As Edward's speech gets clearer especially on the videos you all see of him enjoying talking about numbers or planets, spelling or states and capitals it probably makes you wonder why I say Edward is partially verbal....especially to those patient parents just wanting to hear just one word and any word will do.
Some could even call this regression.... sorry I have not witnessed regression.   I love this video because it shows Edward just having fun and enjoying listening to his voice.  I consider it voice exercises. :-)

Edward has come so far in speech and language.... Just that little bit more and he will be fluent.  I am still crossing fingers that it comes before he starts school next year.
He tries so very hard.  For those having trouble understanding asd especially the lack of language and at the same time seems verbal, I can only liken it to learning a new languages by learning only by single words and phrases only and the whole thing starts making a ton more sense.
I know that merci means thank you in French right?  And I know that " Como tale vous" means how are you? in English.  But I don't know how the French put sentences together vous I think may mean you .....and one day I may be able to speak French fluently..... But not right now.
What people find difficult is that even though Edward is amazing at decoding individual characters and words in languages he is finding real difficulty in learning to construct his own sentences....he is learning each sentence in context instead.

Professor Edward on States and Capitals

PECS - Picture exchange Communication System

About PECS and how they helped Edward to communicate -
Our SLT made us this great folder, she made all the PECS with just photos initially but when she realized Edward could read and loved words, she took it away and came back with the words underneath. Edward loved looking at the pictures because of the words. He picked up the basics of PECS in 3 visits.
I found some great clips on you tube that are very similar to what our SLT did with Edward.
This is very much like what our first lesson was like -
https://youtu.be/eNbucDWEfpg
At the start we really needed the hand over hand that the person behind Edward gave. Can you ask hubby pretty please to be the receiver of the card? I feel this first step is extremely important, what you are effectively doing is teaching your son's brain is that if he wants or needs something he has to give you the word so you know. That is why I love this type of pec system compared to the sheet idea which does not teach the child they have to give to receive.

How Edward learns - I call this natural ASD learning, ASD child led

This is how Edward learns - he marries up neurons by putting different things together to help him remember. Play dough and the world map. Matching up blocks on his posters that get pulled down off the walls constantly. The television gets many different items traced over the top of it. Others have included foam letters on the swing and the trampoline, jumping on the foam letters, wrapping his blocks in play dough. Singing and pointing to his posters at the right time. He will look at posters and objects from different stand points, upside down, jumping on the trampoline, rocking on the rocking chair, jumping, swinging standing on a chair, eating his books, tearing his posters, singing his learning songs to different tunes, singing his songs in different places. Because of his lack of caring about people hearing him sing on the train, on the ferry, at the kiddy gym he finds as many different ways that most of us would be put in a padded cell for ( lucky he is cute and 3 years old). 

I am hoping this would give people a glimpse into our messy house, upside down world and give others ideas on how to extend their children.
smile emoticon

my thoughts on asd and autism

I way prefer questions than people assuming..... One of the worst assumptions still is that asd people are low in intelligence.  I have studied up on both Dr Kanner (coined the term autism) and Dr Asperger (coined the term Asperger's syndrome).  In their actual notes, not what people say they said.  They both agree (even though they did not know about each others work) that their patients were bright, hence the difference between other labels.  Just stupid doctors these days have managed to only look at the deficits not the strengths and I strongly believe the medical profession today have done far more to disable our children than autism has.  Mozart could play beautifully and perfectly on a piano blindfolded by the time he was 5 years old, strange laugh, strange voice, found drawing all over the floor.  Thank god no one told his parents to stop him from obsessing over his love.  They encouraged and fostered it.  He was terrible in social situations other than when he was playing and would entertain people playing the piano while he was upside down.

My favourite saying these days is "encourage their strengths" and we live that daily.   My 3 year old knows more about the periodic table than I do, and may also end up being a linguist.  He tried to teach me the Russian alphabet over the Christmas holidays.  Or he might be into astronomy as he loves the solar system and was able to write mercury by the age of 2 years and 10 months.  I am not bragging I am trying to foster how incredible our asd kids are.
Yes he is diagnosed as moderately asd, at 3 years and nearly 10 months he is still partially verbal, has pica, bites and pushes, totally needs to be fully supervised around other children, runs, climbs and is only partially potty trained......oh the fun of being an asd mummy.

