This has been a long day. Not having managed to sleep at all last night, house chores this morning were even more exhausting. On the plus side,I managed to strip down the travel 'furniture' i.e. pram, pushchair and car seats, so that I could disinfect their fabric.
When it comes to the stripping down of such items, I would recommend to get the assistance of an experienced person, such as a friend who has children below the age of 10. The friend in question would still have a vivid memory of how it is done therefore speeding up the process. Make sure you follow attentively what is removed from where, as the reassembly will be a nightmare otherwise. If possible, get the friend to commit to come over to help you reassemble the 'furniture' should you not manage to do so by yourself.
I'm currently working on another doll - the details of which will remain secret for the time being. The reason is that I'm making 2 of the same - one for Creature, and one for a friend of mine who offered ever so nicely to make us a Nappy Bag. I'm loving the large amount of handmade items Creature is accumulating. I know s/he won't appreciate it for now, but when older, I'm sure s/he will appreciate the time, energy and effort put into the making of such items.
By the way, do you people recall the blog regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder? I came across this article,which I though may be of interest. Seems like psychiatrists are wrestling with the same question I ponder frequently myself - where does one draw the line between quirky/unusual and abnormal? Having said that,I feel that this revision is a step backwards. We'll see how it will affect people worldwide I guess.
Showing posts with label spectrum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spectrum. Show all posts
Monday, 23 January 2012
Friday, 6 January 2012
Ignorance is bliss, right? WRONG.
In a previous blog, I have expressed my views on educating oneself on different medical conditions that may affect you, your child, or someone else's child. Today though I'd like to bring your attention to something which is way more common.
I lost count of how many people I know who happen to be, have a child, a sibling, a relative or a friend who is Autistic. It is an extremely common issue nowadays. I won't pretend that I understand what Autism is all about - because I don't. No autistic person is the same as the next, and the Autism Spectrum includes so many different disorders that you would have to be a professional who studied intensively about the topic to even begin to comprehend it all.
What I do know though is that the earlier a child is diagnosed, the better chances s/he has of getting the assistance s/he needs to have as average a life as possible. The best people to pick up signals that a child might be autistic are those who spend a lot of time regularly with him/her such as yourself, and anyone who might babysit your child regularly.
With this in mind, I spoke to a good friend of mine who is way more knowledgeable about the topic due to it affecting her sibling. She has provided me with some awesome links to check out, which I'll share with you:
A good site for basic info: http://www.autismspeaks.org/
A good website for researchy stuff http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/research/
Autistic individuals can range from a variety of Functional levels to a vast variety of limited functionality or non-functionality. I firmly believe that one should know what sort of tell-tale signs to look out for, as certain things may easily be overlooked as just being "quirks", so to speak.
Whilst discussing this with my friend, she told me that at first, her mother thought that her sibling was deaf as loud noises - such as a door slamming - never startled her.Back in the day, this non-reaction meant nothing. Nowadays, it is one of the most common tell-tale signs.
I will attempt to create a list of signs one should look out for - however please keep in mind that I'm no specialist, and most likely neither are you - so if you recognise some of these signs in anyone you might know, refer to a pro who will be able to issue a diagnosis.
Tell-tale signs
A child may display signs of Autism as early as 1 year of age. In clinical terms, there are a few “absolute indicators,” also known as “red flags,” which indicate that a child should be evaluated. For a parent, these are the “red flags” that your child should be screened to ensure that s/he is on the right developmental path. If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your paediatrician or family practitioner for an immediate evaluation:
Besides from the tell-tale signs listed above, there are also other signs one can look out for.
One of my closest friends was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome - which is one kind of Autism. Had he not told me himself about the diagnosis, I would have never guessed it myself. He is a fully-functional adult with what I would call a few "quirks" that make him so awesome. I myself always having been somewhat anti-social would have thought nothing of this trait in him and just assumed he too doesn't like being around people most of the time. In truth, he likes being around people but cannot cope with big groups - so as much as he likes to attend a good concert, the crowd might easily become overwhelming to him and he'd have to return back home.
This is pretty much the reason why I feel it is extremely important to educate oneself. Though certain disorders that make up the Autism Spectrum allow the individual to be functional within modern day society, albeit with some minor limitations, it will still be tough to establish a relationship where there is mutual understanding between a Parent and a Child if the disorder goes by undiagnosed. The parent[s] might easily think their child is just being awkward - a "problem child", so to speak - whereas in truth, the child would just be a regular Autistic child, behaving within his norm's parameters.
