I really appreciate how responsible and respectful you are of your kids and limiting the filming of their “bad moments”. I actually love how limited the footage of the kids are... like you aren’t using your kids for views, you are truly educating us all ❤️
Tantrums and meltdowns are far from being the only signs of autism present in infants and toddlers. The people making those comments must not be familiar with what autism looks like in children under 5.
Minimizing autism happens even more significantly in adulthood. People like to say “you’re an adult now-so act like it” as if that will make the autism magically disappear. Add on top of that many services ending for adults on the spectrum. It’s just so sad and it is a family problem! Thank you so much for explaining and advocating.
Your kids are so sweet. When you mentioned Liam’s sleeper I literally didn’t even notice. It’s a sleeper. My nephew’s favorite is baby and hot pink with 😘 emojis all over.
I was diagnosed at 21, I am high functioning. I do have a job, I am married, and I do have a child. I am also very good at masking. With this combination I do see why people do not believe that I have ASD. It still doesn't change the fact that I do struggle with things because of my autism. People don't see our everyday lives. They don't see our internal thoughts.
I totally made it till the end. I LOVE this channel and all of the explanations. I myself am learning new things each day about my own 2.5-year-old who was diagnosed with Autism. My 9-year-old is on the spectrum but when he was diagnosed with being on the spectrum and ADHD/ODD, I didn't really do much research and just let it be. Now is that I am understanding my 9-year-old and it is all because of this video. I THANK YOU for this channel. I am 31 years old and I have 4 boys. 14, 9, 6, and 2.5. My 9-year-old is on the spectrum. He falls in 2 of the 3 categories that they diagnose here in NY and my 2.5-year-old is autistic. He is now learning to talk and he is finally doing eye contact and playing with his siblings. He never did. I am beyond thankful for the therapists that my son has had and still has. Thank you again for these videos and please please please do not stop. I learn each and every day. I myself was diagnosed with ADHD about 3 years ago and I was SHOCKED to even think I had it. I also want to look into adult Autism. So if you can please do videos on the process and what they look for. I would LOVE that.
I love your videos and love how you give information on autism and your videos on ADHD/ADD. You have helped my family so much on our journey. Our almost 3 year old just got diagnosed with autism level 2 and ADD. You have helped us realize what was going on with my husband and other kiddos! It's a long story but I just wanted to say I appreciate you so much. Thank you for doing videos, putting yourself out there, and spreading awareness. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I admire your ethical practices on your channel. You are providing such a valuable service to families just starting their journey parenting a child on the spectrum. I am so proud of you for drawing a line what you are comfortable filming, and not apologizing for that. You are such a great advocate for your beautiful family. Your dedication and drive to fight for the children to get the best services available, is endless. You are a warrior. You are an articulate, amazing beautiful soul. I love all of you. I spent 17 years working with kids on the spectrum from early intervention to high school. You are spot on, there are so many children that people would not think are on the spectrum, but that is just inexperience, which is why your content is so valuable. I believe most people are here because they love your family. ❤️
We had a 4 hour eval today for our 15yo daughter, it’s a very involved and hard process. Mentally and emotionally. The autistic spectrum is just that though, a spectrum, and in the same way that no person is identical, no asc person is identical, but every person has inate traits that are similar but at the same time vastly different . I have say though that you rock Stephanie! To advocate as you do for your children is hard, especially when they may not have the full capacity to consent be it age or otherwise. The love, respect and care you show those amazing little people of yours is very evident. To put yourself out there and educate and explain intimate parts of your life is brave and exposing, it’s raw and real. Stereotypes around ASC need to go and the only way that will happen is to educate people on the diversity within neurodiversity. And when you say you’ve had a rough week, I totally get it without explanation, we have three with ASC. My brain rambles a lot, so I apologise in advance, I wasn’t sure if I should comment but you convinced me in the vlog haha but I’m glad you posted this vlog because the amount of people who question ‘oh they don’t look autistic’ is crazy! But last I looked neurodiversity didn’t have a dress code.......the one thing I would love to see you touch on is care giver self care, and the importance of it (if you’ve covered it before I apologise, I haven’t watched all the vlogs) In our house we’ve spent 6+m without respite, without a break and with almost no real self care. And the struggle is real, don’t get me wrong we love all 6 of our womb fruits to bits, it’s hard work. Anyway, essay/ramble complete! Long story short, you did good 💜 so you take it easy and drink Diet Pepsi! Xx
Stephanie, you have grown so much personally. You've become so well spoken on the subject of a Special Needs Family. Thank you! Thank you for being so straightforward with us. Keep up the great work! ❤
I totally get you on this. Every child and adult with autism is unique and as individual in every way as non autistic people are. I also love the new schedule for both channels.
I’m watching this again and really want to convey how much I appreciate your public service! I am a social worker with over 25 years experience. I started my career working 1:1 with children labelled with autism. I have probably met hundreds of people with autism and got to know at least 30-40 quite well. And I couldn’t tell you what ALL the traits, etc are out there. Or what is/is not a ‘stim’. Or what ‘level’ of autism someone is diagnosed with. So just want to reinforce the diverse faces of autism! Looking forward to the stimming vlog!