Regression - from this families point of view

Regarding regression - from my point of view.

I think they get bored.  We don't read aloud any more..... So many people see as regression I see as boredom.  I try to see what next thing Edward is interested in and make resources available (including myself) for him to utilise to give him other ways of learning the new strength.  I may be not even near his intelligence but I am his key to learn to communicate, they say asd kids use people as tools, but I think it is just their way of involving us in their lives, the more they do this the better they get at communication for everything.

helping with speech for asd kids

Regarding non-verbal children and their odds of talking.

I have done a lot of asd study over the last 2 years.

What I have learnt:

Most experts don't know the most recent studies.
1) fact 75% of asd children over 4 years of age that were not talking after a longitudinal study now do talk.  http://m.pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/4/e1128
There is also thought that the more we as parents expect this to be the case the higher these odds will be in our favour.
2) strangely enough of the autistic brain that lights up for speech for nt people is also used for song ........ Asd kids mri's showed that song in the brain was lighting up even better than an nt brain.....so many people including myself believe that our kids get better at speech with lots of song.
Study reference - http://m.brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/01/26/brain.awr335 my son could sing a lot of words that he could not say.
3) try to find any thing that your child enjoys whether it is spinning, lining up, Thomas the tank engine, staring into space......anything, start mirroring his actions as close as he will let you...... If that goes well try a logical or ordered song to sing while you do it.....like the alphabet song or a counting song.  When Edward was not really talking at all I found every chance possible to sing to him, in the car, the barney I love you song to put him to bed (this was really really hard, I was always choking back the tears - it took about 3 months )......this one was the loveliest song to hear my son repeat back to me.....so worth the pain of singing it.  Going up the stairs I would sing "going up the stairs", " getting in the car", put Edward in his swing out side and sing the alphabet song with NZ sign language, I found a ton of songs on you tube and when Edward would spin or flap or jump on the rebounder to the songs, I would sing along to the songs.  I put tile mirrors on the walls near the TV so he was getting more visual feedback of his face when he was trying to make sounds, I put his rear vision mirror back up in the car so he could look at his face while in the car.  He is now 3 year and 9 months and he is partially verbal and I am very confident he will be fluent before he hits primary school.

Examples of children who can sing or learning to sing but can't talk.  (Some people would really not like to believe.... So then there is a good reason not to try)

Nonverbal to helping me sing. Autism progress.: https://youtu.be/HQMM3vpx7S8

This young man can sing Sonia and is non-verbal in speech (or was at the time anyway) Non Verbal Autistic Child sings "A Whole New Worl…: http://youtu.be/pe-KbOiQAUc

So is this boy - 
Autistic mute discovers he can sing: https://youtu.be/b63r79ia_2s

And this little girl who is non verbal is trying to sing, you can tell that she is really engaged and wants to. My non verbal Autistic daughter can sing! -Frozen: https://youtu.be/gpy04KpEj7E

Some children stay silent forever.....but I would not stop trying is all I am saying.....I hear so many parents who just sound like they have given up .....I would never give up.

understanding Asd

Parents are starting to ask about 2e in their asd kids more and more now - I love this :-)
They are not just happy to believe their child's focus is an "obsession" that has to be crushed to stop their child from from going into their own world.

This means they are getting to the point that can see a different horizon of playing, learning and growing with their child's focus and in the process both child and parent succeed beyond wildest dreams.

2e means twice exceptional, a child who has both a disability and a gift.
Our Edward was diagnosed with asd at 1 year and 11 months.

