Random observations about ds--
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| Fri, 11-17-2006 - 2:46pm |
The more I read about other children with AS or ASD, the more I remember things about Henry that we all thought were "just Henry".
Henry used to refuse to go to sleep at night if there was a tag in his shirt. Dh cut almost all of them out. We all really love the new tagless shirts.
Henry drooled excessively until at least 4 1/2. We really worked hard on getting him to close his mouth and swallow so he wouldn't be a drooler in kindergarten. He does much better now but still oozes if he gets excited when talking about something--because his mouth stays open for too long.
Henry never mastered the regular sippy cups when he was a baby/toddler. He didn't seem to get the concept of tipping up the cup. He was a pro with the straw cups, though. He can manipulate a regular sippy cup now, but he just uses a regular cup.
Henry *hated* baths until after he took swimming lessons at age 3 1/2. He would scream and cry the entire time he was in or near the bathtub. I didn't even attempt to give him baths every day, and when I did--I would just spray him with the shower head, soap him up, then rinse him with the shower head. He was scared of the shower sprayer too, but at least it was quick.
Henry completely freaked out when I attempted to take him to the movies to see Finding Nemo. He clung to me and screamed bloody murder when I tried to walk through the dark door into the theatre. There was *no* way he going to go in there. He told me later that it was too loud and too dark. We still don't go to the movies, although I may ask him if he wants to see Happy Feet.
That's all I can think of right now. I've been writing various things like these down in a notebook.
If you want, please share if your children have similar issues. Or just share other quirks your kids may have.

Robin-
Just reading your post reminded me of stuff David used to do, which, at the time, I thought were a little odd, but not signs of anything.
OMG I forgot about the bath thing. Mike and Dave did the same thing. They HAD to take cold baths or they would freak out. for the longest time Mike just freaked out about baths at all. We had to convince him to get in the tub standing and I would wash him fast while standing up. What kid doesn't like baths?
Dave still has to have it cold. Barely luke warm or he freaks out. It is very weird.
Mike usually showers but if he gets stimmy in there you always hear him flopping around in the wet tub after he is done with either a bath or shower. Sometimes I let him take epsom salt baths still (very calming) and he will eventually drain the tub and do the same floppy squirmy thing in there. I don't know what it is but I know what it sounds like, lol. He is finally too big for Mom to help with baths. He got completely independent within the last year.
Renee
I have a random observation I made about Cait earlier today.
Cait has had eye contact issues for ever. I think she was better when she was little but she has been bad for a number of years. In fact it isn't just eyes, but often she will orient her entire body away from who she is talking too. It is perhaps her most telling autistic sign other than using little non-verbal communication. Cait will try to fake it and sometimes is relatively successful. She can make eye contact best with me for short periods of time.
Today what I noticed is that when Cait is happy she cannot handle eye contact and communication at the same time and almost instantly orients her whole body away from the speaker. I knew she did this when stressed but I hadn't noticed the happy thing until now.
This AM we ran into our therapist with her baby at Panera (this happens fairly regularly as the woman has practically become a family friend). My friend with the DS baby was there as well. Cait did well for a while at least oriented to the direction, etc. Well the therapist plopped her baby right in Cait's lap and she immediately got the cutest grin and turned in the other direction. She continued to talk but could not handle even looking in our direction. Overwhelming. I did get a great pic but it is on my phone and I don't have the cable to download it to the computer.
So I was thinking and I have noticed when cait is really happy about something she does this almost every darn time. She does it when stressed but mostly when she is really happy. Just an odd cute thing I noticed.
Renee
Oh Lord! THE DROOL!!!! Anakin (DS possible Aspie) has had the drool since he was 4 mths and he'll be 3 in April. Sometimes when he gets really wired and he's been chewing on his fingers/nails, he'll start shaking his hand around and the spit just flies everywhere! He may be getting his tonsils out next month and it is likely that will help, but I'm sure it will still be a problem. Most of our great pics of him show a soaked neckline on his shirt (shirt tags I don't think have ever bothered him--I've never seen him pull at them anyway).
Anakin never had trouble with baths/water. He LOVES swimming and baths. He would take a bath 3 times a day or more if we'd let him. He also doesn't fuss about water in his face or anything and my best friend's NT daughter screams bloody murder about that.
It took Anakin a little bit to get the sippy, but probably no longer than any other child who never had a bottle before. He does sippies and the straw cups.
We tried to take Anakin to see CARS in June/July and he started crying and fussing as soon as we sat down. He LOVES the TV and is constantly standing right in front of it when something he likes is on, so I thought a GIANT screen would have been right up his alley. We got there late to avoid previews, but we weren't there for more than 5 minutes. It made me so sad--I was all excited. How does your boy like NEMO at home? That movie is in Anakin's blood.
One of Anakin's funnier things is that he will run laps around the coffee table when a song or show is on that he likes. He runs and recites/sings whatever it is--he'll never have a weight problem with that habit. He sometimes may pair that with looking at you out of the corner of his eye as he runs past.
I'm sure more of his quirks will come to mind later...keeping a notebook is a FANTASTIC idea...now if I could only get motivated...
----C
http://www.unc.edu/~cacecil/Anakin