Hi. I am a 51 year old mom of 2 girls, ages 21 & 4. I grew up with a lot of social anxiety & awkwardness. I never had friends at school until a foreigner joined the school and I guess felt sorry for me. We were friends through college. I was able to force myself to make friends in high school because I was determined to have a social life, and I have kept in touch with them occasionally in the years since high school. I got married at age 22 to my first real boyfriend and we are still together. I still have some social awkwardness, but I have forced myself to make friends throughout the years and have several "groups" of friends now as an adult but not really a "best" friend.
Anyway, I came to be here because my little one has been recently diagnosed with ASD. She was a little behind in her fine motor and communication skills at her 4 year old checkup which led to a speech therapy evaluation. The therapist noticed some "red flags" during the evaluation and referred us for a developmental evaluation. The result of that was the ASD diagnosis. Now it has been a few months since the diagnosis and with the research I have been doing, I believe I have Asperger's or high functioning autism, as well as my 21 year old daughter.
My little daughter has been doing fabulous with speech therapy and has tuned into a chatterbox! I'm thrilled!! Now, the developmental therapist referred her for ABA therapy. The evaluation was just finished, but the more I learn about ABA therapy the less I like. I don't want her behavior modified. Yes, I would like to stop the screaming when we go to a store, but if she's scared or it's too loud or if whatever I would rather her be able to communicate that she is uncomfortable rather than screaming. If she does some funky things while she plays who cares. That's what makes her special. That's part of why I love her. Mama Bear wants to protect her. I guess it depends on what form the "ABA" therapy takes, as what the evaluator told us would happen was quite different from traditional ABA therapy. I don't know what to do. All I want for her is a happy & healthy life and I don't want to change her. It is really hard to be a mom.
Anyway, I came to be here because my little one has been recently diagnosed with ASD. She was a little behind in her fine motor and communication skills at her 4 year old checkup which led to a speech therapy evaluation. The therapist noticed some "red flags" during the evaluation and referred us for a developmental evaluation. The result of that was the ASD diagnosis. Now it has been a few months since the diagnosis and with the research I have been doing, I believe I have Asperger's or high functioning autism, as well as my 21 year old daughter.
My little daughter has been doing fabulous with speech therapy and has tuned into a chatterbox! I'm thrilled!! Now, the developmental therapist referred her for ABA therapy. The evaluation was just finished, but the more I learn about ABA therapy the less I like. I don't want her behavior modified. Yes, I would like to stop the screaming when we go to a store, but if she's scared or it's too loud or if whatever I would rather her be able to communicate that she is uncomfortable rather than screaming. If she does some funky things while she plays who cares. That's what makes her special. That's part of why I love her. Mama Bear wants to protect her. I guess it depends on what form the "ABA" therapy takes, as what the evaluator told us would happen was quite different from traditional ABA therapy. I don't know what to do. All I want for her is a happy & healthy life and I don't want to change her. It is really hard to be a mom.
