I have an autistic grandson. None of this "high functioning" nonsense either. He is pretty much non verbal and would never be capable of living on his own or be out alone. If he was left out on the porch he'd likely get up and walk about, then get distracted and get lost and then just keep going and going until someone helped him or something bad happened. He cannot even repeat his address. He cannot express himself and even though he is a man now, he still does not understand that you should not bite someone to show you are upset or angry. That is the level of autism that is a real concern. He will need attendant care the rest of of his life. Behavioural differences from the "ordinary" are often lumped into that category. And yes, they are REAL mental health issues that affect interfacing with other humans but certainly nothing that seems to be dangerous to the individuals ability to survive. I was suspected to be autistic up until I was about 4 because I did not talk. But then I was lucky and something changed and that title was no longer used to label my ocd like behaviour and other oddities! When I hear about someone using Autism as an excuse for their own bad behaviour. I know right off that no, this is not valid!
@CanadianLori . I worked for 55 years in the Medical field, Psychiatric hospitals, nuring homes and group homes. Ran across several adult individuals with similar behavioral issues as you describe with your grandson. Some with more violent behaviors, some with more sedate. Some with self stim behaviors etc. We always tried to develop some sort of guide for staff to help the client to understand that for a certain behavior the outcome will be something. And if that person exhibits a certain behavior to get out of something staff does not play into it thus the person does not think they can get out of that event. Simple things like just get your teeth brushed, take a shower, be quiet when in the community. It is certainly a stress for families. One thing I would tell families, when they are young, 3 years old etc. and show violent behaviors don't use the diagnosis as an excuse, and that they are young, seek ways to get them to understand not to do something as the older they get the bigger they get the stronger they get etc. I had one individual, who tossed her grandmother against the wall, breaking grandmothers ribs. I would tell my staff, if she tosses her grandmother, we the staff are nothing to her. We had to have a van with a wire cage divider between her and the driver, as she would sometime attack the driver. One time she actually tried to toss a table at me. And the look in her eyes. And the stories I could tell you about work in psych hospitals years ago, 1972 for 8 years, as a supervisor finally the last 2 years. Anyway. I am guess your grandson has a case manager assigned to him, and at one point placement in a group home will be needed, if that is what you have in Canada. If he is a wander type, do you have an ankle locater on him? One of my guys was on Fish Oil daily, that seemed to help him, and some anxiety meds. But I truly believe, no one really knows, its still a mystery. Good Luck.
@CanadianLori, your grandson and his family have my sympathy. A very difficult situation to navigate for yrs, with no real solutions and not enough help in place. I don't think "high functioning" is nonsense though. There are many autistic people who are intellectually able to do complicated jobs, but who struggle with the human interaction aspect of life. If they are lucky enough to find work that is a good fit and not too demanding where liaising with colleagues etc is concerned, they may manage well. If they are less fortunate, the constant effort can lead to anxiety, depression, burnout, even suicide. Yes, they can earn, live independently, etc, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are unaffected by their autism.
@ViewAhead truly do not believe @CanadianLori means that "High Functioning" is nonsense. She meant for her grandson, he is not in the high functioning category. I am sure she, @CanadianLori knows there are many levels of functioning autistic folk. I had some clients that for simplistic purposes I would tell my staff, they are like a 2 year old, much easier for staff to understand that then later they could learn what "functioning" level for their documentation.
I certainly don't dispute that both ADHD and Autism are very real conditions. I also believe that many are put into one or other category these days because patients or their guardians demand a diagnosis. Telling a parent that a child behaves the way they do because they are a spoilt brat who always gets their own way probably wouldn't go down well. My great-nephew's child minder was adamant that he was autistic because he didn't turn and look at her every time he spoke her name. The reality was that (a) he really didn't much like her and (b) he does get engrossed in what he's doing. Even now he will often ignore you if you call him by his first name. However, if you call him by his second name, the one generally used if he could have done something he shouldn't have, he reacts immediately. You then get the look that tells you he realises you've got the better of him.
I find it really strange that adults are suddenly getting diagnosed as having autism, if its really that much of a problem how have the got through life and many of them into quite good jobs. I do realise there are varying degrees but it just seems really odd to suddenly get diagnose at 40 yrs old and in a really good high profile job.
My sister was diagnosed in her 50s. She has never been able to cope with the type of job that matched her qualifications, and her diagnosis has helped her understand the difficulties she's had in her life and be more forgiving of herself.
Additionally, children can be diagnosed one thing, and behaviors can be listed, but puberty when it hits can also change the child and a reassessment is necessary. this is why prior to puberty structured guidance is a must to set in with the child.
That is it exactly. Those who have struggled all their lives without understanding why, whilst also coping with everyone else not understanding why either, can feel terrible guilt. A diagnosis is not about changing the actuality or getting treatment. It's about insight. It's being able to look back on a million hurtful experiences and see why these happened, instead of just feeling bemused and at sea.
It was commonly believed that girls/women couldn't have autism, hence the many women who have spent their lives 'masking'. I'm very much in that category, and I've known all my life that I was different from other people, but you just try and muddle along. It was only when my children had problems of various kinds that I eventually realised. We don't always see things the way others do... ...and it's exhausting. My children both manage quite well, and aren't anything like as affected as a friend's son who was a year older than my eldest daughter. She [his mum] was devastated when he was diagnosed as a young child, and asked me if I'd thought there was something 'wrong with him'. Not an easy question to answer. He has a high functioning job, whereas my daughter is highly intelligent but struggles with everyday things. She had to leave uni.
I've always struggle with life, i've been always put down becuse i can't read/write/spell and add things up, even get a clout around the ear hole from teachers (which is not aloud now) for not being a brain box's Since covid it's got worse for me because things keep changing and it's hard to get use to the new stuff and when i do it change's again, when the gov keep saying about mental health that's where a lot of the problems lay to much red tape and things being force on to me i don't like lots of change must be slow change Also with alots of these change's people don't give you adive any more, your're just have to know how things work now, something use to be simple now bleeding hard
My parents used to teach first aid courses and the number of older folk who would have a quiet word with them to say they couldn't read or write, was high. I know it's slightly different from autism but most of these tended to have dyslexia that wasn't diagnosed when they were at school, they were just called thick, rather they found out well into adulthood. I'm really saying you can live with something all your life and not know.
Compensation alert!!! Girl, 8, left with severe burns after McDonald's hot chocolate incident To save you the bother of reading it. A woman bought 5 cups of hot chocolate at a McD drive through and spilt one on her 8 year old daughter. She is now saying McD staff didn't warn her this time how how it was. Therefore it's their fault that her daughter got scalded. McD have responded saying there are warnings on the cups and the lids.
I am not a mother, but if I had a child of that age with me, I would certainly check the beverage before giving it to her. What is wrong with that mother.