With our son we had him watching your baby can read from 3 months and he just loved the videos from about 1 year and 10 months he was super keen on the leap frog letters.  At 2 years 3 months he was showing signs of being interested in words that we were writing and was making us write letters for him on his mega doodle board.  By 2 years 6 months I wanted to know how many words he might know......we ran out of words to ask him of words that we knew he knew. Short version of word reading: http://youtu.be/KQRhL1VRhNE

Now I thought "oh wow", my world was tipped upside down because we had been told crap about asd kids focus being nothing more than a " splinter skill", nothing real and asd kids IQ were at best 100, all their rubbish (including our EIT spouting the same crap) started sounding like witch craft and with no real merit behind it at all.  "The Spark" by Kristine Barnett was my saving grace, her book and words made the most sense to me and I believe her before any medical expert now regarding possibility, hope and how to go forward.  - I don't believe my son is a Jacob, but he will be the best Edward he can be :-). Jacob (Jake) Barnett "Math and Science Prodigy" o…: http://youtu.be/g91IQsS2spA

echolalia - echoing words

People ask about echolalia (repeating words heard) often -
My Edward is 3 years 9 months and is doing more echolalia, I can only assume in his case he is repeating the question to help with processing the verbal info.....to be honest when I heard people saying other wise I was dumbfounded because I am borderline on the spectrum and I repeat words people say to me in my head to help me process verbal information.  And you hear NT people use echolalia when they are having trouble understanding what they are hearing.

From:  http://www.albert-einstein.org/article_handicap.html
About Einstein -
"As a matter of fact, the boy was, and remained, a reluctant talker for quite some years, and, until the age of about seven, used to repeat his sentences to himself softly, a habit which contributed to the impression he might be somewhat dull."

Edward at 3 teaching mummy the elements

Finally caught on video - Edward is presently into the states of the united states, countries and where they are on the world map and this video shows his love for elements.

stimming

I would like to address stimming. (Stimulation we create or control)

For many kids this is jumping, spinning or flapping, lining things up, spinning wheels -
Stimming is a way of calming down from excitement or over stimulation.   Our asd people do more that NT people do, but we all stim.  If we have had a stressful day at work we may like to come home and stim by staring at the TV or starting chopping up Veges for dinner or go for a walk.  Any thing that helps us to relax from stress or over excitement is stimming to a lesser degree.  There is nothing mythical about stimming.  Just a relaxing pattern that we control to help us to feel in control again :-)

splinter skill

Some people on asd groups have reminded me of something I want other asd parents to know.
Edward had a love for letters since I don't know probably 6 months old is when I started noticing.  When Edward was diagnosed at 1 year and 11 months I got no promises of progress.  None, no promises that my son would ever talk, that he would ever progress from this child who could not communicate with me, could not tell me where he was hurting, could not tell me or show me that he loved me ever.

Please please don't underestimate your own instincts, when I told Edward's early intervention teacher that Edward loved letters I got told that this was just a splinter skill, that there was no real comprehension to what he was doing.  When Edward started reading words at about 2 years 5-6 months everyone started thinking I was bonkers, I thought I was going crazy.  But mother in law said hubby was starting to read at about 3 years of age.
At this stage I had read "the spark" by Kristine Barnett and was curious as to what else Edward would be interested in given the chance.  At 3 years and 8 months old Edward is still mad on letters....and numbers, solar system, Russian, Arabic letters, world map and where the countries are, USA and where the states are, the periodic table.
"Splinter skill" my foot, it was Edward's door.  He talks more and more using his loves, he is thriving in his own way.....I love it, I love Edward to the moon and back.
Normal???? Nope. Perfectly Edward style.

Please don't just accept what they tell you about how incapable your child is what ever the diagnosis.  Go with what works and expand on it, keep looking for the direction your child wants to go in next.  Please dare to hope and dream.

asd trouble in school

Your ASD child having trouble in school?  I ask that you please read what this young non verbal man says......from the horses mouth.  I promise it will help you understand.

As Neil from AutismNZ says "dumb ain't the problem"

http://faithhopeloveautism.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/the-mental-map-part-3-affect.html?m=1

This is what we are doing with Edward, if anyone else wants to try it with their child.

This is what we are doing with Edward, if anyone else wants to try it with their child.

Disclaimer - I am not telling anyone how to raise their ASD child this is just what I have noticed, read and understand and what is working for my son.

Use strengths -  Whether you are NT or autistic just being human - if you have an interest you will be happy to learn anything you connect with it - if you enjoy learning you are more likely to retain that information.

