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<>Autism

I will praise thee; for I am  fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.   -Psalm 139:14

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Resources for Homeschooling
Your Autistic Child
What Are Social Stories
What are social stories? They are wonderful little stories for teaching everyday skills! Read this link for what they are and how to use them, and click  below to download your free social stories to print. If you would like to purchase them printed and bound email me for prices and availability: teachingathome@lycos.com

FREE SocIAL STORIES
Clean Hands
I Can Say "Hi!"
Emotions
(This one is a bit different
and isn't in story form)


More coming as I write them for Luke!

Support our site and ongoing education for Luke
by purchasing items from these links:

Helping support services for people on the autism spectrum.
(SUPER resoureces here for teaching autistic children!)


General Autism Information
Advantages of Homeschooling Autistics
The Socialization Issue
TEACCH. com
The Option Institute
Speech/Pathology Directory
Autism Today
Bringing Your Special Ed. Child Home
Special Education At Home
Wrong Planet Syndrome
Wrong Planet's Mom Story
SonRise.com
Alex's Story
What is a Meltdown and Why Do They Happen? Quirky Autism Oddizms
What Autism IS and What It Is NOT
Quirky Kids
A Child's Book About Autism
Autism Acceptance
Autism-PDD Network
Gluten-Casein Free
GFCF Diet.com
Enzymes & Stuff
Neurodi-versity.com
Are Other Families Homeschooling?
MSN Group for Autistic Children
Aut-2-Be-Home (great resource!)
Riding the Rainbow
Theories Aout Autism
Autism Research Institute
Autism Society of America
  (or most of this stuff on one page)
The Socialization Issue
TEACCH. com
Dana's View
Autism-PDD Support Network
The Option Institute
Speech/Pathology Directory
Autism Today
Bringing Your Special Ed. Child Home
Special Education At Home

<><>In the beginning of this journey into the world of autism and after wading through mountains of research,hundreds of books and articles, interviewing and speaking with professionals of all kinds, I found myself drowning in a sea of information with still no clear answers to my questions.
 
A couple of years later I accept the fact  that there are no answers as to "why" and that maybe there never will be. The only thing left for me to do is decide how I am going to live with this person in my life with autism. I guess I fall somewhere in between the two camps.
 
On one side we have most of the medical community and the belief that autism must be cured... NOW. On the other hand is the view that autism really isn't a disability at all. I tend to believe both.

And no, I'm not riding any fences. I believe several things  that guide  and
influence my thoughts on autism, as well as how I choose to raise my son Luke. Among these are:

1) The belief in a Sovereign, Just & Holy God...
 and that there are no mistakes. That includes autism. I may not understand this but I trust the Lord with it completely.


2) The belief that we are all different in our own
way, some just more so than others.

3) Everyone is unique. I have no desire to make my children into cookie-cutter replicas of each other. Quite the contrary.
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These beliefs lead me to reject ABA for Luke because at it's foundation is the belief that autistics aren't "normal" and that they need to be changed or made to "FIT" into society. How many wonderful inventors, composers, artists and entrepreneurs would the world miss if we were to "cure" everyone that is different?

I do believe diet and nutrition plays an intricate role in all of our lives and that perhaps there is something to the whole "gut malfunction" controversy as it relates to the autism spectrum. Luke did quite well on a gluten and casein free diet. He broke out with some speech that had previously only lingered under the surface and aggression/stemming receded. He seemed more at ease. I  have since added gluten back and he now takes enzyme supplements. Same story.

He seems more at ease and his speech is still progressing. The main reason I stayed with the gluten-free idea though is because on the diet (and with the enzymes too) he has had no more sinus pain or ear infections. At all. That in itself might have caused the progress in terms of speech.

In the end, we might think we understand autism, and maybe someday we might have a  "cure". But for now, if you have a child with autism, relax. Do your best for them and leave what you cannot change in God's hands.