Airline Pilot and Child with Autism

JayAre · October 22nd, 2006, 11:38

My son has just been dianosed(sp) with autism. I was wondering of any airline pilots have children that have autism, and how difficult it is when they are gone for 3-4 days. And if the behavior of the child is much different with the seperation between trips.

cezzna · November 1st, 2006, 07:53

My son was diagnosed 2 yrs. ago. He does have and show affection for me unlike some autistic kids. The separation from him is not a problem in that most ASD kids are in their own little world no matter who is around them. This is going to be very hard on you and your family, PM me for the details, I'm sure like me you have a million questions about autism.

TonyC · November 1st, 2006, 14:05

Asperger's Syndrome.

They thrive on routine, and abhor changes.

Contemplate how to fit that into your schedule.

It can be done, but it's a challenge.

.

SteveC · November 1st, 2006, 21:22

Autism covers a huge spectrum with many different requirements depending upon the severity. My wife is a Speech Pathologist and currently works in a county-wide school district program with pre-school age kids, and she *specializes* in kids with autism. Her 30 second response is that there are techniques that can be used to help kids learn how to cope with the unique requirements of an airline lifestyle, but it really requires the help of a professional that can do an in-depth analysis of your child's condition, needs, responses, etc.

Kristie · November 2nd, 2006, 17:06

NICE.. this board has a little bit of help for everyone...It was nice of your wife to provide some input steve!!

Tim · November 2nd, 2006, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyC

Asperger's Syndrome.

They thrive on routine, and abhor changes.

Contemplate how to fit that into your schedule.

It can be done, but it's a challenge.

.

My son was diaganosed with another form of Austim. Its called NLVD. Non verbal learning disorder. Many times Drs have diagnosised it at Aspergers. Its more of a new diagnosis and some drs dont recognize it but the studies have been done for it and whats effective treatment. Basically the treatment is get him involved with kids who have deal with NLVD and parent support groups. It runs very close to the things that Asperger kids deal with. The biggest difference is the non verbal such as facial expressions, sarcasm, and some hand gestures. Like aspergers he has a routine and doenst always adjust well on the fly so to speak. The biggest improvement is that he has learned to recognize when he is having a "meltdown" and has learned to take deep breaths and get himself under control.

TonyC · November 2nd, 2006, 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim

Its called NLVD. Non verbal learning disorder.

The biggest difference is the non verbal such as facial expressions, sarcasm, and some hand gestures.

Deficiencies in non-verbal communication skills is one aspect of Asperger's Syndrome. They process everything quite literally, without reference to non-verbal cues, intonation, or any other context clues that we pick up on naturally and without thinking about it.

"Real nice" can mean one thing when spoken in a cheerful, light tone and a smile. It can mean something entirely different when spoken in a harsh tone, a frown, and a head gesture. To him, they both mean the same thing.

Sarcasm is lost on him, as is most idiomatic speech. While Asperger's Syndrome is considered a language capable form of autism, it certainly is not a full language capability.

On the bright side, he is very bright, as are most others with the Syndrome. He can be taught, "That is not appropriate" or "a smile on the face means..." and he retains the information like a vault. He does exceptionally well in math and science, he just lags significantly behind his peers in social skills. He'd make a perfect pilot.

.

cezzna · November 2nd, 2006, 21:26

My son has autism and while they are young like my son, it is hard to determine where they will end up on the spectrum. My son is unlike many in that disruptions in routine have little affect on him. He is mostly non-verbal and is learning to talk verbally and communicate through sign language. Aspergers is really a form of 'high functioning autism'. The aspergers kids are more likely to mainstream into the normal classrooms.

If this is all new to you, and it sounds like it is, you will get more info than you ever bargained for and less all at the same time. Your pediatircian will have little insight on autism and just point you in the direction of a specialist or two. There is no protocol for treatment on autism and it's up to you to research it (which can be done endlessly) and come up with your own course of treatment. There are endless reputable treatments and schools as well as endless snake oil salesmen. It will take you months to sort it all out in your head, don't rush yourself.

Take care of your wife, 80% of autism marriages end like 80% of aviation marriages if you know what I mean.

Good luck.

