I need some help-sorry so long!

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2005
I need some help-sorry so long!
4
Thu, 10-25-2007 - 9:30pm

I copied and pasted this as I posted it on the other autism board because I wasnt sure which on too post on. And sorry its so long!

Ok. First of all hi everyone! My name is Michelle! Im super upset right now and just wanted to get some opinions. Im so sorry if this is long. This is about my son Noah who is 5. He started kindergarten this year. He was also in preschool last year. Ive noticed weird things about Noah since he was younger but never thought to much of it because he was young. Especially when he got into school last year but again brushed it off as Im a SAHM and decided it was because it was his first time in a social situation. But the more and more I think about it and watch him with other kids and as he gets older I think he has something wrong with him. I did some research and It seems as if he has some kind of mild autism. I try to talk to my mom about it but she always makes up some kind of excuse for him and I tried to talk to my mother in law about it today and she claims hes looking for some kind of spiritual guidance....So now i decided to come here and get some real opinions from people who have been there. Noah has always been really smart. He talked by the time he was 9 months and he is not amazing in math. Like hes 5 and can add and subtract and weve had him doing algerbra one day (simple problems) and he understood it. He can also read a grade ahead of his level. So he has no problem in school as far as learning. The problem he has is even worse to me which is a big big social problem. He also has 2 nervous ticks. One is he rubs his fingers in between 2 other fingers on his other hand. He has done this so much he has a callous. He also has started a new one lately where he clicks his tongue while he talks. At first he said he was making the noise of a period at the end of his sentence but now Ive noticed him doing it while hes talking and just standing there. Ok next is thunderstorms,tornadoes and anything weather. Hes completely obsessed with weather! Every other word that comes out of his mouth is about weather. Weve talked to his doctor about this and they tell me just to try to distract him. He knows everything you can imagine about weather. To me and my husband it almost seems like he has no grasp on reality alot of times. Like he just doesnt understand that other people have feelings and that hes just really not here most of the time. If anyone can understand that. Its like hes all the time in his own little world. Like today I asked him how school was and he said he was playing storm chasers with a kids in his class and the others kids asked them to come play whatever it was they were playing and the little girl left Noah to go play with them. I asked him why he didnt go and he said because he only wanted to play storm chasers. As im trying to explain to him that sometimes its good to play what the others kids want he just starts going off with a story like he wasnt even listening to me about something unreal. Like he had to take his team and run to his house before he got fried by lightning. He has bad anxiety problems. He is 5 and he cant put his own seatbelt on he has a hard time wiping when he uses the bathroom and he cant peddle his bike too well. His daddy tries to play with him and his little brother all the time and Noah has a hard hard time with hit. They play different things like Ninjas knights and such and Noah just ends up getting frustrated for no reason and ends up walking away. He is also very sensitive to loud noises. His little brother is the complete opposite from him and is very loud. He likes to run around and scream and yell. When ever he does Noah ends up with his hands on his ears saying hes too loud. Hes always ran from the vaccum cleaner and hairdryer etc.. Im also concerned with school because Ive seen the way the kids look at him and walk away from him when hes trying to talk to them. I have heard a child say "thats that weird kid" while walking down the hall. I don't want him picked on in school his whole life. If he does happen to be diagnosed is it better to home school? Or is it actually better to keep them in a social enviorment such as school? Ive decided that this can not be brushed off anymore as it seems to be getting worse. I cant listen to my mom as hes fine and just "really imaginative" MY mother in law tells us that her brother was alot like Noah when he was younger and they put him in a mental hospital for 2 months and stuff. Now to me in my opinion probably at that time they didnt have the knowledge of different forms of autism and just didnt know what was wrong with him. Does anyone know if its hereditary? Also do you guys think he sounds like I should talk to his doc? I mean going by from what you guys have seen from your kids. Anyways, I apologize again for this being so long. I just wanted to get some opinions and really wanted to get this out to someone who isnt going to brush it off as nothing or as spiritual(lol..) Thanks for any opinions and info you can get me.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2006
Fri, 10-26-2007 - 12:56am

Hi Michelle,


First I am not a doctor, but I do see alot of red flags.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 10-26-2007 - 7:26am

Welcome to the board! I don't know if your son has any specific autism or related issues - from your description there's a lot of 'normal' behaviour and some 'red flags' - but I do know that mummy's gut instinct is always, ALWAYS, worth checking out. Go to your paediatrician/dr in the first instance, explain what you've told us, and ask to be referred for evaluation. It may not be easy, you may need to see a lot of different professionals and go through a lot of stuff before you get a diagnosis (and you may not get one, which is a blessing and a curse in itself!), but you are right, you need some help here. Your mummy gut instinct is there to protect your child, listen to it. If nothing else, unless you have an awful lot of experience with special needs kids, it can be really hard to know what is 'normal' and what is worth worrying about, and the professionals can help with that, which will put your mind at rest.


Hth


Kirsty, mum to Euan (9, Asperger's), Rohan (4, NT) and Maeve (23m, NT)

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2003
Fri, 10-26-2007 - 8:29am

Good morning,


Just read your post and you're smart to recognize something is awry.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-10-2006
Fri, 10-26-2007 - 10:50am

Hi!


Welcome!

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Christine