Been following your videos for quite awhile.. they actually pushed me further into getting my 2 1/2 yr old son evaluated. Everyone in my family doubted it (saying the things I questioned were typical) but as a stay at home parent with him everyday my motherly instincts said otherwise. A year later we’re now waiting 4-6 weeks for his diagnosis but they left me with the fact that they already have enough red flags right now to diagnose him. I’ve grown to know so much more about autism from your channel and it’s helping me tremendously to deal with this new path we’ll be on and showing me new ways to work with my baby. You’re such a strong mother it’s hard work but they depend on us to show them the way ❤️
Love love love this! The amount of people that would say ‘no he’s not’ when I’d tell them my son is autistic was huge!! In the end I used to say ‘so you are telling me three medical professionals (speechie, psych and behavioural paed) in their chosen field don’t know what they are doing and they all came to the conclusion independently of each other?’ Some people don’t really understand the process that’s involved and all the testing the child has to go through to receive an autism diagnosis, it can be lengthy. ‘(So-called mild Autism doesn’t mean one experiences Autism mildly.... It means you experience their autism mildly. You may not know how hard they’ve had to work to get to the level they are’ -Adam Walton-
Lol made it and commenting 🤣! I appreciate you doing this video. I have worked in Early Intervention and Early Education home based services for 15 years. As you said, autism is not a handful of 5 traits. It's a broad spectrum. Thank you for sharing your life and family with us all to learn!
I think sometimes people just assume all autism looks like how it has been shown on mainstream media. All kiddos are different regardless of being Autistic or not, once people realize that I think you will have a lot less of those toxic environments for kids. Your family is super cute all your kiddos are unique and lovely. I keep watching because I love seeing how your family is growing and thriving even when stuff is crazy I come from a big family so it feels like home.
I made it to there lol You are such an amazing person and I agree that I think people are just curious. I appreciate everything you share so thank you 🙏💕
I thought this was such a wonderful "sit down conversation" today. You made so many excellent points about peoples expectations of what autism "looks like". I absolutely LOVE that you are mindful of your childrens privacy and would never share more personal moments just for the purpose of "proving" that they display "autistic behaviors". I enjoy your videos so much and think you have a beautiful family 😍 Sending love from Oregon 😘
Your children are so lovely - I hope they all do really well :-) It's maddening the way in which as soon as a disabled kid or adult achieves something unexpected, it's always negated by suggesting that they didn't have the difficulty in the first place! I'm not questioning your children's diagnosis in the slightest, but as a comment from the other side of the fence: I did actually have the experience of being misdiagnosed with autism in the UK when I was 15, which led to some really awful inappropriate treatment and intervention. I have sight problems and dyspraxia, and I had mental health issues (mostly post traumatic stress from school), and the combination does superficially look like autism. People tend to go too much by my intermittently poor eye contact, for instance. Two independent doctors both of whom were experts have since been absolutely adamant that I'm not on the spectrum, though I do have quite bad problems of other types some of which overlap (dyspraxia often includes sensory processing disorders): it was a matter of a different problem being mislabeled, not a matter of the label being given to a "healthy" child. My experience was rather like the situation where the people in a mental health hospital wrote down a set of assessors as "exhibiting writing behaviour" rather than considering the possibility that they had a completely rational reason for what they were doing. Once people decided I was autistic, they didn't look for the real signs that I wasn't. And I tended to do what was expected of me, so if people expected me to behave "autistic" I tended - quite unconsciously - to do that. It was a dreadful time: people were so dismissive of my understanding and experience: they seemed to assume a toddler level of understanding. For example, I'd ask if I was allowed to add money of my own to the lunch allowance, and still claim the amount of the expense that was reclaimable, and I'd get the blank, patient, slow repetition of how the allowance was such and such, no matter what I said or did. I would be inclined to say to anyone who is earlier on in the process of diagnosis and concerned about it being got wrong, that if there is any uncertainty, it is worth looking for a second opinion if possible; beware of a doctor without enough experience diagnosing from a checklist (they probably don't know enough for differential diagnosis), and look for medical professionals who are considering other possible medical causes (such as the whole "actually, can she see properly?" thing). Keeping an open mind as to the possibility of it being a different developmental condition or other type of illness, though, isn't at all the same as being randomly dismissive because a child has acted "normally" once in a hundred times!
Thanks for this video! My middle child was diagnosed with Autism a little while after he turned 2 (he's currently 3 1/2). Thanks to early intervention (speech, OT, and ABA) he's made an incredible amount of progress. I too, often have to deal with the "are you sure he has Autism?" comments and it's incredibly frustrating (including from the receptionist at his ABA). *SMH. Anyways... thanks again! It's nice knowing that people can relate!
And nobody needs to see your kids lose it. They're caught in the grip of something painful that's private and needs to stay that way. I would think that anybody who has a child that's ever had a tantrum, understanding that a tantrum is not a child being a brat but a child hurting and not capable of coping, would understand that. I know it's not the same thing but a parent privately comforting a hurting child just makes sense to me.
Yes, Stephanie. I've gone down the rabbit hole of watching many other families with autistic children, and you remain my favorite. You don't seem exploitative at ALL and you take your kids' privacy seriously. Like how you feel bad filming Nelly's stimming.. you are my favorite family channel on YT.
I can only imagine what your house or dream house would look like a room for each of the children and their special needs making each room unique in its own way! Such as I would love to have a swing room that’s nice and quiet may be around plants because plant oxygen is good for our air quality and I feel like it would make me decompress in distress but at the same time having a room just of things to touch and play with to where my hands are always doing someone staying busy.
