Well, hello there, tinkerbell! I was so surprised to see this thread come to the top and had to check it out. Don't worry about it being "so long." It is so nice to hear from some one who cares about special people and understands them so well. I couldn't agree more with what you had to say about the medications some doctors want to give them. My daughter has tried vitamin therapy, but forget the drugs. I have a son that was on Ritalin when he was younger and we saw first hand what it does and doesn't do. How wise you are to have learned from the people you worked with. We are constantly learning from our children. Even their teachers in school have learned a lot from them. They are such beautiful Souls and they touch a lot of hearts. You are right. You can see a lot in their eyes.

We have read a lot of books on autism, but I think we missed the one you spoke about. Per haps you can tell us more, and we might even see if we can find a copy of it ourselves.

Thank you for caring.

Freebird

Hi Freebird,

Thank you very much for your kind words. Because I workd with Aduls, many of them had spend much of their lives in long stay institutions. Doctors were fast to write out percription or indeed remove all teeth. But those days are hopefuly dwindeling. I've not worked in this area for about 5 years now, so I'm not familiar with the latest drugs. However I'd suspect that writing a perscription is still much easier than resolving behavioural issues. Althoguh on some occations drugs are warrented, however far less often than the medical statistics. Often the side effects cause more problems than the condition the drug is prescribed for.

It's also the first area of medicine that has to look to holistic approaches as a means of support. Aroma therapy, colour, play, drama and music have ben used for many years as a form of treatment. Also occationaly herbal remidies were used to overcome side effects from drugs, I've heard that garlic tables are useful to overcome drug induced dribbling etc.

The title of the book is For the love of Anne. I think but can not be sure as the book shop did not have a summary of the book in question that it is by a Claude Deleusse, published in the USA in 1976 by Haidback ISBN 0679504230.

You may still be able o look it up in the library. It's about Anne and how she grows up and concurs her autism. The funnier parts are about some of the various extended phases such as she ended up with a strange gait picking her feet way to high of the ground each step. It works out years later that she explains it's because tar had been put down on a path one day and it was sticky - so she walked funny for the next 10 years or so. It's little events from her childhood that touch your heart so much.

She was scared of a certain colour - and would avoid it at all costs, her parents would then do a confrontation therapy and paint the whole room whatever the colour was until she got over her fear.

Some of it was pretty ground breaking at the time I guess. Some of the challenging of her behaviur is a little bit distressing to read, but it is a wonderful story, although it's a long while since I read it and perhaps I've tinted spectiles on now.

Be warned it's an old book and the language might not be up to date. The other book I mentioned. Was co-authored by one of my nursing tutor. He's a very special angel teaching hundreds and thousands of young men and women to be good carers. He's very gentle and inspiring man, with very soothing qualities. This one is written in the 80's.

Title: Mental handicap - a handbook of care edited by Eamon Shanley
Publisher: Edinburgh Churchill Livingstone 1986
Subject (PRECIS): Mentally handicapped persons. Care
Subject (LCSH): Mentally handicapped Care and treatment

Very practical and easy to read I found it really helpful when I got stuck and needed some inspiration re creating new solutions to learning problems. Invariable one ends up asking oneself - what skills need to be present to achieve a particular activity and how can I teach this in a fun and creative way.

One of the chaps (a Scorpio with a very cheeky way about him) I worked with could do some much for himself but couldn't tie his shoe laces. After some observation it was clear that fine finger movements were lacking so I bought him a simple jigsaw puzzle. Mr Scorpio spend hours upon hours trying to do the puzzle (usually when no one was looking). More often than not it ended up begin showered across the lounge. One day there was a knock on my front door (I lived a few doors down in a flat I got with the job), it was Mr Scorpio man himself. With tears in his eyes - shouting that he's finished the puzzle -gave me a huge hug and kiss (lifted me about a foot of the ground) and went back home. This was a start towards the end goal of the shoe laces, however I don't know how mcuh further he got because I was moving jobs at the time.

Have you read the poem "heavens very special child" - a bit cheesy but touching?

Much love

Lis

Thank you, Lis, for the information about the books. I will have to write them down and see if I can find them. Right now, I am awful busy working on clearing a spot in the wooded area behind the house, for a swing set that my daughter ordered. Thank heaven, I have nearly a month before it gets here. That is one problem we have with my grand son. He gets obsessed with cartoons and video games so it is very difficult to get him out in the fresh air for some badly needed exercize.

I loved the story about Scorpio. My grand daughter with autism is a Scorpio and sure acts like one! She, too, gets so excited when she learns something for herself. I envy the hug you got from him. It's been an awful long time since I got one of those "lift me off my feet" kind of hugs. It had to be a very precious moment for you. You touched another human being in a very special way and deserved that HUG.

Walk in Sunshine

Freebird

Hi Freebird,

Thank you very much for your kind words, your grandchildren sound enchanting. I'm also a Scorp - and do tend to do thinks very much my Self. At lest you're virtually guaranteed of you granddaughter's determination to learn stuff.

The swing sounds fabulous. When I was little I could spend all day in a swing dreaming, I'm sure she'll love it when it arrives. Even though you'll have a job clearing the space for it. It sounds lovely place to live in.

I think every parent is worrying about how to ween the kids of computer game and into fresh air. From the children's perspective graphics are so creative, why bother with the real world. Good luck on you mission to get him into the great outdoors, perhaps a treasure hunt might help - so that you have the fun of having to find stuff like a computer game but have to do it out doors?

I'm up in Scotland later this month - so I might try and find the book at my mums and check the details for you.

Much love

Wonderful to hear about the little ones.

Lis