My youngest daughter has been approved to go to school 4 days a week now (instead of two). It will mess up her out of school speech therapy, but they are working to make it so she will attend on the one day she doesn't and after school on one of the days that she does have school. I am so happy about this.
I feel with the added social contact and teaching that she will come out even more and exceed and excel beyond her goals.
C.C., How are you? How is William? One day we'll all meet up.
My walk is coming up next weekend, and we all are excited about it. Especially Thomas who has not stopped talking about it for the past two months.
KS
Thank You
to all of you for your patience. I am planning for a pretty quiet week coming up and then hope to have some more time here. New medication appears to be helping a bit, but I might be feeling side effects or just adjusting, so I'm a bit more tired.
My thoughts & Prayers are with all of you Peace, C.C.
...busy morning for me, but I will be back this afternoon. Hope all is well with everyone.
Peace & Prayers, C.C.
I had something to copy/paste here, but cannot do it with this group method.
I go to dr. today and am praying for painkillers and muscle relaxant. haven't been here as just too painful to sit up long.
Hope to be back soon.
Thanx so much for all your patience as i have been offline for a bit now...I just finished coordinating a wedding on the 16th and it wiped out my body completely...but, the wedding went great...got sick for a while after the wedding, so, I'm slowly coming back and trying to catch up.
My thoughts and prayers have continued to be with you all, especially those in pain and despair.
Looking forward to seeing you all around
Peace & Love, C.C.
Sorry I have not been here in a week. My mother in law fell and broke her wrist and fractured her back. We'll be making daily trips to see that she has what she needs.
I am going to try to post something at least every other day or so. I have a few articles that may be interesting.
One is in the magazine 'Real Simple' (kind of like a BH&G but stepped up). This is the one with the red cover (Aug 2008). There is a story in there about a family whose oldest child has PDD. It is interesting and very sweet. I don't think I can post the article itself due to copyright infringement, but it is worth reading.
I am now $50 closer to my goal of $150 for my autism walk. If you are interested in helping with that, there is a thread about it here.
Well, I am going to try to get some rest, I still have to get up at 330 in the morning so I can take hubby to work so I can have the car.
KS
to All! It's good to be back. Things have been quite hectic lately, but, I have just completed a pretty big 'organization project at the house here and I feel a weight lifted-off. If you want me to come out there Kris, just let me know. i had my own cleaning business at one time and am an organizational freak! I'm actually gettinc my professional certificate in organizing, prolly September.
Anyhow, William's visit went well. i see him Mon the 11th there for a Family Therapy session and then i go back to get him for long weekend the following Friday, 15th. My girlfriend's wedding is on Sat the 16th 
Ok, gotta go get ready...more later
Hope you are all doing well {hugzz}
C.C.
I have son so I'm not on long, just wanted to say 'hi' and sending up prayers 4 yall' 
Back up early tomorrow and varied plans thru-out the day. I'll be back when I can. My son is doing so amazingly well...I'm so extremely happy. They are talking about him coming str8 home between December and February. i'm praying for Dec 24th at the latest
Peace 2 All, C.C.
hello to all. hope you'll have some relaxation this weekend i am going to try. william is doing well, a few minor infractions, nothing major. still having a problem with authority. If he remains "on level" he will be coming for a home visit July 10th for a long weekend.
Thanx Kris...and Hi to everyone.
Can only pop in briefly, have much to do to preppare for tuesday's meet, including rest
William is 9 days on the Lithium now and doing well
Peace to All, C.C.
I am so happy for you that your son is doing well. Heaven knows you and your family deserves to have some kind of good luck come your way.
I hope the lithium does what you hope it will. I hope that he may soon be able to be calm and you can have some of the worry and stress gone from you because of some of those officials you have to deal with.
Hugs to you and yours.
KS
Hi everyone
Just poppin' thru to see how yall' doing. My 14 1/4 yr old son has been started on Lithium for a week now and is doing very well. He will be coming for a home visit next week. I am so excited!!
Peace & Love, C.C.
The woman who was like a 'mother' to me has passed on Mother's Day at noon.
Of course this is something very hard for myself and son.
We are learning more about ECT these coming weeks and have decided it is the next step for our son.
more later....
cc
hey yall' this is gonna b quick as I have been in much physical pain lately and not been online...glad to finally be back
I need to contact C2 again about deleting my old profile, but have been awaiting awile for a response. Sorry for any confusion.
Peace & Love, C.C.
NASCAR has a very good program they've been pushing hard this week and I'm gonna check it out. It's called Autism Speaks. Maybe it's worth a look, especially if you're looking for ideas. Here's the link...http://www.autismspeaks.org/index.php
Love to all!