♥️🤗🙏 I watched it all ❤️ I have a 26 year old ADHD and a 24 year old with ADHD ASD OCD ODD ♥️ I had to fight for everything for them in England especially when it came to their education ♥️love your vlogs ♥️Thank you for sharing to help others♥️ I have 2 sons. Your Liam reminds me of my youngest ♥️
“Functioning varies day to day and task to task.” 🙌🏻 Preach! My older brother (37) is autistic and his functioning levels can vary widely even as an adult. To a person unfamiliar with autism it can seem odd that he has had a learners permit for nearly a decade. They have no idea that his biggest hurdle actually is determining if he has the bandwidth to practice on a given day. Sometimes his functioning is where he tries to make a frozen burrito for lunch and then thinks he had lunch because he hit the start button on the microwave. They figure “if it’s so difficult, why do it?” Autism families don’t just stop doing things because they are difficult. Stay strong. 💪🏻
A lovely video :) my kids are 2 and 3 my son was diagnosed with the school district and is in the local ppcd program at the school, daughter hasn’t been evaluated yet, but it’s hard to hear your child is behind. And my father refuses to see it and just blames me for it. Very unhealthy and discouraging, but watching your videos gives me some peace and confidence . ❤️
We just got our daughter diagnosed and medicated for ADHD and we get a lot of the "oh that's normal" well yeah it is but it's also not lol she does a ton of "typical things" but we aren't medicating our 6 yr old for the fun of it. It's something she needs help with and we are SOO happy with all the therapies and help we have been getting. Every family is so different and every choice is so personal to each member that you just can't judge it. I hate how competitive parenting can be with such sensitive topics. We love you guys! I think you do an amazing job at sharing the real and honest truth but also being respectful of everyone. It's something I've taken in consideration when sharing about our girl. I don't want all her personal business out there but I also love to educate others on our reality.
I am glad that you made this video. We are in the process of having my 3 year old evaluated. I have had so many people tell me that he is going to be high functioning, and every time it makes me cringe. Sometimes when I hear this I feel like they say it as a way to make them more comfortable with my son not being neurotypical and it lessens what my son is going through. Thank you for talking about this, I never realized that other families go through the same thing and felt the same way I do about those types of comments.
Yes, it's society's way of saying that he's just a "little bit autistic" when it doesn't matter what functioning label they are. It minimizes his struggle and the support he needs. Lex is my most high functioning kiddo and he needs the most support while Penelope who is supposed to be my most "severe" kid needs the least support so functioning labels are great for professionals to be aware but it means very very little in reality.
Made to the end....love watching your videos....went through it all with our son, conflicting diagnoses...pediatric neurologist says no, school psychologist says yes...who knows. He is definitely a special little boy and watching you videos makes me not feel alone going through all of this. Thanks!
Stephanie, what I really appreciate about your vlogs and how you choose to show the kids is that you really focus on the "normal" aspect of neurodivergent kids. Perhaps that's why you get some people not seeing the signs of Autism in them. What is awesome about this is that I think it helps those who feel uncomfortable around a neurodivergent child (or adult, for that matter), to see that there are areas of "normal" that they can look for and focus on in ANY person. This isn't to say that Autism should be ignored or isn't an integral part of who they are, but that they are more than just their diagnosis. I hope that makes sense. ;) I also really, really appreciate that you do not show the kids when they are struggling. No child needs to carry that embarrassment or shame with them for the rest of their lives, whether neurodivergent or neurotypical.
I like showing the every day parts because those are the memories I want to look back on. I don't need to have their meltdowns or poop smearing or harmful stims captured on video. I don't want to look back on those memories. Those are apart of our life too but I can graze on those topics and "educate" just the same without humiliating my kids. So thank you :)
Up close Penelope has VERY good eye contact. When she engages with you, she is there and has the best eye contact out of all of my kids. It's just trying to get her to notice us from more than a feet away or want to engage on her own but that can also be her vision.
This is a different topic, but I highly recommend you look into developmental schemes and Montessori\ Waldorf activities for preschool ages. I feel there’s a lot of good tools for you and your family. With your kids focusing on certain types of activities there are a lot of really cool and fun ways to develop those skills. It’s all vary interesting and a total different way for kids to learn, it’s helped us a lot. Also the Montessori and Waldorf types of activities are very different but there’s some amazing concepts that I’ve never experienced with the typical educational system. They both bring up some really unique ways to help our little ones grow into who they will be. I hope all this makes sense... I just think u might find some good tools that’ll make your life easier
I just want to tell you that you are a beautiful, strong woman AND AMAZING MOM!🙏❤🌺 Thank you for sharing and teaching us about ASD. Also... ignore the haters! Love you and your precious family!!!💕
Thanks for this video! As a woman, I didn't get diagnosed until I was 31 and looking back at my childhood I can see how I didn't appear to family that I wasn't *enough* of something (like autistic) but none the less...the traits were there.
I love what you were doing. My best friend has an autistic child. She quit her job to stay home with him she went through hell and back. It ended up homeschooling him. People who say ugly things and try to judge you. If they never walked in your shoes. So stay strong and don't care what other people say. Because I've never walked in your shoes. God bless you and your family. And keep educating people. It kids are very smart. And having a difficult time showing how much they love you because they can't get the words out.
Love your Chanel! My son is almost 3 and he just got his diagnosis on 8/31 (moderate to severe autism) and because of you I started my own Chanel! You inspired me to bring awareness about autism! I wanna thank you! Thank you for you videos and information you have put out there. It has helped me a lot! ❤️💚💛💜
I’m so glad your going to be evaluated!!! I just, today, got my official diagnosis of autism level 1!!! :) It was a long process but very worth it! Good luck and can’t wait to see the process you go through no matter the outcome! I made it through the entire video lol
Our LANDing Crew that is exactly how I felt! I had the appointments and actually went through a couple of the exercises that they use with children for the evaluation. I was lucky to get someone who recognizes that adult women go undiagnosed often as children and that e we are different than the typical male person with this. Excited to see your experience!
