Hi, I'm from abroad...

Hi, my dear friend. I was talking to you about a month ago and haven't been visiting the chatroom since, as I was very busy with trying to help the child and stuff like that. Now were are enrolled in some development courses twice a week, and in queue for more (which may take several months). I have one QUESTION for you that I hope you can shed more light on for me, because I'm at my wits' end. Our girl (about to turn 18 months old) is not responding to her name or any speech directed to her. I know that it is autistic, but still. If you have this experience, can you explain exactly why is that. And what can be done by parents to develop this skill. Or this is something will never come? She responds only when you call her or say something for the first time. She will look up briefly and then again turn away. And will not respond again as long as she has you around. She will respond by brief eye contact occasonally to some rhymes and songs. Please, please, explain me the nature of this and what to do to get the attention of an autistic child. Thank you in advance.

Thank you, again! Yes, I do trust in God and have tremendous faith in HIM. God be with you, too. Thanks 

You are most welcome. Please feel uninhibited to return here to this site, and post/ask any questions at any time if you need anything. Though I would never put words in others' mouths, I would say that we are more than willing to help in any way we can, if we can. 

One step at a time is the correct and logical thing to do. And as you indicate you have faith, I will add: in past encounters with others who have both faith and also children who are autistic, I feel it appropriate to share with you something said to me by one parent, in that they recognised in me that I was like their child. They said: "I always say that people like 'you' are God's message; that 'you' are the way you are because you are closer to God." 

Without wishing to confuse, as I can only speak in brief here; I will say this: whilst I do not have faith, a practicing faith, I understand nonetheless.: I see it's complexity - I understand it at an intrinsic level, and it is something which I am unable to communicate as language is not sufficient to convey the extent of the message in whole, yet it is glimpsed in the world: words, idea, the patterns that adorn sacred spaces of places of worship in certain cultures, composite geometry, mathematics, within art, within nature, and in whatever culture one may encounter. It is present everywhere.

 I hope the above goes some way towards comforting you.

 My very best wishes to you also for your well-being and that of your family.

Thank you so much for your replies and everything. Now I have a better understanding of this complex subject thanks to you. And thank you for your comforting words. It really helps. We'll be taking one step at a time, hoping that God helps us in our efforts. Wish you a good mood. 

All I can say is: Everything changes. Don't be terrified.

The child support centre. This sounds like a plus; a place to start.

Again, without knowing the country you are in I cannot do more research and perhaps find something for you that perhaps you have missed on your internet searches. I would again urge you to consider exploring the options I outlined above:

also Red Cross International.  

autismspeaks.org/site-wide/united-nations

The United Nations - Autistic Minority International autisticminority.org/united-nations/

I am not Aspie (Aspergers). I am further along the spectrum, currently High Functioning Autistic, because: I am more 'locked in', do not make eye contact etc. and because I have the ability of speech, although it's very tiring and I don't make much sense, I also have the ability to communicate in written and spoken, though the effort and energy it takes is exhausting. In this medium, you do not see the level of concentration I bring to bear, nor my 'slowness' because i am processing vast amounts of information, nor do you hear my speech problems - stammer, and at times dumbness, almost like a spasm where I can't speak -, nor the fact that inside my head, my thinking is structured to re-route all information through a visual translation 'thing' or 'space' and it is like 'seeing' pictures in my head. I am translating 'code': verbal code, sensory code, hearing (I have historically been mistaken as 'deaf' yet I react to sound and can hear things that others around me cannot), my sense of smell is acute... there are many things. 

I also mask. I piece together jigsaws (see above visual re-routing) of 'code' to be able to appear normal in public and interact with other people. I went undiagnosed for a long time even though it was spotted in me since birth 'something wasn't right'. 

I change the way I communicate dependent upon the translation re-routing that is going on in my head. That is why I appear to write differently at different points. I am trying to communicate - but what is in my head is too complex, and words are not enough to describe the complex, composite 'jigsaws' or pictures if you will, in my head.

I hope the above gives you a small insight into, only one person obviously, but suffice to say that autism is not something to be afraid of, it is something different but equally comes with its own individuality. 

I know I am not retarded. But I do know I am slow, but I am slow because I am processing so much information, I need time. Like a computer, a vast computer, I'm just running at a different speed. My speed of intake of information is instantaneous, but my output is slow. My processing speed is, understandably, slow, or appears to be slow, because I'm dealing with so much information, but also, I am going in-depth into everything, and seeing the detail. 

Autistics love detail. We love patterns. We see code. We see signifiers. When we get overloaded, just like a computer, we overheat and shut down - you'll see meltdowns referred to often in any information about autism. This is normal for us. It's not something to be afraid of. 

A lot of the time, and in many cases even in the UK, it is the lack of understanding that is the biggest hurdle to overcome. Being autistic, or anywhere on the spectrum, I would say is not a problem for an autistic person. 

Take heart. Everything changes. Everything will be okay.

Thanks a lot for your reply. I am indeed from a former Soviet country. We are now starting from a child support center, but the problem in my country is that autism awareness is very, very low here and autistic people are excluded from life, from society, at best treated as retarded people and people don't understand the needs of parents and carers. Now I understand that. I'm terrified at the thought that the situation will not be changing, and so I'm very concerned over the fate of my little lovely girl. 

Thanks a lot for your reply again, it's very comforting to know that there are people you can talk to about your problem. 

Sorry to ask, but are you Aspergers?

I'm neither parent nor carer, but am autistic.

I will make a massive presumption based on your name that you are either Russian, and or Indian. Apologies if I am way off base.

Without knowing which country you are in I am unable to furnish you with any research I might have been able to find which could help - charities perhaps working in your region which you might be able to access, etc. specialist international foundations, or indeed Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).

As you have access to internet I will make another presumption in that your base is non-rural, that you will be able to find the right information, given that you ask the right questions on the internet searches.

I can offer no more in terms of experience, many apologies, but hope the above does help in small part.