A few days ago, an article about one of the most amazing Autistic children ever reappeared on Facebook - I had already come across it over a year ago. Here is a link - read it, watch
I lost count of how many people I know who happen to be, have a child, a sibling, a relative or a friend who is Autistic. It is an extremely common issue nowadays. I won't pretend that I understand what Autism is all about - because I don't. No autistic person is the same as the next, and the Autism Spectrum includes so many different disorders that you would have to be a professional who studied intensively about the topic to even begin to comprehend it all.
What I do know though is that the earlier a child is diagnosed, the better chances s/he has of getting the assistance s/he needs to have as average a life as possible. The best people to pick up signals that a child might be autistic are those who spend a lot of time regularly with him/her such as yourself, and anyone who might babysit your child regularly.
With this in mind, I spoke to a good friend of mine who is way more knowledgeable about the topic due to it affecting her sibling. She has provided me with some awesome links to check out, which I'll share with you:
A good site for basic info: http://www.autismspeaks.org/
A good website for researchy stuff http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/research/
A good website especially for books http://fhautism.com/
Autistic individuals can range from a variety of Functional levels to a vast variety of limited functionality or non-functionality. I firmly believe that one should know what sort of tell-tale signs to look out for, as certain things may easily be overlooked as just being "quirks", so to speak.
Whilst discussing this with my friend, she told me that at first, her mother thought that her sibling was deaf as loud noises - such as a door slamming - never startled her.Back in the day, this non-reaction meant nothing. Nowadays, it is one of the most common tell-tale signs.
I will attempt to create a list of signs one should look out for - however please keep in mind that I'm no specialist, and most likely neither are you - so if you recognise some of these signs in anyone you might know, refer to a pro who will be able to issue a diagnosis.
Tell-tale signs
A child may display signs of Autism as early as 1 year of age. In clinical terms, there are a few “absolute indicators,” also known as “red flags,” which indicate that a child should be evaluated. For a parent, these are the “red flags” that your child should be screened to ensure that s/he is on the right developmental path. If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your paediatrician or family practitioner for an immediate evaluation:
- No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
- No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
- No babbling by 12 months
- No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
- No words by 16 months
- No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
- Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age
Besides from the tell-tale signs listed above, there are also other signs one can look out for.
- Limited social interaction [where the child may appear to be "a loner"]
- A tendency of repetitive behaviour such as an extreme fondness of stacking or repetitive motions [not far off from what OCD might look like]
- A very keen interest shown only in a limited amount of topics
- No standard reactions to loud noises
One of my closest friends was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome - which is one kind of Autism. Had he not told me himself about the diagnosis, I would have never guessed it myself. He is a fully-functional adult with what I would call a few "quirks" that make him so awesome. I myself always having been somewhat anti-social would have thought nothing of this trait in him and just assumed he too doesn't like being around people most of the time. In truth, he likes being around people but cannot cope with big groups - so as much as he likes to attend a good concert, the crowd might easily become overwhelming to him and he'd have to return back home.
This is pretty much the reason why I feel it is extremely important to educate oneself. Though certain disorders that make up the Autism Spectrum allow the individual to be functional within modern day society, albeit with some minor limitations, it will still be tough to establish a relationship where there is mutual understanding between a Parent and a Child if the disorder goes by undiagnosed. The parent[s] might easily think their child is just being awkward - a "problem child", so to speak - whereas in truth, the child would just be a regular Autistic child, behaving within his norm's parameters.
A few days ago, an article about one of the most amazing Autistic children ever reappeared on Facebook - I had already come across it over a year ago. Here is a link - read it, watch
Monday, 26 December 2011
Stop screwing up your child
Earlier today, I was catching up with a fellow nerd friend of mine. Just general chit-chat, really. The topic of educational issues came up, and we were discussing Parental Imposed Handicaps.
Allow me to clarify what I mean by that.
In a previous post, I mentioned Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder [FASD] which is a term that describes Foetal Alcoholic Syndrome, as well as a plethora of defects that a baby can be born with [including, but not limited to, physical deformities] due to foetal exposure the alcohol consumption. Just to recap, for you lazy buggers who don't bother with clicking links, Foetal Alcoholic Syndrome pretty much means that your child will constantly behave as if they are drunk. They will be facing learning difficulties [such as dyslexia and being slow learners], as well as social handicaps [such as being slow to catch on in social environments, slurred speech etc] and can be quite uncoordinated in their movements. Think of how many IQ points you lose whenever you get drunk. Now imagine living in that state for the rest of your life - without the buzz you get off alcohol. Fun, eh? Oh, and it also affects the child's facial features.
The issue with FASD is that it is the mother's fault and therefore can be very easily go undiagnosed - at least, officially. Few mothers will admit to being the reason their child has disabilities which could have very well been avoided. And most will get defensive should anyone make an attempt to bring their attention to the issue. This means tat the child will not get the support s/he needs.