You’re doing the right thing. We have to protect our children and their right to privacy. I wouldn’t want to put my son’s worst behavior and bad days on the internet for the world to see either. You explained it in a great way and I agree that 90% of your viewers understand this. It’s also refreshing to see you bringing light to this issue that Autism families get so often. It opened my eyes to the words I use in conversation with special needs families.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for you speaking up on this and sharing this video. Even still because our son displays so typical people can be so rude with their comments because of how they think autism is and how difficult it must be due to functioning levels.
Thank you so much for your sincere video! Honestly, it would be soo useful to see also the “bad” moments of autism. Looking forward to the stimming video whenever you feel ready 🤗
Why would it be useful? Like what part of kids melting down or struggling would be educational? I can talk about tips and how we help our kids without putting their worst moments online
I didnt know a thjng about stimming untill watching your videos my daughter stims alot and at first I didn't know your channel and your family have made a huge impact on me and everyone else who watches you
Stephanie...i feel like we are sisters... every word that you said is like you read my mind...I wish there were more people like you in this world.., Lot's of love for you and the family
This is what we need , I feel like everything I come across are lately diagnosed adults “advocating “ for autism I’m Noah’s age mad I find nothing especially because I’m a girl
Thank you for this very necessary video, I remember before my son was diagnosed I had an idea of autism and now i see how different it can be and function levels aren’t really accurate.
Clapping! Yes! Your speaking the truth! Stephanie thank you so much for all you done and still do. I know you talked about compliments, but it's true that you need to know you are amazing as a mom, person and advocate for the special needs world.
I remember when I was in elementary school and the principal that used to be my mom's teacher told her that I had autism but I don't think that she wanted me labeled. I wish that I had gotten the diagnosis when I was in elementary school and not in 2018 at the age of 33. I struggled academically and with everything else growing up that when did receive my autism diagnosis it was a big relief because it all makes sense now.
When I tell people I have autism (aspergers syndrom) they don’t believe either cause I can be very social... it is just that I do miss some social cues that are normal for other people... also in big crowds I get overwhelmed after a certain amount of time... I was diagnosed very late, when I was about 23-24 years old. Now I have a daughter and am aware of the fact that she could have autism to since it runs in our family. So far I haven’t really seen any signs other than that she is late with her speech, but this can be due to the fact she is growing up bilingual... I can also be missing signs like you said 😊 but if it would turn out that she does indeed have autism I will try to get her the help she needs as soon as possible, cause I had to learn a lot myself and am still learning. I find it hard that people who know nothing about autism can criticise so fast and it makes me sad... and with this I mean people who make stupid remarks not the people who are asking questions out of interest 😊 cause I think there should be more awareness and I think you’re doing an awesome job at trying to explain it so people can understand.
This video really hit home today. Yesterday I took both Noah (nearly 3) and Nicholas (6) for evaluations for OT and speech at a center. Noah was diagnosed last May and Nicholas last Friday. The same Dr did both evaluations. Noah has made a lot of progress in speech and communication. However, this center doubted both diagnoses. I cried. I felt so defeated and questioning everything. They aren't there on a daily basis to see our childrens struggles. It's making me want to retest them at another provider just to prove them wrong.
Thats so frustrating. I think it's hard when people try to take kids' strengths to say they aren't on the spectrum anymore. My kids have made leaps and BOUNDS of progress but that doesn't make the autism go away and I feel like it takes away from their triumphs. I wish I could give you a hug mama!
Hi! If your comfortable with it, I would love to see your journey with your autism evaluation process. Im 22, I believe I may be autistic and my 2 year old son is in EI, non verbal and may be autistic. I would really benifit and appreciate watching your journey as an adult so i can be better prepaired to do it for myself ❤
Thank you so much for making this video. I HOPE a lot of people with questions or doubts take heed. Things are challenging enough, without getting that from other people!! People need to realize there is no autism cookie cutter. .The definition of "Spectrum" should explain it, but sadly so many miss that keyword!! Educating people is the key, so thank you for that!!😘🥰
Some people with still doubt and have snarky comments and that's okay. I have given them the chance to be informed and educated IF they want to. If they choose to still ignore it and sound really ignorant, that's on them. Thank you for being so sweet!
@@OurLANDingCrew8 So true!! I didn't know what Autism was a few years ago, before I started watching FA, which prompted me to start watching multiple channels. I now watch probably approx. 10-15 channels, where someone on the channel is Autistic. I have gotten quite the education over the course of a few years. If I don't know or understand something, I dive in & find out. Of course, over the past 60 years, empathy within on all kinds of subjects, has set in. Like Jen of Rebranding Autism always says: "It's what I do"😉...God bless❤🧡💛💚💙
23:09 I made all the way through! How's that!! I love the longer vlogs, though, so it was great!! 🛫💕💓💙💙💙💙💓 Thanks for sharing!! You did, as usual, a great job!!
