tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5767745491473206462011-12-14T10:26:35.764-04:00The hands on experience with Autism.Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-87593156768762143942011-06-07T11:16:00.000-03:002011-06-07T11:16:04.980-03:00

First of all, as a parent having a child with autism, you will have to admit that we are continuously learning or this article is not meant for you.  I would be lying to say that I have it all under control and downright in denial. Autism is complex and is always presenting new situations and challenges; therefore we build daily on new skills and use these skills to teach our children the

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-35556774633562039922011-06-03T09:48:00.000-03:002011-06-03T09:48:39.088-03:00

I now have a new email address to go along with my new website, if you have any questions concerning my website or autism, feel free to contact me at jerri255@autismbetween2worlds.com

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-86582712069285925142011-05-16T09:43:00.002-03:002011-05-16T09:48:06.609-03:00

I had a very successful week and I am proud to say that as of yesterday the site I created from the ground up dedicated to Autism Awareness was published. It has been quite a learning experience for me seeing I had never done anything like this before..I am excited to share it with my loyal followers and anyone who is interested in knowing more about Autism. The site was designed to share

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-69160255957945432342011-02-27T13:27:00.001-04:002011-02-27T13:28:54.657-04:00

 Michael is now 7 years old and from my own personal experience it has been the best year yet. We all look for answers wondering if dealing with autism gets easier, again I would have to say that it depends on the individual. Michael has all the classic signs of autism but he has also had both IBI and ABA services available to him which has helped him immensely. Considering I am a stay at home

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-15809874048868601812011-01-16T11:42:00.001-04:002011-02-27T12:48:59.747-04:00

Just the other day I had the privilege to be part of Michael’s class! It was an incredible experience and I would recommend parents do this. How? First of all always read over the newsletter that comes home in order to know what is going on, there could be a book reading day where you along with other parents can go to your child’s class and read a story. I did this in Grade one…it was so cute

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-71131087621182355302010-09-29T11:11:00.003-03:002011-02-27T12:49:57.310-04:00

First of all I won't pretend to know all the answers but I can give to you what worked for me. Sickness is no fun for anyone, we tend to get cranky and stress over not getting to work or getting work done if you are a stay at home mom. Sickness consumes a lot of time, so what do you do when you are not cuddling your child? Are you stressing over the fact that you both may not get sleep that night

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-3290957898294151842010-09-19T11:45:00.003-03:002011-02-27T12:50:19.600-04:00

Having almost 2,250 individuals, researchers found a copy number variant or PTCHD1 mutations linked with 1% of the individuals with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) which begins to make clear why more boys are being diagnosed than girls in the complex world of autism. • Autism spectrum Disorder = aprox. 2000 individuals • Intellectual Disabilities = 246 Autism Voice President for Scientific

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-36732473490986564372010-09-16T10:09:00.001-03:002010-09-16T10:10:02.547-03:00

A child with Autism most likely will have behaviors that would be noticeable in that they are very unique, some observers might even say strange. Michael, my son who was diagnosed at the age of three has many of these behaviors but has also undergone intense treatment therefore it is less likely that all or some of these behaviors will be noticed outside of the home. Some of these behaviors can

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-18873877098263171892010-09-06T09:59:00.001-03:002011-02-27T12:52:42.202-04:00

Today I received an email from an advocate for Autism from my own home town encouraging me to look at a Website and let me tell you I have never been so deeply touched by a person’s effort. It all started when Ray Halleran was given a 2010 Ford Mustang by a family member for Father’s Day and decided to follow his dreams of racing in Targa Newfoundland. Ray is married to Julie and their oldest

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-10506094991699650112010-08-22T12:23:00.000-03:002010-08-22T12:23:27.038-03:00

An ongoing battle! These words are the first to come to mind to describe my experience in trying to teach Michael to go to the potty. Last night the frustration of trying for the past nine days having success five days straight with constant reminders, to the past four days of not always getting to him on time had brought me to tears. I simply don't know what else I can do. I have been trying to

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-79041322497344401672010-06-03T09:55:00.002-03:002010-06-03T09:58:10.779-03:00

Today I was doing research on the latest breakthroughs in Autism and I found this great article, in order to find out who is behind this successful pilot study conducted by the Department of Health Services/California Birth Defects Monitoring Program and the National Institutes of Health with collaborators at the Department of Developmental Services and The M.I.N.D. Institute, I encourage you to

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-56369652536898291292010-05-14T14:12:00.002-03:002010-05-25T22:39:12.877-03:00

Today I have been inspired to write about how to make the best out of a difficult situation. Most parents that have a child with Autism rarely find time for themselves. Considering how much attention a child with autism needs, then the house work, job and daily duties, it leaves no time for you!  I have gone 6 weeks straight wondering if I would ever get a break but that was before I learned to

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-64624695173839917172010-05-01T14:09:00.003-03:002010-05-01T14:20:03.483-03:00

I wish people were comfortable enough to ask me questions about Michael or Autism. Not once have I ever been approached in this beautiful small town. Are people embarrassed, shy or just feel it is none of their business? Just the other day at the Walk in clinic we had to wait about an hour and a half to see the doctor, Michael did his usual: spinning, using peripheral vision to look at people (I

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-54079767097658164862010-04-28T11:45:00.002-03:002010-04-29T13:53:01.768-03:00