This post was modified from its original form on 24 Feb, 16:36
Good Morning to All ~
Yes, it has been quite a couple of weeks...I have had a cold/flu (who can tell the diff. w/ Fibro?) and cud not shake it...a whole regiment of Tylenol Cold (day & night) and nithing...then did 'Dayquil' and some improvement. I am still congested and coughing...yucky!
In the midst of all that...I moved my son out to the Level IV treatment facility in fayetteville...3 month program...then he moves down to a Level III for a few months. We hop for him to return home for the start of High School. It is a very exciting, yet anxious time!
Next week i begin 'sitting' and cleaning/organizing for the elderly where my (adopted) mom lives here in Wilmington. Then I'm still looking for some work online...not an easy task.
Be back later for updating
Peace, C.C.
I cannot believe the insensitivity of some people. We who work with, teach, and love those with autism have enough of an uphill war without people like that jerk on CBS. I am deeply ashamed of CBS for not bleeping it out.
Some have posted at another site that had he used a racial slur that it would have been.
If indeed he is affiliated with any special needs children and groups, he needs to be dismissed immediately.
This is why I am so rabid in my overprotection of my two young children with autism.
I sincerely hope with PSA's and more information coming into the mainstream, that this so called man's behaviour can be a bad exception to the growing tolerance and willingness to learn about autism.
KS
P.S., and I hope that all those with special needs know that they are not just special needs, but special.
I can't believe someone who heads a group for autistic people could be this stupid! Makes my blood boil!
A national autism group is demanding an apology from CBS over a disparaging remark a contestant on the reality show "Big Brother" made about people with the disorder.
John Gilmore, executive director of Autism United, says his group has been trying to speak with CBS executives since the show aired last Tuesday.
On the show, a contestant named Adam, who said he works for an autism foundation, said he would spend his winnings on a hair salon for people with developmental disabilities "so retards can get it together and get their hair done." The Web site for the show describes him as a 29-year-old public relations manager from Del Ray Beach, Fla.
His remark shocked his partner, Sheila, who replied, "Don't call them that."
Adam responded by saying, "Disabled kids. I can call them whatever I want. I work with them all day, OK?"
A call to CBS was not immediately returned.
I genuinely do not know why our children, our most precious gifts from GOD Himself are to suffer because the politicians in Washington DC are money oriented and not needs oriented.
I am glad he is getting the help he needs. What will he be doing there? Is it like a closed ward where he has intensive therapy and such? Poor little guy. And poor YOU! Good heavens, your family needs to have good fate come into your lives, no one deserves it like you.
Rest well, dear. I look forward to your call. During the day, I may be in and out, but we are usually home about five.
to you
KS
Off to bed already...gonna lay down to 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' but I doubt I'll last too much longer...headed out to Fayetteville for the day tomorrow to visit facility for my son...be in in the evening
just poppin' thru briefly to say 'hi'. my son is currently locked up in Juvenile Detention awaiting placement in a Level IV in Fayetteville...yeh, back out to Fayetteville Kris...and yes, I will be calling you soon for sure and hope to meet someway on my journeys from Wilmington to Fayetteville & back
anyhow, it wuz pretty crazy there for a bit, but, i'm glad he is finally getting the services he needs...i'm sorry they let kids suffer so long before 'allowing' them access to really quality healthcare, whether it be physical or mental.
Peace 4 Now, C.C.
Good Morning All! Just briefly stopping in right now...running late this morning...woke up in pain and not feeling well to start off with. i am going to visit a new church today if I can handle it...hope to be back later in less pain.
Peace & Prayers, C.C.
About a week ago, my computer decided (for the umpteenth time) to crash. I am SO getting a new one at tax time. I had to do a complete system restore. Fortunately, I had the smarts to have learned from the last times. I have since that time bought an external disk drive and moved most of my files there. HOWEVER, tweaking my computer to get it comfortable again takes time. I have also had three birthdays, Christmas, and New Year's. Plus, the kids had been home for winter holiday.
They went back to school Thursday (yippee!!) and I am slowly but surely getting back to whatever normal is for me. I will be a bigger presence here again.
I hope I have not offened anyone, and to those that have just joined, 'welcome'.
This group is an awesome one, we like to post our thoughts, our frustrations, our triumphs, our regresses, questions, theories and things we have heard about autism.
I think of this group as a huge bunch of friends that lend an unique brand of support, as we are in similiar situations.
It is groups like this that makes Care2 and the Internet great, and I say 
KS
just popping thru briefly. i hope all had a great new year holiday! now that things have settled down, i will be here regularly. I am still having some internet connections problems, but, not usually long enough for anyone to notice...but, if i do disappear for a while, that would probably be the reason.
peace, love & happiness, C.C.