Dr Simon Baron-Cohen (Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, University of Cambridge and Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge. He is Director, Autism Research Centre (ARC) in Cambridge) suggested just this for helping with something that is rather scary for our children.  And some people have put together a video for our kids to help with face emotions  - http://www.thetransporters.com/

Movement helps with listening

You are very right our children having amazing abilities of visual input. - if you want a child to learn to hear and learn language if they move they calm their visual cortex and are able to hear and process information better - so trampolining together/ driving/ swinging/ spinning/ walking/ running/ movement on TV or computer or tablet/ or taking a train etc all help with your child hearing and processing information..... Yes that is why they like it, our kids do it naturally.  Get involved - if they are dancing to a song, dance too, sing along and notice how they start engaging with you.  Just thing about how much easier you find having a chat with a friend or thinking when going for a walk - our kids aren't that different. - Carly explains this better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzskJPy74E

Using their strengths

When they are moving talk like you don't know how to stop, make it relevant, sing as much as possible it helps our kids utilise more of our children's focus in an Oxford mri study shows that our children can learn better this way. http://m.brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/01/26/brain.awr335

Bumblebee kids videos have some excellent resources for kids on the spectrum -

My son just loves their videos, they go over many things in relation to feelings, sentence building, explaining pretend play, meeting and greeting, prepositions, opposites.  alphabet have all been ones that my son uses and learns from. https://babybumblebee.com/Children-With-Autism/

You don't need to spend to start noticing how well video modelling can help your child I found these on youtube and they are amazing I believe video modelling this way works because it can be done in the comfort and less anxiety of the family home. - No social things needs to be adhered to at the same time.

http://youtu.be/LHrs981J0-g   How to build a sandcastle

http://youtu.be/et-Q2dzfvDQ  How to use a slide

http://youtu.be/mcS90is6Tbg Sit - Stand - Run - Jump etc - also videoing your son doing these things helps and having the words at the bottom to explain with words is great like this http://youtu.be/3TMK_WgXkbU

I have made some playlists for our specialist children.
PS - The Basic learning social songs are great to help for all sorts, and some even replace social stories, way more fun and enjoyable to listen to.

Alphabet songs  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9TszXg98Jsailcu9QT9v-JJ

Animals  -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsDanlM8_3c&list=PLt1mf23I6t9Qz_iouyEKLyKNFpJYxNmLr

Ball/balloon/bubble songs  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9StIe1FZQIZfIojbO9aZpbU

Communication clips -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9FexaiRQNK0dMmpnKMMPU_rs6TVpqAlU

Dinosaur clips -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPphPHIzdSQOEjoWBCEu1txWsWswfi9Ay

Basic learning social songs  -
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9RXN7Ls7H02rvvDf4l64Ql-

Frozen fans (3) - (added bonus sub titles)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9QB2_Vyc_SNSORjxnEYCv8i

Numbers  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9QPYVxMwM8khzSGHKFuBfhX

Planets  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9Tgs_wLdmZ_Lp9QhC4g8ODp

Trains  -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt1mf23I6t9TRLVfSoIEF54u-Eu7tgZU2

We have subtitles on while watching TV because Edward loves reading the words, it makes it more interesting to "listen" to what is going on.

Endless Alphabet - https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/endless-alphabet/id591626572?mt=8 and Endless Words - https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/endless-reader/id722910739?mt=8 apps in ipad are excellent for visual learners

On how you teach -

Show don't tell (or I show and tell at the same time)  - Say the word Jump and Jump at the same time.  Better still is when your son is jumping just keep repeating the word "Jump" and "you are jumping", then you jump and say things like "jump" and " I am jumping" and "we are both jumping etc.

And please never underestimate how much your child can and will pick up and understand.

Ok please have a look through all this pick and choose what you like and start with that :-)  Good luck, and if you want to talk and ask questions please feel free. :-)

Autism or ASD pain stakingly getting support for early intervention

"Curb" I believe is the wrong word.  If we teach a blind child how to navigate their world based on their perception, teach them to read Braille and work with a stick and seeing eye dog we don't tend to call that "curb" ing blindness.  We might call it working to their strengths.  We don't say ok we have now taught them now to see by using Braille so we don't need to give them a walking stick anymore.