Tim · November 3rd, 2006, 15:58

Tony the NLVD for him was mistreated for a long time. We tried 3 different Dr's. One was a family counselor and she basically just blamed the wife and I on his issues, the second wanted to give him medication (not ridalyn) and the other still not sure what she was doing. Our pedicatrian got frustrated also because she knew what was wrong but that wasnt her field so she pulled some strings to get us an appointment with an old college friend. He had a battery of test done and the NLVD was the verdict. That dr gave up plenty of reading and info to help him. You are right he is very smart and sometimes has a hard time associating with kids his age. He is more comfortable talking to adults. It is funny to watch him try to solve something when he is playing...he will look at it from all angles and then try a few things but eventually get its. The biggest breakthrough though was him understanding whats going on and how to control it. He has come along way in less than 2 yrs

Jay we used the Marcus Institute here in Atlanta...no sure where you are or if the office just a local place.

JayAre · November 9th, 2006, 14:13

Well to update we meet with the child phycoligist(sp) again with a home visit. My son has autistic symptoms but doesn't have autism. We were lead to believe from the first visit and from other workers he has it. It has been rather frustrating. There is a broad range in the Autism spectrum disorder which my son has but technically doesn't have autism. He has severe speech delay and a social behavior problem and sensory intergration disorder. Meaning he can overload on to much at once. We are meeting with a neurologist to have his brain activity measured before thanksgiving and than I start ground school monday the 27th with AMF(I left chartran) where if things go well I'll be gone for a month. I better get back to work counting inventory....anyone want to buy a Sage fly rod I have plenty on hand.

TonyC · November 9th, 2006, 14:34

"Frustrating" is probably a gross understatement.

Indeed, there is a wide spectrum of disorders that fall under the heading of autism. Finding the right label or specific diagnosis is really not the most important part. In fact, two children with identical "labels" will not have identical symptoms, behaviors, or special needs, and will require unique strategies to suit them best. Don't give up.

We went from one doctor to another to another until we found one that was a perfect fit, that recognized our son's situation, and started helping us help him. Perhaps you just haven't found the right psychologist yet. That doesn't mean the one you've used is not as good -- sometimes it just takes a different eye, a different perspective, and a different set of experiences to spot the right clues.

Hang in there -- I promise you will work hard, but you'll learn a lot, and you will be rewarded.

.

Tim · November 9th, 2006, 15:08

Tony I agree with you 100% about the frustration. It took us what seemed like forever. Jay you will be so irritated at dr's before you finally get what you need. Hang inthere and you will find what you need. A light bulb will finally go off in a dr's head and you will get relief. Once you get the answers like Tony said you will be rewarded and you will feel like a 2 ton weight has been lifted off your shoulders..

cezzna · November 16th, 2006, 11:30

Don't get caught up in the labels they mean noting. Some parents take refuge in the "non" autism but ASD label. I have some relatitives who have an ADD/ASD child. They are in denial about autism fearing the label as a death sentence to little progress. You actually can gain better treatments and access with an autism label. I've head of kids who after intensive therapy and progress aren't labelled autistic anymore and then they lose all of their services and eligibility.

Tim · November 16th, 2006, 17:45

You are right its all about the acceptance and attitude of the parents. Reality can be cruel but awakening. The attitude of the parents and agressiveness in handling the treatment will only benefit the kid but also the family as a whole

JayAre · November 17th, 2006, 12:03

It really is take it day by day. There are so many different therapists, speech, behavior, occupational coming and going meeting with Dr.'s. Does he have it or not, well he does this but not that. grrrrrrr

Tim · November 17th, 2006, 13:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayAre

It really is take it day by day. There are so many different therapists, speech, behavior, occupational coming and going meeting with Dr.'s. Does he have it or not, well he does this but not that. grrrrrrr

Jay trust me I know how that is. Just when you think the dr's have it figured out they change their mind or another dr says no thats not it. Patience is the toughest part because its your child you see having the problems while the dr's play the guessing game.

cezzna · November 29th, 2006, 13:28

I wouldn't waste my time with what diagnosis they come up with. The truth is the doctors help very little with ASD disorders. They may label it but usually have limited knowledge on treatment options. In my major city, there is a very reputable childerens hospital where my son was diagnosed. I then asked about what to do. They have therapy and treatment there but I was told there would be a two year waiting list. The whole system is overloaded as far as treatment goes, at least where I am.