Well..just stopped in briefly...I just got home from dropping my son off at the group home after his week vacation here...and, yes, I am exhausted! I'm in tired and in pain, so I am headed to the recliner, heating pad, and a cup of hot tea...don't think it'll be long from then that I'll be out~for~the~count
Here's to a more relaxed Weekend...
Peace, Love and Happiness, C.C.
SO great to hear that you are in Wilmington. I am about 60 miles from you. Perhaps on a Saturday that my husband does not have to work, we can all meet (providing good weather). I'd love that.
Things here are as busy but unexciting as usual. Victoria has started getting more physical, kicking Thomas, and throwing things at him. We are very strict about this, and I hope that this is only a passing phase. We have taught Thomas to never hit his younger sister, and 98% of the time he is very good about that, but autistic or not, they are siblings.
I hope that this new facility for William is going to work out well for him. I'll send you a message with my phone number within the next day or so.
I also hope that you have a happy Christmas, goodness knows if anyone deserves it, it is YOU. Consider yourself hugged.
Krista.
well, i guess it's been quite some time...i have had so much to do, moving back home to Wilmington, moving my son to group home in Leland, starting him in a new school...
William did not last but 2 weeks at his new school once moving down here, but, wuz immediately accepted to Brunswick County Academy, the alternative school. They have a whole seperate program for 'emotionally disabled' students and he will be in that program.
He has done great this new school and we are hoping for further success. Tho he had a rocky start at the new group home, he is doing well there now also. So..this is all good.
I have to say, it just really sux sometimes...thinking of all the things that my son and I are missing together thru these teenage years...all the things I got to do...o well, i am blessed that he is getting better help now!
I hope you are doing well & enjoy Peace this Holiday Season
Greetings to All!
It is predicted to be a lovely day here in Grimesland/Greenville, NC and my friend and I (and the dog, of course) will be headed over to her son's condo to enjoy the 
and have a picnic. I hope you all enjoy a great day!!
Peace & Prayers, C.C.
I am so sorry you have not had the best of years. Where are you moving to (and from?) WHY would the system not help your son? Geeze, it just sucks that with special needs kids that have emotional issues as well that there isn't something for them that isn't prison, a juvenille hall or such, but a facility that has strict structure, therapists, and an on-site doctor and teachers not just for the special needs child, but for the entire family...have you contacted TEACCH, and even if they themselves cannot help, they can give you names of those who possibly can? Hugs to you, dear, and you know if you need to talk where I am.
Krista
Greetings to All!
I have been mostly offline for the past month due to illness & my roommate didn't work out, so i'll be moving next week, so it's been busy...
Anyhow, my son is doing well the past couple weeks...he is now on probation, which is scarey for me, because if he violates any of the terms, they will send him to juvenile lock~up...and with his inability to control his impulses still, i'm very concerned that it will take just one kid to push him to the limit for him to get in a fight...anyhow, lots of folks are helping keep it together
I hope everyone else's children are doing well...when yall' get a chance, plz. check in here & let me know how yall' doin'
Peace & Prayers, C.C.
Hey Yall' Hope everyone is doing well Things are going good for me on the homefront. The room I wuz gonna be renting actually fell thru last minute, which cud have been bad, but, actually landed me a roommate in my lap. She is in her 40's, we have much in common, she is ambitious to work, and very neat & clean like I. I believe this will work out very well.
Anyhow, I will not then be offline and will be able to avoid a BIG move <whooopee!>.
We're doing pretty good. 200 days old tomorrow...78 members and climbing!! Plz. invite all your friends to join us here, especially those involved in the world of Autism If there is anything you would like to see here in the group or any changes you feel wud be good, plz. do not hesitate to contact myself or one of our co~hosts
Peace & Prayers to All,
Well, it's been quite a few months for me, but, things are really settling down <for me personally>...William still has many issues to deal with, and we certainly foresee much work needing to be done in the following years, but, I am doing much better at taking better care of myself and that is making a BIG difference.
