Low Functioning Autism – What Sets it Apart

Low functioning autism falls on the more severe end of the autism spectrum. Children diagnosed with this form of autism need more support to complete daily tasks as they struggle to communicate and manage their behaviors. Symptoms are typically identifiable in infancy or early childhood, as those diagnosed will not meet neurodevelopmental benchmarks such as speaking their first words, learning to self-soothe, or forming bonds with family members and other children.

Bike riding is an important physical and social milestone for all kids to master. Our kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can learn too.

Even within the autism community, distinctions can be divisive. Ever since the term Asperger’s was swallowed up by the broader ASD umbrella in the latest version of the DSM, those distinctions have become more marked, and the effect on parents can be polarizing.

What is the definition of unconditional love? One definition I found was: “It is the caring and loving of another person and not thinking of what is in it for you or what you get out of it.”

The reason I decided to interview Beverly Saddler was because I was interested in learning about Hippotherapy as a means of therapeutic services for Autism related therapy. I wanted to learn about the differences between Hippotherapy and equestrian therapy and it all seemed very confusing to me. So, I decided to go the horse’s mouth (sorry for the Pun) and went straight to a therapy centre here in Connecticut where I live to find out more.

I will share with all of you that for a long time I was in pursuit of this elusive dream, first with my eldest son who is severely autistic, and then with my youngest son who is on the mild end of the spectrum.  There were many years I never thought any of us would see eight consecutive hours again, until finally both boys through a tenacious adherence to routine (and probably just plain old maturity) did learn to sleep through the night, for which their parents are eternally grateful.

The other day a friend asked me what the hardest thing in my life is when it came to raising my daughter. Questions like these make me incredibly happy. My daughter, Lexi, is a bit on the unique side in that she has multiple diagnoses. She has both Down syndrome and West syndrome, paired with a severe cognitive impairment and autism.

Navigating as an autism parent can be challenging as no two children on the spectrum are alike. Raising a girl on the spectrum can be especially challenging.  Since girls account for much less of the total diagnoses, it’s much harder to find research studies or information exclusively about girls on the spectrum.  Primarily viewed as a boy’s disorder, attributes unique to autistic girls oftentimes gets excluded, making the information non-gender specific, or lacking details relevant to females.  This became even more apparent when our daughter reached puberty.

In today’s society, what is the criterion for a guy to be considered a real man? Muscles? Toughness? Success? Intelligence? Athletic ability? I’ve learned that it’s actually much more.

In many ways, Thanksgiving is a perfect storm of challenges for children on the autism spectrum and for their parents.  Not only is the holiday built around every possible stressor, but it also provides virtually no outlets for autistic strengths.