Anybody here have a family member with autism?

My son has AS, he is 16. He was first diagnosed with ADHD at age four, the the AS diagnosis at about age 9 or so.

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Christine
Front Porch Indiana Blog
Come on up to the porch and sit a spell. We'll talk about the day's events and maybe even tell a story or two.

For those of you living the life the OP wants... do you find it helps your kids/loved ones or does it cause any issues for you?

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You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.

Some autistics can't drive. I enjoy driving long distances, so that's not an issue. But if one is living in the country, and one's kid can't drive, there would be issues. Autistics are often forced to live in cities because of the transportation issue. Another problem I can see is that the kid is so wrapped up in dealing with his autism that he can't do chores. It took me a LONG time to get to the point where I would be willing to tend a garden and farm animals. Anything else?

My son with aspergers has no interest in anything outside. He mows the lawn some, but he does not enjoy it. He would rather do housework, and he does not like housework.

I have decided not to fight it. Unless I need another pair of hands his chores are inside chores. There is a place in this world for those who prefer technology to gardening, and I think that my son will fill this niche.

I know exactly what it is.

Quack Medicine? Seems you (and most Americans) have little knowledge of how the human body functions and what it needs nutrient wise.

Snake Oil? Huh? Maybe research Enzymes and what they do. We do need them. Enzymes are present in our bodies to catalize and regulate nearly all biochemical reactions that occur within the body.

With our very poor food supply and most peoples horrible eating habits on top of that Americans are overfed and under nourished. Sometimes a supplement is the only way to get what you need.

Now try this
www.autismtreatmentcenter.org

Best of luck.
Tom

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Tom Lavalette, Garden Farmer
Owner Toms Tractors, Buy, Sell, Trade Garden Tractors and Implements. Custom Built machinery by order.


If Farms were Smaller, Communities would be Closer.

Oh yes there is more!

I think Terri has given you some great budgeting ideas. I second the idea of family packs that are frozen in small portions for yourself. I cook every other day and make frozen lunches and dinner out of the rest of it. Then you have a full freezer of things you can eat and not cook every day.

Spam is good for stocking up in case of emergency, but it is full of preservatives and sodium. Tuna is good, but because of mercury levels you shouldn't eat it more than two times a week (I think if you are pregnant only once per week).

Rice and dried beans can be bought VERY cheaply at the dollar general. Also very cheaply at the mexican or other ethnic stores.

I recommend that you read all the tightwad tips archives because there are many ideas, some extreme that could help you. Your intensity of thought could really help you (is helping you) carve out a budget.

Here are some extreme ideas in living frugally:

http://home.earthlink.net/~astrology/confessi.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~astrology/millions.htm
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~astrology/riches.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Possum-living-.../dp/0553136259

Another idea for inexpensive groceries and meals:
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm

Lastly, I believe Nissan Sentra's can go forever as long as you keep it maintained and change the oil regularly. I agree with putting a car payment in the bank in lieu of buying a new car now. We do that. Our cars have over 200,000 miles on them and they keep on keeping on.

Don't forget to keep yourself well groomed so that people will trust you coming to their homes. I think this will be your biggest problem. Most people don't want strangers in their homes.

As to grooming: find the local thrift stores and load up on khaki pants and dress shirts/nice polos.

I have a teenager with a diagnosis of classic autism, and yes, I think that living the way that we do is a huge help to her. She is soothed by working with the animals and by being outside.

Most people who know her would not think she is autistic because she does so well in her own little environment.

I already have the clothes (khaki pants and polo shirts), my biggest problem is hygiene, I need to be shaved and smell good. I hate the feeling of water on my skin (most autistics do) so these things are difficult.

I need to look into all the diet suggestions that you guys are giving me. Once I have some land, I will have a MUCH better diet. My mom and dad don't want a garden or chickens on their land, I asked them when we moved in and they landscaped everything in bluegrass right away. For now, I have to make do with Wal Mart.

Don't beat yourself up, Terri. I was the same way at his age. My grandfather tried to get me to grow a garden, and I wouldn't. Now that he's gone I feel awful about it. I ultimately decided that I wanted to live in the country and have a farm, but not until I was into my 30s. One day he will ask you how to grow food. The technology world is VERY harsh, and there are few jobs. Your son is 15, right? He's too busy fighting his comorbid disorders to care about gardening. What I wish my grandfather would have done, is write down all his farming knowledge so that I could benefit from it someday. You might consider doing that. Your son will need the services of a truly skilled psychiatrist, of who there are few. I am lucky to have one. After he stabilized me, I realized what I really wanted out of life-eventually. It took a while.

He has a psychiatrist and a counselor, and they do help him some. Of course, helping him is not the same as taking away the aspergers: he still struggles.

As far as writing things down, I think that I can do that. I can save copies of the ehow articles, sme of which concerns gardening. I should probably save those articles
anyways.

It is a shame that your folks have a bluegrass obsession: very few people eat grass! Though, it might hlp you to practice growing better grass. If you can grow healthier grass, then you will have the basic techniques to grow sweet corn and grain: they are grasses also, and do well in similar conditions.

You can also learn to bake bread. 3 cups of flour, 1 heaping teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespon of sugar, and 1 packet of yeast will work. Mix, knead, put in an oiled pan of some sort, let raise and bake when it is raised enough.

A great many people will use special flour and let it raise twice but I have had better results by keeping it simpler. I mix, knead, raise and bake.

It's great that you recognize the meds are working. My son says he doesn't notice a difference. Everyone else around him does though. The difference is like night and day. His latest med, Abilify, has made all the difference in the world for him from a social standpoint. He is better able to communicate than before. He admits he has noticed a change with that one.

__________________
Christine
Front Porch Indiana Blog
Come on up to the porch and sit a spell. We'll talk about the day's events and maybe even tell a story or two.