Respectfully: The vitamin D is not going to hurt anything, for sure, but as a "cure" for autism it is untested. The hypothesis that Vitamin D deficiency is causing higher rates of autism is based on the fact that 2 clusters of Somali refugees are experiencing higher rates (in MN and in Sweden). The fact that there could be other contributing factors, etc. has not been studied. Clusters come up all the time, some mean something, some don't. This theory has not been studied enough to come up with any conclusions. I will say that I am light skinned, have always had excellent Vitamin D counts, and lived in TN (sunny) and CA (very sunny) during my pregnancy with my youngest son and he is on the spectrum. Vitamin D clearly not a factor. What was a factor was a strong family link. One of my high school friends lives in Phoenix (really sunny), spent much outdoor time during pregnancy, is light skinned and still has a child on the spectrum. She also has a number of close relatives on the spectrum. What I am getting at is that perhaps there is some merit to the theory, but at this point there is as much argument against the theory as for it and until it goes through some serious testing and peer review, it is just a hypothesis.
For Francie: I would strongly recommend getting your son tested, you should be able to get a referral from your medical doctor to help you in this. Another possibility is to get testing done through your school district. It's important to get a diagnosis for a number of reasons, one of the most important is that if he has a diagnosis the schools legally have to have an Individual Education Plan for him to succeed in school. There should be annual meetings (at least) to see what goals and modifications need to be made for his continued success. In short, it gives you legal power to help get your child what he needs. Another reason is that it gives you a window into how he may think. When we got a diagnosis, it really helped us frame things in a way that he can understand, and made all of us much happier. As to your other questions about the future, I would have to say it depends. It's very hard to see into the future and know everything that will happen. I know that we all want what's best for our children, but know that there are many paths to happiness in life and though your child may or my not take the road less traveled, with love and support he will have a positive life.
As to the "normal" question. Autism never goes away. It's not an illness or an injury. It's a different wiring system. That's all. Peaks and valleys. My son almost broke my heart a few weeks ago, he had been struggling emotionally in Middle school, and we were problem solving how to handle meltdowns. Anyway, he hung down his head and said "Mom, I just want to be normal". I almost cried. But, gave him a hug and explained to him that his fantastic sculpting ability, his puppet making skills, and his extreme compassion are all part of his autism. Yes, it comes with a price, but I told him that I would never want to change him. From those who I have talked to who are adults with autism, and the books that I have read, the big factor in having a functional adulthood is stress, anxiety, and depression. These issues stem out of well meaning pushes to be "normal" aka: neurotypical. Usually in middle school and high school ages.
We are now homeschooling, and we are both very very happy with it. For us, for right now it's the right thing. It's important to be flexible when parenting.
For Francie: I would strongly recommend getting your son tested, you should be able to get a referral from your medical doctor to help you in this. Another possibility is to get testing done through your school district. It's important to get a diagnosis for a number of reasons, one of the most important is that if he has a diagnosis the schools legally have to have an Individual Education Plan for him to succeed in school. There should be annual meetings (at least) to see what goals and modifications need to be made for his continued success. In short, it gives you legal power to help get your child what he needs. Another reason is that it gives you a window into how he may think. When we got a diagnosis, it really helped us frame things in a way that he can understand, and made all of us much happier. As to your other questions about the future, I would have to say it depends. It's very hard to see into the future and know everything that will happen. I know that we all want what's best for our children, but know that there are many paths to happiness in life and though your child may or my not take the road less traveled, with love and support he will have a positive life.
As to the "normal" question. Autism never goes away. It's not an illness or an injury. It's a different wiring system. That's all. Peaks and valleys. My son almost broke my heart a few weeks ago, he had been struggling emotionally in Middle school, and we were problem solving how to handle meltdowns. Anyway, he hung down his head and said "Mom, I just want to be normal". I almost cried. But, gave him a hug and explained to him that his fantastic sculpting ability, his puppet making skills, and his extreme compassion are all part of his autism. Yes, it comes with a price, but I told him that I would never want to change him. From those who I have talked to who are adults with autism, and the books that I have read, the big factor in having a functional adulthood is stress, anxiety, and depression. These issues stem out of well meaning pushes to be "normal" aka: neurotypical. Usually in middle school and high school ages.
We are now homeschooling, and we are both very very happy with it. For us, for right now it's the right thing. It's important to be flexible when parenting.
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