"Who's Weird - Besides Me?"

....This is what my son with Autism says every time you give him his iPod. It was this same type of repetitive behavior that helped my husband and I figure out that he needed to be tested for Autism. We learned about Autism on the 'Sally Jesse Rafael Show'. Our son was around 10 years old by then. Doctors, teachers, as well as school district "specialist" had never even suggested that this might be one of his disabilities. Had we known sooner, we may have been able to teach him differently. You see, although he functions fairly well, he has certain behaviors that we just can't break. For instance, he won't get out of bed in the morning and go to the bathroom until someone tells him to. My husband or I have to be sure to get him up so he doesn't have any accidents in bed. Do we ever get to sleep in? Rarely.

Bottom line...and I'll probably say this multiple times in my blog...is for parents of these children to be aggressive when it comes to your child. You have that "instinct" that other people in your child's life won't. Also, educate yourself about your child's disability. Although the road ahead is never easy, it can be smoother with extra effort on your part. And I have found that the rewards from having my son as part of our family definitely outweigh all the trials that come with him.

Infantile Autism: Concepts Characteristics and Treatment