Just the other night after two straight weeks of more than the average daily challenges, I sat on a chair in my room with the window opened and looked up at the stars shining, feeling the peace in the air and just wondered to myself, Why does it have to be so hard down here? My thoughts continued to go deeper into the confusion of existence itself so I pulled myself back to the surface. Michael

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-10157395377219812010-04-21T20:30:00.000-03:002010-04-21T20:30:45.817-03:00

Sleep disturbances are often accompanied with Autism and it can be a problem or a severe problem, the later I can relate to. For the first 6 months of Michael’s life, I never got 3 hours sleep in a 24 hour period. After 6 months Michael would go to bed around eleven or twelve every night and wake up at three or four; he would then stay up for about an hour, two hours, sometimes three. Yes I took

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-65491102182198349852010-04-19T11:42:00.003-03:002010-04-19T16:08:47.758-03:00

I would have to say that first of all I am truly disappointed that there is even such controversy concerning Amanda Baggs as a person on the Autism Spectrum. I found her videos enlightening and brilliant as to show us inside the Autistic mind.  THEN TO FIND OUT  that Ms. Bagg’s also claimed to have disabilities such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder), Schizophrenia,

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-80576798365494279602010-04-18T12:21:00.001-03:002010-04-18T12:22:41.344-03:00

I could not, not share this wonderful written piece written by Erma Bombeck Published in the Today Newspaper Sept. 4th, 1993 Here is the link but I have it written below. http://www.oafccd.com/lanark/poems/god.htm. This is to all the parents out there, trust me it will make you feel special as it did me, I cried. All credit goes to Erma Bombeck, I am just sharing it for I know it will have an

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-38962255643857704652010-04-18T10:06:00.000-03:002010-04-18T10:06:53.378-03:00

Hello fellow bloggers and readers, I will be posting again on Tuesday, April 20th. It's been a busy week as my furnace, dryer, vacuum and printer broke down, lol. Thank you for your patience.

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-11467161802713197442010-04-13T10:57:00.003-03:002010-05-25T22:28:25.876-03:00

What is Autism and what are the signs? The Autism Society of America defines Autism as: A neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-33975521337043540092010-04-10T19:41:00.005-03:002010-04-11T14:26:43.943-03:00

Michael is a beautiful soul, he loves to laugh, he has a gentle spirit and he is the difinition of pure innocence. What I have learned from Michael is to live in the moment, he doesn't sit and ponder what is going to happen in one minute, one hour or one day. He simply enjoys that very moment as should we.

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-86856330342500949762010-04-06T13:56:00.001-03:002010-04-06T14:15:59.675-03:00

As parents we become the professional at outsmarting our children by redirecting their focus just to see them smile, "ok, so the keys didn't work but with a little sacrifice I could bare the pots and pans which nearly never fail. Personally this would be my last resort, lol But what if your child is not sick and still can't muster up a smile no matter how sunny it is or how many toys were put in

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-31048044472839793332010-04-02T23:07:00.002-03:002010-04-02T23:16:57.665-03:00

First of all I excited that there is an "Autism Awareness Day"! These beautiful kind souls deserving of every chance in life to be understood and recongnized, have every right to have the support to achieve a happy life and the best place to start is to spread awareness. No one should ever be singled out which is what we teach our children and certainly not ignored or put on the back burner

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-12786290629657067182010-03-31T09:31:00.002-03:002010-04-05T19:50:13.649-03:00

Where Is Your Child On The Autism Spectrum? Sometimes doctors don't say where your child is on the Spectrum , all you know is that your child is Autistic. After the initial shock and the path to acceptance, as parents we can't help but want to know more about this elaborate complex diagnoses in order to gain more knowledge and find ways to further our child's development. The truth is you will

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-71424321633271775042010-03-30T12:46:00.000-03:002010-03-30T12:46:37.788-03:00

Path to Acceptance The thoughts that came to mind after the initial shock of Michael’s diagnoses was, " Will he ever be able to work, play sports , go on school trips, have a normal flow of conversation or even simply tie his shoes? There was overwhelming, unorganized thoughts streaming through my mind between constant bouts of crying, no sleep, and trying to read Michael's mind because he

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-8274669861236078832010-03-29T17:23:00.000-03:002010-03-29T17:23:19.954-03:00

Communicating with Michael Communication is the key to making any relationship work, it is the one thing that children with Autism have to work on harder than anyone, of coarse we parents also have to put the extra effort in. I have noticed in my experience with Michael that if there is someone talking and another is tapping his foot , it is harder for Michael to concentrate. His mind takes in

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-7356894896780772792010-03-29T14:55:00.002-03:002010-03-29T15:54:28.117-03:00

Michael is a beautiful child, he is now six years old and the changes in him are exceptional. He sits in a regular class setting at school and has a T.A. ( Teacher' assistant) in order to do things such as dress, go to the potty, write and to understand directions.Michael resonates with love and is very sensitive whereas if anyone around him gets hurt ,he quickly lends compassion by rubbing

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-576774549147320646.post-39656718379474964412010-03-29T14:42:00.002-03:002010-04-02T21:01:37.055-03:00

Welcome to my blog… Hi my name is Naomi, of coarse I am a proud mom as we all are, but the truth is I didn’t know a child could alter my life in such a way as to strenghthen, uplift and give me hope in which I didn’t even know it’s true meaning. I owe this new self awareness to my beautiful son Michael. Michael was diagnosed with Autism at the age of three and I feel everyday is a learning

Naomi Edwardshttps://profiles.google.com/113229540650134409649noreply@blogger.com0