Another Parental Imposed Handicap that came up was a case of children being brought up in too much of a sheltered environment. In this day and age, most children grow up way too quickly, so a certain measure of control over what they are, or aren't exposed to, is a good idea to have. However, when it comes to being TOO sheltered, it pretty much can be a severe social handicap. Imagine being a 15 year old boy, who cannot understand how an unmarried couple can make babies - or hose parents don't allow him to read the newspapers, or watch the news, to protect him from "the evils of the world. Or being a 15 year old girl whose mum decides how your hair should be cut, what clothes you should wear, who still bathes you every night. Yes, these parents do exist. And I pity their children.
Parenting is a tough game to play, but there are a few guidelines one can keep in mind in order to equip their child with the necessary life skills.
Let your child be aware of what is going on around him/her. Take responsibility for your actions, and make sure your child takes responsibility for his/her actions too. Don't justify him/her with "S/he's just a child!" whenever they do something they know they shouldn't have. Allow your child to learn from his/her own mistakes. As much as it hurts to see your child get hurt, sometimes they need to earn their battle scars to truly learn the lesson. Learn when to step in, and when to take the back seat - a child has to learn how to fight his/her own battles, whilst knowing that they will still find your support should it be needed. Don't limit yourself to destructive/constructive criticism only - a healthy mixture of both is needed. If your child does something wrongly, don't just scold or punish them - explain why it is wrong, and how to fix it as well as what to do to prevent repeating the same mistake in the future. Make sure your child knows there are no stupid questions - this will encourage them not to be afraid to ask you stuff.
I could go on and on and on with tips on what to do and what not - but I won't. What it all boils down to is this - Life is hard enough as it is - don't make it any harder unnecessarily.
Allow me to clarify what I mean by that.
In a previous post, I mentioned Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder [FASD] which is a term that describes Foetal Alcoholic Syndrome, as well as a plethora of defects that a baby can be born with [including, but not limited to, physical deformities] due to foetal exposure the alcohol consumption. Just to recap, for you lazy buggers who don't bother with clicking links, Foetal Alcoholic Syndrome pretty much means that your child will constantly behave as if they are drunk. They will be facing learning difficulties [such as dyslexia and being slow learners], as well as social handicaps [such as being slow to catch on in social environments, slurred speech etc] and can be quite uncoordinated in their movements. Think of how many IQ points you lose whenever you get drunk. Now imagine living in that state for the rest of your life - without the buzz you get off alcohol. Fun, eh? Oh, and it also affects the child's facial features.
The issue with FASD is that it is the mother's fault and therefore can be very easily go undiagnosed - at least, officially. Few mothers will admit to being the reason their child has disabilities which could have very well been avoided. And most will get defensive should anyone make an attempt to bring their attention to the issue. This means tat the child will not get the support s/he needs.
Another Parental Imposed Handicap that came up was a case of children being brought up in too much of a sheltered environment. In this day and age, most children grow up way too quickly, so a certain measure of control over what they are, or aren't exposed to, is a good idea to have. However, when it comes to being TOO sheltered, it pretty much can be a severe social handicap. Imagine being a 15 year old boy, who cannot understand how an unmarried couple can make babies - or hose parents don't allow him to read the newspapers, or watch the news, to protect him from "the evils of the world. Or being a 15 year old girl whose mum decides how your hair should be cut, what clothes you should wear, who still bathes you every night. Yes, these parents do exist. And I pity their children.
Parenting is a tough game to play, but there are a few guidelines one can keep in mind in order to equip their child with the necessary life skills.
Let your child be aware of what is going on around him/her. Take responsibility for your actions, and make sure your child takes responsibility for his/her actions too. Don't justify him/her with "S/he's just a child!" whenever they do something they know they shouldn't have. Allow your child to learn from his/her own mistakes. As much as it hurts to see your child get hurt, sometimes they need to earn their battle scars to truly learn the lesson. Learn when to step in, and when to take the back seat - a child has to learn how to fight his/her own battles, whilst knowing that they will still find your support should it be needed. Don't limit yourself to destructive/constructive criticism only - a healthy mixture of both is needed. If your child does something wrongly, don't just scold or punish them - explain why it is wrong, and how to fix it as well as what to do to prevent repeating the same mistake in the future. Make sure your child knows there are no stupid questions - this will encourage them not to be afraid to ask you stuff.
I could go on and on and on with tips on what to do and what not - but I won't. What it all boils down to is this - Life is hard enough as it is - don't make it any harder unnecessarily.
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