🌟💜💫 You expressed things very well and Kudos! Totally agree... for anyone living with mental health issues and/or with disability an/or also are a parent of a child with disabilities can be full of challenging aspects. It is also absolutely true that it can be a life full of incredibly rich experiences and learning moments in a wonderful family journey. It is always important to leave an opportunity open for individual’s who actually desire and have a growing understanding and potential for true acceptance of those living with disabilities and/or mental health issues.
thank you for talking about this! it happens to autistic adults too. i get told so often that i don't 'look autistic' and its... weird. people think they're experts on it! but they're not, and their opinions don't make us any less autistic
I have made it to the end! It is so hard for people to really see the disability when they are not living with you. Raising kids with special needs is so hard but harder to explain what your family goes though everyday!
You always handle these so well. 👍 It's crazy to me that people will speak on things that they clearly don't know anything (or very little) about. Just like every typical kid is different, every autistic kid is different too. You have the right to show what you want to show of them too and I know I definitely respect that.
Omg ‘it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it’ is what my mum used to say to me all the time.. I’ve Never understood this phrase. I guessed it was about voice tone but by your explanation it’s about the wording too? These idioms and phrases people use have always been difficult, I have ASD too.
I think it could be tone and how you use your words so if you wnat to someone to move out of the way you could say 1. Move! 2. Excuse me, I need to get by you right quick Obviously #2 would be better received but they both "mean" the same thing
I totally agree with you that you shouldn't show everything. If someone feels the need to see the bad moments for their own entertainment, that is their problem. You are doing a great service to others who need more information. You are not showing a reality series. You are showing real life.
You have such a lovely family. I really enjoy watching your channel. We are in the process of getting our little dude assessed its a long process and overwhelming. I also think he might have adhd. Would you consider doing an adhd video x
Hi! I am an early interventionist. Wondering where his therapist or you got that mat he was using in the beginning clip! I would love to use that with my kiddos! That is a fantastic activity!!! So excited to try it!
A viewer gave it to us but you can just print out something that labels body parts, vehicles, shapes, etc and laminate it. She just uses playdoh because Liam LOVES smashing it :)
Wow this brought back memories for me. My Autistic son who is now 18 used to chew his shirt collar and sleeves. We used to use chewy necklaces but they were hit and miss. He did grow out of it. ❤️
My son is 3 and getting diagnosed for autism. I knew nothing about autism, still trying to learn. Looking back now i remember my now 6 year old daughter doing many things that my husband said i was looking too much into. Now she only toe walks, doesnt understand personal space, has food sensory issues, and still has sleep issues. Im not sure if she will be diagnosed as autistic though because she doesnt do a lot of the things she used to do (masking maybe)
Yep. I’m always being told that I don’t struggle with the challenges I do because I seem fine when people see me at church etc. I only go out on good days and I mask a lot. People don’t see me when just the thought of opening my front door puts me in panic or the nights when my sleep is restless and full of nightmares because my brain hasn’t been able to process a traumatic day in a better way.
I literally always feel like our autism isn't the right autism, despite my daughter basically being super autistic. If in Germany you already have a developmental delay, they are like nah she just slow 🙄 sch anyway ..ten years later...we have a diagnosis. This a great video, also where did you get that brilliant poster behind you ?
I completely agree with you about what people say. I just took my son to the dentist and told them he was on the spectrum and the hygienist said really? You sure? It’s mild though right? 🤔🙄 I know she meant well, but it happens. Your always great Stephanie! Much love ❤️ from Vegas!
Thank you! My youngest is starting to talk more but there are still so many issues. People are suggesting I’m being dramatic or I WANT her to be autistic, like I’m reaching. But I’m not.
Yes! Is not what you say, is how you say it. 👌. Learn a lot about many things thanks to seeing your videos. Just moved to CS as well for my son. Blessings 🙏♾
Hi Stephanie! I am new to the channel (just subscribed last week) and I have to say as someone that has worked with children with ASD, I immediately knew before I even heard that this channel was about Autism that your children were on the spectrum. It is immediately obvious even just in the first few seconds of this video so to the people that say your children aren't "showing signs of autism", they must not know what those signs are. I just heard on another one of your videos though that Penelope failed her hearing test so I encourage you to please get that thoroughly evaluated as hearing loss can also make children not respond to their names and not be responsive to other people when they are being spoken to which are some clear examples of ASD signs immediately obvious in this video.
I have a nephew who is 10 who has autism who is, in some ways, very typically autistic, and in other ways, completely atypical. He has very little speech (though it's clear that he understands most things), he doesn't always respond to his name, he doesn't engage in creative play. But at the same time, he is very expressive, he is very social with the people he knows well (me, his mom, my parents) AND he makes eye contact all the time.
I really appreciate how responsible and respectful you are of your kids and limiting the filming of their “bad moments”. I actually love how limited the footage of the kids are... like you aren’t using your kids for views, you are truly educating us all ❤️
I agree with you.
Tantrums and meltdowns are far from being the only signs of autism present in infants and toddlers. The people making those comments must not be familiar with what autism looks like in children under 5.
@@brookerinker-perriam8566 ,,v
Could you do a video explaining how you help your kids through a melt down?
Minimizing autism happens even more significantly in adulthood. People like to say “you’re an adult now-so act like it” as if that will make the autism magically disappear. Add on top of that many services ending for adults on the spectrum. It’s just so sad and it is a family problem! Thank you so much for explaining and advocating.
Your kids are so sweet. When you mentioned Liam’s sleeper I literally didn’t even notice. It’s a sleeper. My nephew’s favorite is baby and hot pink with 😘 emojis all over.