The good news is treatment, meaningful treatment, rests outside of the hands of the doctors. No matter if it's Autism, Aspergers, or any other part of the spectrum they will likely end up benefitting from the same treatments, such as PT,OT, and speech. ABA is also beneficial to anyone on the spectrum. It is the only PROVEN treatment for autism outside of PT,OT and Speech. So in other words don't worry about the doctors, find the schools in your area that offer these options. Find people who really care, they are the ones who will help. I've seen miracles already with my son and it's all because I fould the right school and a great ABA therapist.

The only doctors who can really help are DAN doctors, or defeat autism now doctors. They can try to help with special diets and chelation treatments, but they operate outside of the box of conventional medicine.

Good luck.

Tim · November 29th, 2006, 15:58

We found out from his dr. that the best treatment is group interaction. It was amazing how many support groups are out there. We found several in the Atlanta. Take the lead and get him involved with other kids who are experiencing the same problems he is. You will be amazed at how well the interact together and how much fun he will have.

SteveC · November 29th, 2006, 19:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by cezzna

The good news is treatment, meaningful treatment, rests outside of the hands of the doctors. No matter if it's Autism, Aspergers, or any other part of the spectrum they will likely end up benefitting from the same treatments, such as PT,OT, and speech....So in other words don't worry about the doctors, find the schools in your area that offer these options. Find people who really care, they are the ones who will help.

That's the stuff my wife does. Crazy cool to see some of the techniques they use and how well they can work. It takes caring and dedicated people that are willing to keep working different techniques till they find the right "keys" to each individual kid. It's amazing to see a kid that is just totally frustrated and out of control all of a sudden "get it" and find a way to communicate. Life changing stuff sometimes.

Tim · November 30th, 2006, 02:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveC

That's the stuff my wife does. Crazy cool to see some of the techniques they use and how well they can work. It takes caring and dedicated people that are willing to keep working different techniques till they find the right "keys" to each individual kid. It's amazing to see a kid that is just totally frustrated and out of control all of a sudden "get it" and find a way to communicate. Life changing stuff sometimes.

Its like a light bulb comes on for them. The biggest thing with my son was his ability to recognize when he was having a "meltdown". He has learned how to control it and what to do when he feels it coming on.

seagull · December 2nd, 2006, 09:11

For a long time we thought my 10 y/o son had aspergers, but now we are leaning towards CHARGE. In any event, these things can be dealt with as far as the children are concerned. In my case, I think that the stress and how it was handled by my ex wife and I, led to the end of our marriage, which is not a good thing for all of it. My son is doing very well, all things considered.

Tim · December 3rd, 2006, 10:48

I think what happened to your marriage is one affect that many dont consider. The Dr's definetly dont. As much as you want to concentrate on things to help your child a very important part gets left out and that is taking care of the relationship with the spouse. Getting help with the stress of it all should be considered for the adults because it will be trying to the marriage.

seagull · December 4th, 2006, 09:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim

I think what happened to your marriage is one affect that many dont consider. The Dr's definetly dont. As much as you want to concentrate on things to help your child a very important part gets left out and that is taking care of the relationship with the spouse. Getting help with the stress of it all should be considered for the adults because it will be trying to the marriage.

True. What was strange is that at first it seemed to really pull us together, it was only after a few years that it had the opposite effect.

Tim · December 4th, 2006, 12:57

I know that feeling all to well....its something I am experiencing now....its like WTF went wrong

ComplexHiAv8r · December 4th, 2006, 17:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayAre

My son has just been dianosed(sp) with autism. I was wondering of any airline pilots have children that have autism, and how difficult it is when they are gone for 3-4 days. And if the behavior of the child is much different with the seperation between trips.

I know that I am late to this, but there are agencies that support families with respite for weekends. It allows the parents a break from the issues at home and get time to themselves. My wife and I are a respite family through the foster care system, but my wife has clients that that get the same service through another agency for their biological children. Don't forget to look into government agencies for assistance...that is what we pay our taxes for. Qualify and use I say, and that goes for 1st year FO and food stamps too!