapies or approval of parent education (conferences). Only most recently for the swimming and social skills class.

6. I have always felt very positive in regards to what has been available to me through the Regional Center (department diabled) in California, until just recently where I have been informed that his ABA will decreased after a child has been recieving services for 3 years regardless of need or amount of hours at the time of services. I can't imagine less then 6 hrs of ABA which also include supervision/clinic meetings so tech. Roc only recieves 4 hrs of actual therapy.

Overall I have been very lucky yet very assertive. I attend all IEP meetings visit the recommended programs, attend the SELPA's monthly council meetings, document everything, keep files and take them with me to meetings/appointments. I work as a teacher in the same district my son should be attending and in the process have learned that my district did not have an appropriate least restrictive enviornment for not only my son , but many high functioning children. I was fortunate enough to be able to make small sacrafices in order to have him attend a private mainstream christian school, pay out of pocket for highly qualified specialist once a year to help guide me in my descions re: placement, needs. When Roc was 3 I declined his IEP placement into a severly handicappped class thru the district and requested a typical preschool setting which was not an option. The preschool at our local elementary school where I teach 2nd grade was for low income families (state funded). Due to this denial for placement on my part the district decided to sue me! Yes, they sued me they wanted the courts to enforce his IEP and to declare the IEP as an appropriate placement. After hiring an attorney it sat on the states calender for 2 years I paid my attorney a $800.00 and the cases sat idle for 2 years the attorney drafted a few letters on my behalf and on Dec.17 2004 the state dismissed the cases. The district never moved forward on the lawsuit against me. I could have signed the IEP and just declined the service however I declined with an explaination so that the district and the SELPA would see that they needed to consider what they need to do for children who are not severe yet still need earky intervention.

I just ask parents to have high expectations of the programs that a school district is offering. Ask what are the qualifications of the teachers, aides and one on ones. As a teacher in the district i requested to attend conferneces on special education issues and was declined they would state that when I had a special ed. student in my class then they would train me , by then its kind of to late. take time to observe your child in the program and the teacher in the program. I have always requested that Roc be placed in groups with typical children with high language and social skills. Good luck :)

In response to your mess.
1. I have 1 autistic 5 year old son and a gifted 7 year old son
2. Roc is a 5 year old high functioning autistic /PDDNOS son
3-4 Roc has recieved intensive early intervention from 18 months ro 36 months (10 hrs of ABA discrte Trial Therapy, 6 hrs of speech/language, 3 hrs of ot: a week). At 3 years of age when the school district took over some of the responsibilities speech and language therapy was no longer part of his therapy schedule due to I felt it was not an appropriate setting so we enrolled him in a mainstream christian school with high academics and continued ABA therapy in our home. Along the way my husband and I attend yearly an autism conference in Pasadena, have been trained on floor time , PECS and took Roc's baseball interest and had him join a baseball team first at 3 as a bat boy then was placed on the team as 4 year old. He currently takes private swimming lessons @ the YMCA and has been on a waiting list for a social skills class whiile continuing his academics at the christian school/ ABA Discrete Trial TRaining for 6 hrs a week due to buget cuts?

5. I have not been placed on waiting list in regards to therapies or approval of parent education (conferences). Only most recently for the swimming and social skills class.

6. I have always felt very positive in regards to what has been available to me through the Regional Center (department diabled) in California, until just recently where I have been informed that his ABA will decreased after a child has been recieving services for 3 years regardless of need or amount of hours at the time of services. I can't imagine less then 6 hrs of ABA which also include supervision/clinic meetings so tech. Roc only recieves 4 hrs of actual therapy.

Overall I have been very lucky yet very assertive. I attend all IEP meetings visit the recommended programs, attend the SELPA's monthly council meetings, document everything, keep files and take them with me to meetings/appointments. I work as a teacher in the same district my son should be attending and in the process have learned that my district did not have an appropriate least restrictive enviornment for not only my son , but many high functioning children. I was fortunate enough to be able to make small sacrafices in order to have him attend a private mainstream christian school, pay out of pocket for highly qualified specialist once a year to help guide me in my descions re: placement, needs. When Roc was 3 I declined his IEP placement into a severly handicappped class thru the district and requested a typical preschool setting which was not an option. The preschool at our local elementary school where I teach 2nd grade was for low income families (state funded). Due to this denial for placement on my part the district decided to sue me! Yes, they sued me they wanted the courts to enforce his IEP and to declare the IEP as an appropriate placement. After hiring an attorney it sat on the states calender for 2 years I paid my attorney a $800.00 and the cases sat idle for 2 years the attorney drafted a few letters on my behalf and on Dec.17 2004 the state dismissed the cases. The district never moved forward on the lawsuit against me. I could have signed the IEP and just declined the service however I declined with an explaination so that the district and the SELPA would see that they needed to consider what they need to do for children who are not severe yet still need earky intervention.

I just ask parents to have high expectations of the programs that a school district is offering. Ask what are the qualifications of the teachers, aides and one on ones. As a teacher in the district i requested to attend conferneces on special education issues and was declined they would state that when I had a special ed. student in my class then they would train me , by then its kind of to late. take time to observe your child in the program and the teacher in the program. I have always requested that Roc be placed in groups with typical children with high language and social skills. Good luck :)

Hi I have a 3 years old son who has recently been diagnosed with Autism.. We live in Brampton Ont (I'm from North Bay) and had to respond to you!!

1.Austin is our oldest child - we have 2 other children and not sure if they could ben austic

2. Austin is 3, Emma 16 mo, Preston 2 months

3. Austin is currently using SLP and we're trying to find OT

4. N/A Austin is not ready for school as he is 3

5. Other than SLP nothing. He has to go for testing for seizures and our Paediatrician from sick kids wants him on meds for his aggression...we haven't decided on that yet.

6. There certainly is NOT enough out there for Ausitm or special needs in general. We are on a waiting list for an IBI program (which is over 2 years) Daycare (mainstream) waiting list is 1 year. So, where is the early intervention here??

My husband and I just received our paper-work for a charity.foundation we are going to start for special needs. Not just Autism. 20,000 children in Ontario have SN and the resources we have available for them is for about 5-8000...

Hello.
We live in the Mississauga area, our son was recently diagnosed with Autism. We are currently on the wait list for IBI. With regards to OT, have you looked into ErinOaks ? The POPs program ?
That is how we got SLP and OT for our son, but again a waiting list....

I am a mother of a mild-severe child of Autism. She has been
mainstreamed for the past 6 years of school. Although the
curriculum ect// has been modified I don't feel it has been
enough for her. She has had a horrible first year of middle
school, she has very little social skills and or living skills.
Her behaviors have escalated tremendously in the past year and a half. I feel that a more specialized program would have been
a better option with a gradual transition into a regular school
setting, instead of just putting her with "regular or typical"
kids. Why not, though don't we all feel like aliens sometimes.

In addition, I feel the staff and paraprofessionals working w/her that are supposedly experts in the field of autism, don't have a damn clue.