I was diagnosed at 21, I am high functioning. I do have a job, I am married, and I do have a child. I am also very good at masking. With this combination I do see why people do not believe that I have ASD. It still doesn't change the fact that I do struggle with things because of my autism. People don't see our everyday lives. They don't see our internal thoughts.
I love how excited lex got for liams tablet
I totally made it till the end. I LOVE this channel and all of the explanations. I myself am learning new things each day about my own 2.5-year-old who was diagnosed with Autism. My 9-year-old is on the spectrum but when he was diagnosed with being on the spectrum and ADHD/ODD, I didn't really do much research and just let it be. Now is that I am understanding my 9-year-old and it is all because of this video. I THANK YOU for this channel. I am 31 years old and I have 4 boys. 14, 9, 6, and 2.5. My 9-year-old is on the spectrum. He falls in 2 of the 3 categories that they diagnose here in NY and my 2.5-year-old is autistic. He is now learning to talk and he is finally doing eye contact and playing with his siblings. He never did. I am beyond thankful for the therapists that my son has had and still has. Thank you again for these videos and please please please do not stop. I learn each and every day. I myself was diagnosed with ADHD about 3 years ago and I was SHOCKED to even think I had it. I also want to look into adult Autism. So if you can please do videos on the process and what they look for. I would LOVE that.
I love your videos and love how you give information on autism and your videos on ADHD/ADD. You have helped my family so much on our journey. Our almost 3 year old just got diagnosed with autism level 2 and ADD. You have helped us realize what was going on with my husband and other kiddos! It's a long story but I just wanted to say I appreciate you so much. Thank you for doing videos, putting yourself out there, and spreading awareness. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I admire your ethical practices on your channel. You are providing such a valuable service to families just starting their journey parenting a child on the spectrum. I am so proud of you for drawing a line what you are comfortable filming, and not apologizing for that. You are such a great advocate for your beautiful family. Your dedication and drive to fight for the children to get the best services available, is endless. You are a warrior. You are an articulate, amazing beautiful soul. I love all of you. I spent 17 years working with kids on the spectrum from early intervention to high school. You are spot on, there are so many children that people would not think are on the spectrum, but that is just inexperience, which is why your content is so valuable. I believe most people are here because they love your family. ❤️
We had a 4 hour eval today for our 15yo daughter, it’s a very involved and hard process. Mentally and emotionally.
The autistic spectrum is just that though, a spectrum, and in the same way that no person is identical, no asc person is identical, but every person has inate traits that are similar but at the same time vastly different .
I have say though that you rock Stephanie! To advocate as you do for your children is hard, especially when they may not have the full capacity to consent be it age or otherwise. The love, respect and care you show those amazing little people of yours is very evident.
To put yourself out there and educate and explain intimate parts of your life is brave and exposing, it’s raw and real.
Stereotypes around ASC need to go and the only way that will happen is to educate people on the diversity within neurodiversity.
And when you say you’ve had a rough week, I totally get it without explanation, we have three with ASC.
My brain rambles a lot, so I apologise in advance, I wasn’t sure if I should comment but you convinced me in the vlog haha but I’m glad you posted this vlog because the amount of people who question ‘oh they don’t look autistic’ is crazy! But last I looked neurodiversity didn’t have a dress code.......the one thing I would love to see you touch on is care giver self care, and the importance of it (if you’ve covered it before I apologise, I haven’t watched all the vlogs) In our house we’ve spent 6+m without respite, without a break and with almost no real self care. And the struggle is real, don’t get me wrong we love all 6 of our womb fruits to bits, it’s hard work.
Anyway, essay/ramble complete! Long story short, you did good 💜 so you take it easy and drink Diet Pepsi! Xx
Stephanie, you have grown so much personally. You've become so well spoken on the subject of a Special Needs Family. Thank you! Thank you for being so straightforward with us. Keep up the great work! ❤
I made it and am commenting as you requested 😂 loved everything about this video, thank you for advocating!!
I totally get you on this. Every child and adult with autism is unique and as individual in every way as non autistic people are. I also love the new schedule for both channels.
I loving a member of LANDing Crew! Great vlog as always! 💖💖💚💚💖💖 I made it all the way through.
I’m watching this again and really want to convey how much I appreciate your public service! I am a social worker with over 25 years experience. I started my career working 1:1 with children labelled with autism. I have probably met hundreds of people with autism and got to know at least 30-40 quite well. And I couldn’t tell you what ALL the traits, etc are out there. Or what is/is not a ‘stim’. Or what ‘level’ of autism someone is diagnosed with. So just want to reinforce the diverse faces of autism! Looking forward to the stimming vlog!
Been following your videos for quite awhile.. they actually pushed me further into getting my 2 1/2 yr old son evaluated. Everyone in my family doubted it (saying the things I questioned were typical) but as a stay at home parent with him everyday my motherly instincts said otherwise. A year later we’re now waiting 4-6 weeks for his diagnosis but they left me with the fact that they already have enough red flags right now to diagnose him. I’ve grown to know so much more about autism from your channel and it’s helping me tremendously to deal with this new path we’ll be on and showing me new ways to work with my baby. You’re such a strong mother it’s hard work but they depend on us to show them the way ❤️
It would be great to see Ms Penelopes day in the life.She is such a sweer heart
Made it through the video!
Thank you as always for sharing your story 😊
Love love love this! The amount of people that would say ‘no he’s not’ when I’d tell them my son is autistic was huge!! In the end I used to say ‘so you are telling me three medical professionals (speechie, psych and behavioural paed) in their chosen field don’t know what they are doing and they all came to the conclusion independently of each other?’