So why do they constantly do that to kids on the spectrum?  Oh we will make him sit and focus by making him sit on the mat at kindy.....ummm then you have a "good child" who is very unlikely to comprehend anything they are hearing or seeing......but well done for making them look "normal".
The more I see and hear of studies and classes the best results are coming from (I know this is awfully shocking) is working with the strengths of the child.  Wow I know right?  Freaky, helping the child to navigate their world and learning about their world works......much like when someone wants to befriend you they will copy your body language, they will imitate your body language and be interested in what you are interested in.  They will make you feel at ease in your environment.  They will talk with you and acknowledge you.

They won't go all out to make you feel different or wrong.
http://www.m.webmd.com/children/news/20150122/study-hints-that-video-feedback-therapy-may-help-curb-autism

Teach with their strength

After googling this and coming across no such quote, I shall claim it.  But totally credit Kristine Barnett​ for it.

"my child has a low IQ"

Those that have dyslexia can still be very intelligent, those who stutter can still be intelligent.  Their brains are disabled in a way and yet it does not stop their propensity to learn.....they just need help with that limitation.  Their parents aren't told they have low IQs and best of luck with their future......  All I am saying is just because one can be needing intellectual help does not mean they are static......some cases maybe, but not all.  We used to think that of downs children but slowly parents are learning their children also have more potential than first thought.
http://www.takingonthegiant.com/2014/01/23/bishop/

Please stop writing off ASD kid's skills

Please stop writing off ASD kid's skills -

My son uses what he knows in context, "splinter skills" aren't just novel they are the key to helping our kids with the things they find harder. If we gave the other kids a chance I would say more people would notice more Jacob Barnett's, more Rylan's, more Dr Temple Grandin's, more Carly Fleischman's, more Edward Warburton's, more Michael Weinstein's, more Jake Wilman's, more Dillian Barmache's, more Dr. Stephen Shore's, more Henry's (writer of rosesareredforautism.WordPress.com

), more Chris Varney's, more Daniel Tammet's, more Dr John Hall's than you would have ever dreamed of.

Maybe I am a little bit more optimistic because "the one made earlier", his dad also was a brilliant speller and reader, was a little slow at picking up speech (was around 3 when he started being fluent) and when he did now sounds like he was born from upper class england. Used to love spinning, had pica (and still does a bit), loved maths, his mother had a terrible time getting him to sleep through the night. She was a little concerned and was thinking about seeing a specialist. He was picked on at school and would stay in his room most of the time, when younger she used a child lead because he would run. She just thought he was bright cookie. And now he has a degree in Engineering, a masters in Computer Engineering and a post grad in computer Engineering. I don't see why his son who is partially verbal should not have a similar outcome. .........maybe I am being too positive or overly ambitious but you know what it sure as hell beats saying "poor me, my life is crap and my child can't learn."

Different ability not disability

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=518069241666800   There is no way on god's green earth Rylan has an IQ of 70 (That is what he is tested at). When he does this comfortably at 3 years of age and is non verbal.  It was by accident that his nana got him an alphabet mat and that they started noticing he could spell.  http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/25613637/tennessee-boy-with-autism-communicates-with-yard-sale-play-mat 
Please people please believe in your children before experts.  It may be that one little new thing you introduce to your child that proves them wrong.

Oh please parents notice the interaction that he gives Tasha his "mom" because she is playing with him, this is Rylan's play.

Low IQ in non-verbal autistic people

"Especially damning are the assumptions that my intelligence is low because of my thwarted attempts to respond the way others expect; with verbal words. I can remember a time when a person said to Mom that I have a very low IQ of 40, and I wanted to scream, NO! But I couldn’t. It was horrible not to be able to defend myself."

https://rosesareredforautism.wordpress.com/

"autism intervention"

One person in a group asked what interventions worked for your child.
My reply -

We were lucky to get an amazing SLT who taught PECs properly.

