Messages posted by: TwoSpecialBoys

As a health care worker I do know that toe walking long term can do significant damage to the calf muscles making it impossiable for the person to walk with the normal heel to toe gait. With OT and PT this condition is supposed to be able to resolve it's self, in my son's case however it has not helped.

My youngest with Autism is six, and he always toe walks. He has done it for as long as I can remember, which when I haven't lost my mind isnt much these days.
I took my son to the Dr. and he had no idea what resources to give me, so he read from an autism forum of what other parents have done...yes its time to find a new Dr.
Well he says my son needs to have his tendon's severed because I waited to long to address the issue. What he did not hear was that we have been doing OT and PT for years and it hasn't helped. We have also tried boots, flippers, hightops, braces, walking backwards...which he loves! and Next month we are trying prism lenses.
With alot of behaviors I say if its not hurting him or anyone else, let it go. But I also do not want him to have to wear heels when he is sixteen.

Any ideas I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Twospecialboys

Thanks Connie and Cyndi,

I look at the wonderful accomplishments my children make each and every day. They way their eyes light up when they see something for the 100th time like it was the very first time. Their inability to lie, even when it hurts, their total lack of fear when on the biggest roller coaster in the park.

Each day I wake up I eagerly anticipate what this day will bring, what miracle I will be witness to.

A "cure" if it meant they would no longer be them, then I don't want a "cure" for them, I want a "cure" for society, so they can be accepted for the beautiful, creative, smart, sometimes quirky, always funny, screaming, toewalking, spinning, wonderful people they are.

When I think of the C-word, I do not envision my children going to Harvord and earning their masters. I think of the C-word as "them" being comfortable withen society.

I often think of that cartoon "Rug rats, all growen up" the one boy who does not seem to conform to society, he always wears a funny hat, and miss matched clothes. In one eposiode, his parents were called to the school and he was going to be expelled if he did not start dressing like the other students. The "mom" in the cartoon then said that if the school meant to take her son's identy away from him then he did not need to go to that school.

Thats how I feel. My son's are diffrent, but I embrace those diffrences. To find a "Cure" and change them into diffrent people does not sit well with me.

Don't get me wrong I do struggle with the stimming and inappropriate behaviors, perhaps to a greater or even less extent then others, and though I would like to teach my children that perhaps if it's possiable to stop the hand flapping, do not want to teach them that they are in some way defective.

In the words of someone very insightful
" Would you give a person in a wheelchair a reprimand because they could not walk?, then why do you give my child a reprimand when he can not make eye contact?"

HiEveryone!

I am so glad I found this site. It has been so infomative!

I have three children, ages 9, 7, and 6. My two youngest boys are AS, with the middle also being dx as bipolar as well. Their older sister is wonderful with them! She sticks up for them at school, from children to adults. She helps them interact at stores and advocates for them at fundraisers. I have no idea what instilled this maturatity in her at such an early age, but I don't know what I would do without her.
My boys are as diffrent as night and day, the middle is tough, almost rigid in his activities, and rarly seems to enjoy life, where my other is so happy go lucky that the Dr.s are concerned that he is "to happy" They both have their little oddities but I can not even imagine my life any other way.
I know that their sister has played a big role in helping them learn social skills and other skills of daily living.
I never asked for this journey but I see the challenge as gift and I can never hide the excitment I feel everyday that one of my sons does or shows some kind of improvment.