Some people don’t really understand the process that’s involved and all the testing the child has to go through to receive an autism diagnosis, it can be lengthy.
‘(So-called mild Autism doesn’t mean one experiences Autism mildly....
It means you experience their autism mildly.
You may not know how hard they’ve had to work to get to the level they are’
-Adam Walton-
Lol made it and commenting 🤣! I appreciate you doing this video. I have worked in Early Intervention and Early Education home based services for 15 years. As you said, autism is not a handful of 5 traits. It's a broad spectrum. Thank you for sharing your life and family with us all to learn!
Thank you!
I think sometimes people just assume all autism looks like how it has been shown on mainstream media. All kiddos are different regardless of being Autistic or not, once people realize that I think you will have a lot less of those toxic environments for kids. Your family is super cute all your kiddos are unique and lovely. I keep watching because I love seeing how your family is growing and thriving even when stuff is crazy I come from a big family so it feels like home.
I made it to there lol
You are such an amazing person and I agree that I think people are just curious.
I appreciate everything you share so thank you 🙏💕
I thought this was such a wonderful "sit down conversation" today. You made so many excellent points about peoples expectations of what autism "looks like". I absolutely LOVE that you are mindful of your childrens privacy and would never share more personal moments just for the purpose of "proving" that they display "autistic behaviors". I enjoy your videos so much and think you have a beautiful family 😍 Sending love from Oregon 😘
Your children are so lovely - I hope they all do really well :-)
It's maddening the way in which as soon as a disabled kid or adult achieves something unexpected, it's always negated by suggesting that they didn't have the difficulty in the first place!
I'm not questioning your children's diagnosis in the slightest, but as a comment from the other side of the fence: I did actually have the experience of being misdiagnosed with autism in the UK when I was 15, which led to some really awful inappropriate treatment and intervention. I have sight problems and dyspraxia, and I had mental health issues (mostly post traumatic stress from school), and the combination does superficially look like autism. People tend to go too much by my intermittently poor eye contact, for instance. Two independent doctors both of whom were experts have since been absolutely adamant that I'm not on the spectrum, though I do have quite bad problems of other types some of which overlap (dyspraxia often includes sensory processing disorders): it was a matter of a different problem being mislabeled, not a matter of the label being given to a "healthy" child.
My experience was rather like the situation where the people in a mental health hospital wrote down a set of assessors as "exhibiting writing behaviour" rather than considering the possibility that they had a completely rational reason for what they were doing. Once people decided I was autistic, they didn't look for the real signs that I wasn't. And I tended to do what was expected of me, so if people expected me to behave "autistic" I tended - quite unconsciously - to do that. It was a dreadful time: people were so dismissive of my understanding and experience: they seemed to assume a toddler level of understanding. For example, I'd ask if I was allowed to add money of my own to the lunch allowance, and still claim the amount of the expense that was reclaimable, and I'd get the blank, patient, slow repetition of how the allowance was such and such, no matter what I said or did.
I would be inclined to say to anyone who is earlier on in the process of diagnosis and concerned about it being got wrong, that if there is any uncertainty, it is worth looking for a second opinion if possible; beware of a doctor without enough experience diagnosing from a checklist (they probably don't know enough for differential diagnosis), and look for medical professionals who are considering other possible medical causes (such as the whole "actually, can she see properly?" thing).
Keeping an open mind as to the possibility of it being a different developmental condition or other type of illness, though, isn't at all the same as being randomly dismissive because a child has acted "normally" once in a hundred times!
Thanks for this video! My middle child was diagnosed with Autism a little while after he turned 2 (he's currently 3 1/2). Thanks to early intervention (speech, OT, and ABA) he's made an incredible amount of progress. I too, often have to deal with the "are you sure he has Autism?" comments and it's incredibly frustrating (including from the receptionist at his ABA). *SMH.
Anyways... thanks again! It's nice knowing that people can relate!
And nobody needs to see your kids lose it. They're caught in the grip of something painful that's private and needs to stay that way. I would think that anybody who has a child that's ever had a tantrum, understanding that a tantrum is not a child being a brat but a child hurting and not capable of coping, would understand that. I know it's not the same thing but a parent privately comforting a hurting child just makes sense to me.
Yes, Stephanie. I've gone down the rabbit hole of watching many other families with autistic children, and you remain my favorite. You don't seem exploitative at ALL and you take your kids' privacy seriously. Like how you feel bad filming Nelly's stimming.. you are my favorite family channel on YT.
Liam replied "Hi" when you said hi to him! So sweet.
I can only imagine what your house or dream house would look like a room for each of the children and their special needs making each room unique in its own way! Such as I would love to have a swing room that’s nice and quiet may be around plants because plant oxygen is good for our air quality and I feel like it would make me decompress in distress but at the same time having a room just of things to touch and play with to where my hands are always doing someone staying busy.