It can be so hard for us parents of special needs children, especially with no extended family support around, to take care of ourselves & we can run~down easy...and with my existing disabilities already, that is what is happened to me. But, I am resting, exercising as best I can, and varying my schedule better as not to become in such pain again
I know everyone is very busy with our children, work, life in general...but, plz. stop by and let us know how things are going for you
Peace & Prayers,
hey Kris! how is Victoria doing? i hope well & settled in to her new school.
william is...well, William! he's settled into the group home now just 2 weeks & having all the problems he had at home, including property destruction <which is only good to prove "hey, it's not just me!">...as far as school, he's on his 4th long term suspension and we have a BIG meeting on the 2nd of January <they want him out of the school>....i'd say the final straw was when he bit another child to the point of taking a chunk out of it 
...on top of that, legal issues have risen due to this incident, so we have a meeting w/ the Juvenile Justice System on the 4th.....yeh, gonna be some Happy New Year for us!
anyhow, i continue to pray reverently, do my best to stay calm and working on taking care of myself physically & emotionally. William will be home for Christmas for a few days if he can handle it.
Peace & Prayers, C.C.
I hope things are going better for you. Goodness knows you deserve to have good fortune smile upon your situation and bestow you with the best it has to offer.
Victoria attends her first day of pre-K tomorrow. I am nervous. She is a runner, a bolter. If she gets upset she WILL run as well as have a meltdown.
The teacher admitted that one of her students had made it to the parking lot at one time. Sheesh. (thinking of stronger word than that, but keeping this post G-rated)
I hope that this will not happen here in Victoria's case. If it does, I swear, I will be the richest woman in Bladen county.
Why the schools, or at least the primary schools do not have fully enclosed play yards is beyond me. The school super intendent has told me that the parents thought that the school would resemble 'a prison'. I say *(^*)^$F^% (again, thinking stronger words, but keeping it still G-rated) I have never heard of that, and I cannot imagine that it would really reflect how caring parents feel. I would rather see my child's school fully fenced in play yard and know they were safe, than to only have it partially fenced in and worry if they were to bolt beyond boudaries and get into trouble before a teacher would notice and find them.
glad u had a good visit w/ 'mom' for the holidays! and glad to have u back around more. i've gotta go quick this morning, as we 'finally' have intake appt. for william...all plz. pray it goes our way & we get in with a dr. soon and case manager who will actually 'work' with us!
peace, C.C.
Imagine all of them going off at one time. At 2 a.m. It'd freak out some cat, though, seeing all of those dogs growling at them, contemplating which one gets a hind leg, and which one gets the front ones... okay, okay, just kidding.
My mother left Sunday morning back for her home across the US. We left at 2:45 in the morning...I had not slept the night before, my husband had very little as well. Long ride in the dark.
Overall, a good visit, lasting ten days, so please forgive my past absence. I am back now. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Christmas is fast approaching, I hope that the wonderful family love and spirit will again be with you all.
Glad to hear that things are starting to calm down with you and William. You have such strength, it is admirable, and many people could learn from you, your trials, triumphs and setbacks, too.
As far as public schooling, by LAW, and this is federal, a public school HAS to provide a safe and satisfactory environment for ALL children to attend or provide information leading to a viable alternative. I have heard of families suing the school district to get this done. We should not have to do this, but sadly, it is a real obstacle we have to climb over and we are hindered almost every step we take with red tape, unsympathetic people, and that nerve grating phrase 'not enough funding...' (or worse...'does not qualify)
Keep trying. I know you will persevere, that which does not kill us...makes us stronger.
Krista.
so...how is everyone doing? how's the kids? things are actually resembling 'calm' around here the past few days. william got a bit excited last night, but, other than that, it's been kewl since he's been home
peace, C.C.
O, it's been one heck of a week for me! William has been on suspension Tuesday, then already Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday {{{uggghhh}}} He's actually doing better at home than at school, for the most part. We went to see his dr. again Thursday, added on 2 meds, lowering one...all just part of the experiment. this seems better in that he doesn't come down hard off the ritalin as he did the prior 2 weeks <thr ritalin is what has been lowered>, yet, he is more hyper...still too soon to tell & really cant tell until he's interracting at school.
I'm going back to feeling like 'I'm not a person' again...but, I'm trying to change that 'this time'. I want to make sure I take time for myself, to pampaer myself, take care of myself <diet wise, etc>...so, i'm not always last...or more like...non-existant, as it has usually been in the past.
I would like to make a petition in regard to the public schooling available for children like william and others...i might need some tips from yall', but, i haven't started on it yet.
Well, trying to keep warm right now...heat is not working...like we need that right now <lol> supposed to have someone out 1st thting this morning...well, i've been up hrs waiting <brrr> Hope everyone is stayin' warm
Peace & Prayers, C.C.
well, William's BIG med eval. is tomorrow & i cannot get up there. so i'm fixin' to a sorta write-up and my thoughts on the medication changes i'd STRONGLY like to see take place for my son, then fax to the office...ugh, i wish i cud be there!
anyhow, it's off to work i go. i hope all is well with everyone, having a great day!
peace & prayers, C.C.
