Undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder

Hello all. Just wanted to post about my little guy. He will be 5 in March and we have been waiting since June to get his diagnosis. From all the people who have seen him they say it looks like he has PDD/NOS or high functioning autism. I always new there was something different about my son but he has great language (even before speech therapy) and I just thought he was a little behind. I feel like I have failed him for not getting him help sooner. He is in a special needs pre-school now because of the speech delay but he only started in December. I feel so lost. I try to learn as much as I can but it's all so overwhelming. Most days I love my son so much that I could just explode and feel so blessed that he is mine. Other days I wish he weren't mine. I know that's harsh but I am sure you all know what I mean. I am still dealing with a lot of grief and guilt. Until he is officially diagnosed, there is not much available to me as far as parenting classes or respite care. I found a support group but I have to work when they meet. I know my son has so much to learn and overcome. I also know that he has so much to teach me. He has made me see my glass as half full instead of half empty. God gave him to me for a reason. I hope I will do right by my son and get him all the help I can. Thanks for listening. Any comments, advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. God bless you all and your loved ones with special needs!!!

Hi, I have an 11 yr. old with Asperger's Syndrome who is high functioning but we have had many ups and downs. The Families Helping Families and the Autism Society have been tremendous support networks for us. I alos joined the Louisiana Disability site which provides lots of information. I just received an email about a video for younger children helping them with social skills and thought I'd share it with this board. It sounds interesting. The following is the email: I have found a very cool little product I think you might enjoy hearing about! It's called Model Me Kids and it's a video based way for kids to learn social skills. Most children with autism are exceptional imitators. Particular of things they see on TV or in videos. This product takes that trait and turns it to your advantage as it provides your child with video models of the vital social skills they need to survive and thrive in our social world. Created by autism experts, this tool is truly designed for your visual learner. You can learn more about video modeling and watch excerpts from the Model Me Kids videos on their website: http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?L85dWplzLzE7_ljDNjReMw Hope this helps someone, Anne 254/175/1??