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Special Ed 101
Autism for Primary Identification?
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<blockquote data-quote="BusynMember" data-source="post: 602338" data-attributes="member: 1550"><p>My son is on the autism spectrum, although he was never a behavior problem. He was misdiagnosed many times and his labels changed from Learning Disability (LD) to OHI to Autism. The Autism was the most helpful in getting son a head start into his adulthood. This transition is supposed to start as a freshman, but really kicks up in junior/senior year. Son graduated two years ago and is 85% independent and happy and doing well, and he did not start out that way. OHI was a good placeholder while, like your son, he was misdiagnosed with an alphabet soup of wrong diagnosis., including bipolar, in which he took heavy medications for three years...medications he did not need. All the while, he displayed Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) symptoms and basically we wrote Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) interventions into his IEP, but he was labeled OHI. My son graduated from regular high school and was mostly doing his own work. As stated, he was no longer acting out even when frustrated. </p><p></p><p>I would not like the Emotionally Handicapped label one bit. He isn't emotionally handicapped. He is neurological impaired, big difference. If you are looking toward the future, he can probably get disability and adult supports to help him when he moves out with either diagnosis, but I think autism is treated differently. I think most people automatically think of emotionally handicapped as being "bad." I could be wrong. I know I didn't want that label slapped on my neurologically atypical child so he went from OHI to Autism. </p><p></p><p>My son will always think differently, but he gets more and more typical as he gets older and is doing really well. As you probably know well, autistic kids have to transition slowly to be successful. After high school, Sonic was sent to ODC, which is a sheltered workshop. He loves it and made tons of friends there. He is really a hard worker and pretty high functioning and was recently tried for a community job where he'd make more than minimum wage, although he will still need his disability for supplement. He wants the job and hopes to get it. However, as the slow transitioning goes and works so well, he is only going to work there for fifteen hours and work the rest of the time at our ODC. We go each step at a time. He wants to move out of the house and into one of the several choices of apartment homes for disabled adults that exist. They are not group homes. He lives himself and a caseworker drops by every few days just to make sure everything is ok. He knows all the people who live in those places.</p><p></p><p>It's another great transition for Sonic and will work very well. He is capable of living on his own, especially if he knows his neighbors and is close to town so he can ride his bike where he needs to go. I'll drop by to help him shop etc., but a worker can also do that. Maybe one day he will do it himself, maybe not. It doesn't matter. A happier young man I have never met...as long as he isn't pushed too fast. He is unable to quickly make changes in his routine and the autism diagnosis lets those who are working for and with him how to handle him best.</p><p></p><p>Will you get all this understanding if your son doesn't have the primary Autism label? I don't know. I think it would be wise to try to get it so that they gear your son's future toward his issue. Example: My son sees no need to see a therapist and doesn't. He's medication-free as he is not depressed and does not act out. Now if he develops those needs, he will be taken care of, but right now he is mostly just struggling with autism related issues and he has come very far because most of his help from the time he was diagnosed was exclusively geared toward autism. He was diagnosed at age eleven. We did insist the school use Autism and we had a school advocate so we had no trouble getting it changed, even though it was an outsider (private neuropsychologist) who diagnosed him. Since that time, we have had two other neuropsychologist evaluations, mostly for his adult care workers, who verified his diagnosis.</p><p></p><p>Short answer is, I do think it helps.</p><p></p><p>I wish you luck. If you have any trouble with the school, I would call the Dept. of Public Education in your state and tell them your story plus ask for the name of the free-of-charge student advocate in your area. Sometimes it is just impossible to deal with certain school districts without help. Advocates are very astute about the law and the school districts will not try to fool them like they try to fool parents.</p><p></p><p>Keep us posted!!! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BusynMember, post: 602338, member: 1550"] My son is on the autism spectrum, although he was never a behavior problem. He was misdiagnosed many times and his labels changed from Learning Disability (LD) to OHI to Autism. The Autism was the most helpful in getting son a head start into his adulthood. This transition is supposed to start as a freshman, but really kicks up in junior/senior year. Son graduated two years ago and is 85% independent and happy and doing well, and he did not start out that way. OHI was a good placeholder while, like your son, he was misdiagnosed with an alphabet soup of wrong diagnosis., including bipolar, in which he took heavy medications for three years...medications he did not need. All the while, he displayed Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) symptoms and basically we wrote Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) interventions into his IEP, but he was labeled OHI. My son graduated from regular high school and was mostly doing his own work. As stated, he was no longer acting out even when frustrated. I would not like the Emotionally Handicapped label one bit. He isn't emotionally handicapped. He is neurological impaired, big difference. If you are looking toward the future, he can probably get disability and adult supports to help him when he moves out with either diagnosis, but I think autism is treated differently. I think most people automatically think of emotionally handicapped as being "bad." I could be wrong. I know I didn't want that label slapped on my neurologically atypical child so he went from OHI to Autism. My son will always think differently, but he gets more and more typical as he gets older and is doing really well. As you probably know well, autistic kids have to transition slowly to be successful. After high school, Sonic was sent to ODC, which is a sheltered workshop. He loves it and made tons of friends there. He is really a hard worker and pretty high functioning and was recently tried for a community job where he'd make more than minimum wage, although he will still need his disability for supplement. He wants the job and hopes to get it. However, as the slow transitioning goes and works so well, he is only going to work there for fifteen hours and work the rest of the time at our ODC. We go each step at a time. He wants to move out of the house and into one of the several choices of apartment homes for disabled adults that exist. They are not group homes. He lives himself and a caseworker drops by every few days just to make sure everything is ok. He knows all the people who live in those places. It's another great transition for Sonic and will work very well. He is capable of living on his own, especially if he knows his neighbors and is close to town so he can ride his bike where he needs to go. I'll drop by to help him shop etc., but a worker can also do that. Maybe one day he will do it himself, maybe not. It doesn't matter. A happier young man I have never met...as long as he isn't pushed too fast. He is unable to quickly make changes in his routine and the autism diagnosis lets those who are working for and with him how to handle him best. Will you get all this understanding if your son doesn't have the primary Autism label? I don't know. I think it would be wise to try to get it so that they gear your son's future toward his issue. Example: My son sees no need to see a therapist and doesn't. He's medication-free as he is not depressed and does not act out. Now if he develops those needs, he will be taken care of, but right now he is mostly just struggling with autism related issues and he has come very far because most of his help from the time he was diagnosed was exclusively geared toward autism. He was diagnosed at age eleven. We did insist the school use Autism and we had a school advocate so we had no trouble getting it changed, even though it was an outsider (private neuropsychologist) who diagnosed him. Since that time, we have had two other neuropsychologist evaluations, mostly for his adult care workers, who verified his diagnosis. Short answer is, I do think it helps. I wish you luck. If you have any trouble with the school, I would call the Dept. of Public Education in your state and tell them your story plus ask for the name of the free-of-charge student advocate in your area. Sometimes it is just impossible to deal with certain school districts without help. Advocates are very astute about the law and the school districts will not try to fool them like they try to fool parents. Keep us posted!!! :) [/QUOTE]
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