Reading "the spark" by Kristine Barnett - this video is about her son Jacob (Jake) Barnett "Math and Science Prodigy" on 60 Minutes: http://youtu.be/g91IQsS2spA

I watched this - Autism - How My Unstoppable Mother Proved the Experts Wrong: Chris Varne...: http://youtu.be/T1HQKB2txgY

I watched this -
Non-verbal girl with Autism speaks through her computer 20/20 ABC News: http://youtu.be/xMBzJleeOno
---- Autism What Everyone Should Know Medical Course: http://youtu.be/sIzskJPy74E

I watched this -
TEDxOrangeCoast - Daniel Amen - Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: http://youtu.be/MLKj1puoWCg

I watched this -

Son-Rise - A Miracle Of Love  - Meu Filho, Meu Mundo: http://youtu.be/9auYQOlUKo4

I read this -

http://m.brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/01/26/brain.awr335.full

And watched this -

My Baby Can Sight Read at 20 months! (Oh and he has Down syndrome): http://youtu.be/NOq7jAtpEWc

And read this -

http://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/in-brief/2013/clinical-research-quiet-autism-toddlers-may-learn-to-talk

I read Carly and her dad's book - called "breaking through autism"

These are the most outstanding to me.   You say "intervention?" - I realised the medical profession is all over the place and don't really know yet, but in these studies, movies and books using mainly Kristine's ideas of more not less.  I realised I was Edward's intervention, if I thought someone else was going to do this for me I was sadly mistaken, he was right in front of me and I had to learn his language asap.  ..... And I don't think we are doing too badly at all. :-).

Bumblebee kids videos helped -
http://www.babybumblebee.com/

And the transporters video also -
http://www.thetransporters.com/

And an honourable mention to AutismNZ for their courses that are the closest to the same page as me and I would recommend to anyone working with autistic people.

Autism - " putting the world together differently"

"developmental abilities of an 18-month-old for nearly half his life"

"Sam's parents insist that people on the autism spectrum, like Sam, are full of potential; it's reaching that potential that requires traversing a set of steps unlike what the majority of the population experiences.
Even when he tested as having the developmental abilities of a toddler, he was able to ski, use a compass when hiking and assemble puzzles, Janice said. She called it the conundrum of autism: Poor communication and poor testing skills lead people to think they're stupid, when that's hardly the case, she said.
"They are just putting the world together differently, which is what needs to be recognized, respected and nurtured," she said."
http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/2015/01/27/fort-collins-man-smashing-autism-stereotypes/22388121/

Too many neurons

For me to understand ASD I had to read and read and sort through what seemed logical and what seemed like utter nonsense about ASD.  The information on neurons not pruning and there being too many made the most sense based on ASD symptoms.  So I went about finding any books or info on working with a child that had the best probable outcome based on too many neurons. (Basically too much data coming into the brain to process and how that could be best worked around, helped etc.  How could this be made a positive and not a negative?
I kind of answered that myself when asking a group something along the lines of "if there are too many neurons and they need to communicate with each other how?  Just say the neurons are people in a room.  It is easy for 2 people to communicate if they are the only people, but if the room is full with people, you need to communicate that message to a lot of people to get that message across".....
And that actually is my answer, all those neurons need to be taught that message.  That takes time and patience and using the more interesting and strong people in that room to help pass that message on. (Use what the person is interested and focused on and always connect to those neurons by showing you are interested too).
Pass the message by making small incremental changes.

Essentially, the stronger pathways in the brain are based on what interests the child.  If you use those pathways to add knowledge (by focussing on what interests them), you will have a much higher success rate than trying to build completely new pathways, (especially trying to make the child do something they don't want to do).  Ever tried to learn something when you didn't want to, and had nothing to relate it to, or interest in?

Anyway it is working for Edward and I hope it works for more of you.

Reference to more neurons study:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/237224.php

I feel it makes a big difference for a child on the spectrum.  I feel that it works well for all people on and off the spectrum....but those off are more likely to pick up speech etc without this method where as with my son's speech and learning I think this has been imperative.  
Some people around the world are doing this, and those willing to write and talk about it I am definitely listening to.
Many parents don't know this information as fact.  Many parents still believe their child is just more severe, or have been told their child has a low IQ and won't do well and work on their weaknesses etc.
I wrote this hoping that it made enough sense for some parents to say "hey the other stuff we are doing has not seemed to work, let's give this idea a go, it is working for this person and makes sense."

