Autism Support!
Living with Autism is Nearly impossible without support. Autism support is not as elusive as it once was. 20 years ago it was like an underground club with no address on the door. Children were just Autistic and parents just accepted it. Autistic children grew up to live with there parents or in a group home. Growing up my friend had a older brother with Autism and he was the stereotypical Autistic person. He would just rock in his chair listening to Elvis over and over. He memorized the phone book and could randomly tell you the info on anyone listed inside it. Fast forward to 2005 our son Arek was 18 months old and had just been diagnosed with Autism. Thanks to the internet autism support was only a google away. Our family was not shocked like most are to hear this news. We had researched and began learning what we could when Arek was turning one. Arek had not developed normally and we knew something was not right. Support from your extended family may be hindered by a lack of understanding about autism. Autism support groups and forums can provide much needed emotional support. It is difficult to find a baby sitter, now add the autistic factor and it is extremely difficult.
Autism Support groups
Autism support groups are one valuable resource for parents. They consist of other parents who are going through the same tough times as you are. In most larger populated areas there are a number of autism support groups. Although these groups may seem like Autism anonymous they are very relaxed and often well organized. We have sat in on a few of the groups offered and it was inspiring and helpful. Information for autism support groups in your area can be obtained from early intervention, sometimes your doctors office and google. For your convenience we have included a search box at the top of the page. Simply type "autism support groups" followed by your city and state.
Autism Support Online
If you are like some people you do not feel comfortable sharing your story with strangers. Lisa prefers online Autism support You can join a forum and discuss ideas there. The nice thing about forums is you can read most of the posts and stories shared without even revealing who you are. The if you feel compelled to you can sign up and join the discussion. Alternatively online groups exist which provide Autism support. Groups such as yahoo groups are very similar to forums. Often groups you need to register and participate. Whether you join a forum or group you will benefit from the emotional support.
Financial Support for Autism
This is an area that is so drastically lacking it is very sad indeed. The US surgeon general since 2001 has recommended ABA Advanced Behavioral Analysis as the best treatment regiment for autism. Sadly this very expensive program averages the families who can afford it $85,000 a year. ABA is not covered under most insurance plans or the medicaid program. Possible sources for financial support are Supplemental Security income. If your child has Autism then they qualify for SSI. The only catch is income restrictions. The calculations and amounts are beyond the scope of this article.
Read, Read and Read Some More
The best Autism support I have personally found has been to read, read and read some more. Read books, web sites, articles anything you can get your hands on about autism. You must be careful not to get sucked into scams and quackery. Even autism has its so called miracle cures. The truth is there is NO cure for Autism. There is however therapies, and some herbal, nutritional supplements that may help with the symptoms. I will create the reading room when I get a chance. The Essential Guide to Autism is a good book I highly recommend. It is very well written and covers a vast amount of information. If you do not have the time or energy to search far and wide for answers to your questions this book is a great place to start. For the information seekers like myself then utilize the google box at the top of this page and start searching and read, read, read. Your local library is also a good place for autism books.
Check out this article on developing an Autism diet plan. Here is an article on the herbal or natural approaches to dealing with Autistic behavior.
