Newcomer de-lurking.

4-year-old girl with mild PDD (pervasive developmental disorder) which is a form of autism. She's making great strides, though, and we're hoping she may be able to be mainstreamed in the schools this fall. It's frankly an unlikely goal, but that doesn't mean we're not going to reach for it!>

Hang in there - my best friend has a son with the same problem - he is now 18 and just graduated from high school. He was on the Academic Competition Team

-- and is living in the Honors Dorm at Ohio State his Freshman Year. He was always a bit "strange" at times -- but he learned to cope. The thing best for him was getting him interacting with other kids. Even if it is hard, or seems strained - keep doing it - isolating does not help. I used to take my son over to her house and we'd let them play together. What a contrast! LOL -- My ADD ADHD extrovert son - and her PPD one. They soon found out that together they could accomplish things that they couldn't do alone..... I helped make his bar mitzvah tallit five years ago -(You can see him wearing it here

is still a bit awkward socially, and has trouble modulating his vocal levels(i.e. he's loud) -but he has a very high IQ (which strangely is not uncommon inthese kids - the behaviors make people think the opposite - then they aresurprised when the kid starts spouting data beyond their age level! LOL) Iremember when he was about six - he started telling me how many planets therewere (ok impressive for a six year old), naming them (wow), and then rattlingoff the relative size and DISTANCES from Earth for all of them - I was stunned.She may surprise you yet ! Welcome to the bead group! Cheryl of DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

Charlotte NC, eh? My hometown! Although I haven't been back since 1982 and didn't recognize the place then. I was going to revisit my old junior high school but they'd actually moved the road itself, and I never did find it! I'm sort of a beginner at all this bead stuff myself but this seems to be a great bunch of folks, very helpful and giving. Good luck!

- Steve Richardson St Louis

I second both of these statements...

Deirdre

I'm one year old in this joint, and think this is a perfect description...

Deirdre

Many years ago, a girlfriend of mine had a little baby boy. As boys go, he was on the go and active all the time. He loved to climb, esp trees. At age

8 or so, he climbed really high. Then he fell. The doctors told her he might never come out of the coma. When he did, they told her he would never walk again, and not to expect much in the scholastic excellence part..... She took him to the YMCA every day and work with him in the pool. They read together. (and cried and fought and laughed). He became captain of the swim team in high school. As well as being in the national honor society. He also backpacks with the family and was on the track team for awhile.... Don't believe anything negative that you hear. The doctors just guess the best they can (or the worst, as the case may be....). Believe in yourself and your little one. The two of you have a brilliant future ahead of you. Enjoy! Barbara Dream Master

"We've got two lives, one we're given, the other one we make." Mary Chapin Carpenter

Welcome Heather!

I mostly string as well and have just started lampworking and working with PMC.

What bead store in Charlotte? I'm only 2 hours away (and have a sis that lives in Charlotte). If they have a schedule or a web site let me know- I love taking classes.

Kathy K

Hi Heather and welcome to RCB. I've not been on a lot lately because I've been sick, but I do try to check in every day.

Starlia

On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 23:07:49 -0400, starlia wrote (in message ):

Piggybacking on Starlia's note because I didn't see the original, I think.

My beautiful 13 year old girl has a list of special needs as long as your arm. When she was small, the docs told us all sorts of scary outcomes, and we thought she would be forever dependent upon us.

Didn't happen. We've worked hard with her since she was tiny, fought like boy howdy for accomodations and treatment under her IEP, and made it clear to her that her problems are a reason but not an excuse. These days, you would never know that she has any problems at all, unless you saw her try to run.

Most kids can be mainstreamed these days, it just requires a little more effort on the school personnel, and a lot more fighting on the part of the parents. With mild Aspberger's, it's entirely possible that her diagnosis will be nothing more than an interesting note in her medical record -- it can turn out to be that undetectable. If you ever need experienced advice on dealing with school special needs issues and/or treatment options, just shout: a number of us have been through that dance before.

Delighted to have you, Heather.

Kathy N-V

Welcome Heather! :)

I have a beautiful almost 4-year-old grandson who has been diagnosed with autism. He has been in school for the past year and has made great strides. He still has problems sleeping at night, but he's getting better at it.

Barbara

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (BGreen9661) :

]I have a beautiful almost 4-year-old grandson who has been diagnosed with ]autism. He has been in school for the past year and has made great strides. He ]still has problems sleeping at night, but he's getting better at it.

my grandson is also autistic. sign language helped. he is incredibly intelligent and active. he just has an extremely hard time *making* words. but he's getting much, much better, and will start school a year from now. just don't give up on them!

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 13:52:09 -0400, vj wrote (in message ):

I have so many problems with that. I don't have the best relationship in the world with my parents, but I make darned sure that they see their granddaughter regularly, about once a week for my mother, and once a month for my father. My grandparents are in Germany, so I wasn't able to see them often when I was a child, but they get to see their great-granddaughter at least once a year, and we call and write letters often. And of course, my father-in-law lives downstairs, so DD sees him daily.

To me, the grandparent-grandchild bond is so important. Grandparents have a lot to teach children, and help them realize that they are part of a continuum. Both lives are enriched when the grandchild and grandparent are close.

I know that constant visits aren't always possible -- my father lives half the year in Florida, and half here in Mass. But even in the "off-season," DD talks to Grampy and his wife at least once a week, and they feel like they are part of her life. Sometimes it takes a little or a lot of effort on the part of the parent to facilitate the connection, but the child needs and deserves to have that relationship.

Kathy N-V

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kathy N-V :

]I have so many problems with that.

i have problems with it, too. trust me.

when she was little, i took her to her grandparents on a regular basis. when she was growing up, she was very close to my parents.

but right now, with where she is, she expects me to do all the traveling. and i'm not always up to the 4-5 hour drive over the mountains between here and there. and on her side, the boys really don't travel well. and the oldest's autism evidently makes that worse. she made a huge mistake when he was a baby - although no one could tell her that at the time. he will ONLY sleep in his own bed. period. which definitely makes "leaving home" for longer than a short shopping trip something of a problem.

i used to have room for them [before we lost the house]. i've almost got that worked out again, except that nothing is baby proofed any more. **sigh** and when i go there, i not only have to brave the mountains, i have to be able to afford the trip and the motel. it adds up fast. and, i generally spend one or two weekends/month with my mom.

i need to work on it more, i know. i love spending time with the boys. thanks, Kathy. you've made me think harder about something that's been bugging me for a long time.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

Hi Linx,

Could you keep me updated on the bead group? I'm in Asheville, but my sister lives in Charlotte so I might be able to attend future meetings.

Glad you delurked to share the info:)