vent alert

Sure society is severely mentally deficient in understanding but the biggest ones that deserve that sound track of an old fashioned record being scratched is most of the "experts". One mother was told that anymore children after her first and only child was dxed so would the rest. 
Many many times I have heard cases of parents being told that if their child has not started talking by four just basically give up ( even a latest study dated March 2013 says that 75% of children not speaking by 4 will still speak). http://m.pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/4/e1128
Parents are constantly getting told that their child's IQ is under normal level, which is just not true in many cases.......just because they can't properly measure a child who does not see any reason to take the test and has difficulty with verbal information.
Parents get told there is something wrong with their child, just because they learn differently does not mean there is something " wrong" with them. It is called a disorder when it is only a different order.   An apple I hear is a good computer, but it works differently to my windows laptop.  The processing is done on a different operating system (uses a different base language) they are also wired differently.  If I want to write a program on hubby's apple computer I would have to learn a whole new language. I have had to learn a lot and fast for my son and I still stuff up, but to reach him I had to and continue to learn his language. ("Experts " don't get this, they want to teach my son by forcing him to learn our language out of thin air......)
Ok vent over, thanks for listening.

If you don't try

When Edward meets someone new or is in a new environment he is for all intents and purposes non verbal, and shows no skill people only see his amazing side because it is at home, he is used to being photographed and filmed right from day 1, he now will echo things in public like when I say "say hi Lisa" and he will more than likely say it. That is all. So people who see Edward in the mall are seeing a child that seems more and more less able, but as you all can see in my videos that is not what we see at home at all.

You have not seen him non verbal or screaming on the floor in the mall or when his EIT turned up and he had a massive meltdown and just seconds away from bashing the back of his head on the rebounder and screaming at the kindy doors because he wanted to be in the sand pit not inside with the others at mat time (even though he did not have to sit with them), you have not seen the dirty looks I get from other parents because my son has bitten theirs, I get dirty looks when an adult asks Edward a question and he has completely dismissed it. Everything in public suggests that Edward is "mentally deficient". Edward is just that brilliant book that will change your life and your perspective on everything in you as long as you can only not snob the strange looking dust cover.

I say all this not to put my son down but for all those parents who say, " oh but your son is not like my son", "your son is high functioning, mine is not that capable", " your son is not really moderate, more like mild ", " my child can't do that".
My reply is you are very right that your child can't do that.....if you don't try. There is no harm in trying with your child, you might just find out how capable your child actually is. You might give up on the poor me trip that you are on and see some potential and a brighter future.

Or I may be wrong and what have you lost?????

My Russian tutor - Edwards Russian tutorial to date from 27th Dec to 10th Jan 2015

3.5 years old can barely say sentences, now has in his repertoire, English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Russian and starting to learn Arabic.....so I guess next on the teach mummy list is Arabic.

What if he is wrong???

https://adiaryofamom.wordpress.com/2015/01/06/but-what-if-hes-wrong/

Autism ASD - Dear friends and family (what I would have liked to have heard just after diagnosis)

To the parents, family and friends just starting out on this journey.

My sad moments were when firstly I thought my son was going to get an aspie diagnosis then the doctor said "Edward is on the spectrum and he is not mild", also he said even if Asperger's was still being diagnosed Edward would still be Autistic because of his lack of verbal and non verbal communication and his lack of comprehension. The reason why I fell apart is the thoughts that flooded my mind were of my darling baby boy being institutionalised and having to rely on minimum wage carers who if having a bad day could without consequence take it out on my son....... that was what I grieved for my baby boy. The first thing I did was educate myself as fast as I possibly could on how to make sure the outcome for my son would not be that horror movie playing again and again in my mind. ........ I have learnt so much since those days and those horror movies no longer run through my head of such a negative future, too much relies on my positive thoughts for his future. I have never grieved the son I was "mean't to have" I have always only wanted my child/ children to be happy. And even though Edward is delayed in some "normal milestones", he is far exceeding his potential in "atypical milestones". And as I have said to another child recently when the child said "at his age, I could swing myself", "Edward does other things better". This is when you learn that there is nothing to grieve, when you can accept your child for what makes them amazing. Big big hugs.