Reddit mentions of Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew: Updated and Expanded Edition

I just read this book and it conveys the basic concepts in a beautiful, simple way.

Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew

http://www.amazon.com/Things-Every-Child-Autism-Wishes/dp/1935274651/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51nHl1KOasL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_&refRID=1RK2JE56ATQX4EY87Y80

This is a great book... really good summary and is a must read for everyone that has an autistic child in their lives
http://www.amazon.com/Things-Every-Child-Autism-Wishes/dp/1935274651

oh man, i’m sorry. i’m chasing the younger (neurotypcial and just as much as a challenge as the ASD one lol) so this may be a half answer but:

I’m so sorry. it is kind of a shit hand in a lot of ways. there is a mourning period. it’s normal. there are stages. anger at his different behaviors and developmental challenges, sadness at the dreams YOU both had for him that may not (or they might still, don’t give up) happen. but IT WILL GET BETTER. there is also joy. and God help me I’m a bad person but it helped to be reminded in support groups: someone always has it worse.

ASD kids are HARD on marriages. they don’t mean to, they don’t even know but even the greatest, best communication-sex all the time-always in sync ones should be labeled as immediately at risk once this diagnosis comes in. fight for yours. two partners are better. you NEED one another. AND you both NEED a regularly scheduled break. but it if you have to go it alone he’ll still love you too.

so sorry about the friend and family situation. we’re in a similar boat. my parents are nearby but they’re a little old school and limited physically so we use them sparingly. we can’t afford a babysitter on one income.

i hear you on therapy. it was a blessing we found ourselves in a very resource rich school district. but contact yours immediately. we did and we’re quickly accepted into an Early (intervention) Childhood School that was part of the public school system (free) and provided speech and social/emotional (and occupational therapy but he didn’t qualify for that) therapies. he was at a church preschool but he was miserable. bless them, they were untrained and clueless. but at the ECS he blossomed. became a leader and gained so much confidence.

btw, check your local library for some “sensory friendly programs.”

last thing, reading. you’ve found tons I’m sure. this helped me and my family kinda get oriented with my essentially new son. God bless you. hit me up with questions or just a need to bitch bc that’s important too. lol