Comments on: Bryan Dattilo Offers Advice to Parents of Children With Autism

By: Chele

Chele — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:08:19 +0000

I’m sorry, our son had made tremendous strides at 4y/o

By: Chele

Chele — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:06:37 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dattilo’s article. My son was dx’d at 2.5y/o with PDD-NOS, which is mild autism. at 3y/o he has made tremendous strides. From saying nothing, flapping his arms and dazing at spinning wheels to having about 200 words to play with other children and less “stimming.” I know he will always be an awkward kid, but hubby and really have hope for him, and this article increased my hope.

By: CelebBabyLover

CelebBabyLover — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:24:02 +0000

Colleen- “Moderate” Autism is just another way of saying high-functioning Autism.

By: Colleen

Colleen — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:58:41 +0000

Momto3 I agree with you….what is “moderate” autism? My son was diagnosed with “mild” autism, and it blows me away! Higher functioning, yes…but come on! I wish more celebs. would discuss his/her experiences with their children and autism! Jenny Mccarthy whether you like her or not has raised a lot of awareness and for that I will be thankful! I still CAN’T STAND Dennis Leary and what he said about parents and children with autism. It amazes me that it was OK……if nobody knows what I am talking about, google it.

By: Jacquie

Jacquie — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:13:40 +0000

I have to say I think it is great that we have come so far that we don’t send children to a “special home” like noam’s brother when they are not typically developing in today’s society! That had to be heartbreaking for your mom and dad and then to discover that he can communicate and read and everything… that was a touching post! Like I said, the way we approach ASD and other things today I think is so much more beneficial for the children and their families rather than hiding them away somewhere.

By: dearling

dearling — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:27:40 +0000

As a teacher who has worked with students and tutees who are on both ends of the spectrum, I HIGHLY recommend the book “Look Me In The Eye: My Life with Asperger’s” by John Elder Robison. It’s his memoirs of his life and how he coped and developed with his Asperger’s. It’s an amazing story and I highly recommend it to both students (age appropriately, of course) and parents of my students.

By: LucyMarie

LucyMarie — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:58:00 +0000

I have a son with high functioning autism(Asperger’s) and I love him to death. His best buddies are will be in the 5th and 2nd grades–my son will be in high school. His Dad refuses to acknowledge our son’s autism, but I have spent years getting him diagnosed so he can get help. Sadly because of my ex my son did not get help until the 5th grade and we lost a lot of time.

However, my concern with this article is the part how the little boy is a “best friend” I love my son and I understand his challenges, but I never would burden him with calling him a “best friend”

By: michelle

michelle — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:18:54 +0000

“michelle- “Some children grow out of it, some do not.” That isn’t true. You cannot outgrow Autism. You have it for life. Some kids with Autism can improve quite a bit with therapy and such, but Autism isn’t something that can be cured 100 percent.”

I didn’t mean to imply that it is cureable. Sorry, wrong choice of words. What I meant to say is that some children grow out of some symptoms and how they are displayed – or appear to control them better with age & therapy. I was trying to convey how variable it can be in simpler terms.

By: kim

kim — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:17:40 +0000

“He Photographs normal” Daze that is what makes any autism not so cut and dry. To appear normal is actually a cause of ridicule when people don’t understand the Spectrum of Autism. My son appears as normal as any 16 year old has Asperger’s. His body has matured while his mind is still delayed about 2.5-3 years. Now he can function with minimal redirection as we have worked with many therapists and doctors. One day he will be able to drive and carry on with adult responsibility, he will never be able to read body language or get the meaning of puns and he will take over others personal space. I have hopes that he will have a family and others won’t judge him for his slight difference.

By: amee

amee — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:57:17 +0000

Not like I really want to defend the professionals who fail to take into consideration the parents’ feelings, but I have to point out that the different doctors, therapists, etc., have to fill out forms so that children with “special needs” get EVERYTHING they are entitled. The forms do not take into consideration the niceties of “just a little bit” and the language that they use ensure that the maximum amount of benefits are allocated can sound worse than what it is. Having worked with these professionals, they frequently have to defend to local/state authorities the worst case scenario that they present on those forms, but each one hopes for the best.