You’re the best mom and doing a great job with your children. Thank you so much for sharing your family with us. 💙
♥️🤗🙏 I watched it all ❤️ I have a 26 year old ADHD and a 24 year old with ADHD ASD OCD ODD ♥️ I had to fight for everything for them in England especially when it came to their education ♥️love your vlogs ♥️Thank you for sharing to help others♥️ I have 2 sons. Your Liam reminds me of my youngest ♥️
“Functioning varies day to day and task to task.” 🙌🏻 Preach! My older brother (37) is autistic and his functioning levels can vary widely even as an adult. To a person unfamiliar with autism it can seem odd that he has had a learners permit for nearly a decade. They have no idea that his biggest hurdle actually is determining if he has the bandwidth to practice on a given day. Sometimes his functioning is where he tries to make a frozen burrito for lunch and then thinks he had lunch because he hit the start button on the microwave. They figure “if it’s so difficult, why do it?” Autism families don’t just stop doing things because they are difficult. Stay strong. 💪🏻
A lovely video :) my kids are 2 and 3 my son was diagnosed with the school district and is in the local ppcd program at the school, daughter hasn’t been evaluated yet, but it’s hard to hear your child is behind. And my father refuses to see it and just blames me for it. Very unhealthy and discouraging, but watching your videos gives me some peace and confidence . ❤️
We just got our daughter diagnosed and medicated for ADHD and we get a lot of the "oh that's normal" well yeah it is but it's also not lol she does a ton of "typical things" but we aren't medicating our 6 yr old for the fun of it. It's something she needs help with and we are SOO happy with all the therapies and help we have been getting.
Every family is so different and every choice is so personal to each member that you just can't judge it. I hate how competitive parenting can be with such sensitive topics.
We love you guys! I think you do an amazing job at sharing the real and honest truth but also being respectful of everyone. It's something I've taken in consideration when sharing about our girl. I don't want all her personal business out there but I also love to educate others on our reality.
I am glad that you made this video. We are in the process of having my 3 year old evaluated. I have had so many people tell me that he is going to be high functioning, and every time it makes me cringe. Sometimes when I hear this I feel like they say it as a way to make them more comfortable with my son not being neurotypical and it lessens what my son is going through. Thank you for talking about this, I never realized that other families go through the same thing and felt the same way I do about those types of comments.
Yes, it's society's way of saying that he's just a "little bit autistic" when it doesn't matter what functioning label they are. It minimizes his struggle and the support he needs. Lex is my most high functioning kiddo and he needs the most support while Penelope who is supposed to be my most "severe" kid needs the least support so functioning labels are great for professionals to be aware but it means very very little in reality.
P. has the most amazing eyes!
Made to the end....love watching your videos....went through it all with our son, conflicting diagnoses...pediatric neurologist says no, school psychologist says yes...who knows. He is definitely a special little boy and watching you videos makes me not feel alone going through all of this. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your family’s journey. You’re really helping a lot of families that on the same path. Thank you in behalf of our family.
Stephanie, what I really appreciate about your vlogs and how you choose to show the kids is that you really focus on the "normal" aspect of neurodivergent kids. Perhaps that's why you get some people not seeing the signs of Autism in them. What is awesome about this is that I think it helps those who feel uncomfortable around a neurodivergent child (or adult, for that matter), to see that there are areas of "normal" that they can look for and focus on in ANY person. This isn't to say that Autism should be ignored or isn't an integral part of who they are, but that they are more than just their diagnosis. I hope that makes sense. ;) I also really, really appreciate that you do not show the kids when they are struggling. No child needs to carry that embarrassment or shame with them for the rest of their lives, whether neurodivergent or neurotypical.
I like showing the every day parts because those are the memories I want to look back on. I don't need to have their meltdowns or poop smearing or harmful stims captured on video. I don't want to look back on those memories. Those are apart of our life too but I can graze on those topics and "educate" just the same without humiliating my kids. So thank you :)
I’m noticing that Penelope is doing better with her eye to eye contact. When she’s on the slide she never stops looking at the lady, never.
Up close Penelope has VERY good eye contact. When she engages with you, she is there and has the best eye contact out of all of my kids. It's just trying to get her to notice us from more than a feet away or want to engage on her own but that can also be her vision.
This is a different topic, but I highly recommend you look into developmental schemes and Montessori\ Waldorf activities for preschool ages. I feel there’s a lot of good tools for you and your family. With your kids focusing on certain types of activities there are a lot of really cool and fun ways to develop those skills. It’s all vary interesting and a total different way for kids to learn, it’s helped us a lot. Also the Montessori and Waldorf types of activities are very different but there’s some amazing concepts that I’ve never experienced with the typical educational system. They both bring up some really unique ways to help our little ones grow into who they will be. I hope all this makes sense... I just think u might find some good tools that’ll make your life easier
You are freaking amazing! I love how real you are inside and out. I see you & I feel you
I would love to see a video about stimming. There are so many different ways to stim, not just hand flapping and rocking.
Oh my gosh. Thank you for this talk. Big love to you and your family.
I just want to tell you that you are a beautiful, strong woman AND AMAZING MOM!🙏❤🌺
Thank you for sharing and teaching us about ASD.
Also... ignore the haters!
Love you and your precious family!!!💕
Thank you for making this video. It happens so much to so many parents.
Thanks for this video! As a woman, I didn't get diagnosed until I was 31 and looking back at my childhood I can see how I didn't appear to family that I wasn't *enough* of something (like autistic) but none the less...the traits were there.
I SAW THE WHOLE VIDEO! 🤩 LOVED IT
I love what you were doing. My best friend has an autistic child. She quit her job to stay home with him she went through hell and back. It ended up homeschooling him. People who say ugly things and try to judge you. If they never walked in your shoes. So stay strong and don't care what other people say. Because I've never walked in your shoes. God bless you and your family. And keep educating people. It kids are very smart. And having a difficult time showing how much they love you because they can't get the words out.
Love you Steph! Great video, thanks for sharing.
Love your Chanel! My son is almost 3 and he just got his diagnosis on 8/31 (moderate to severe autism) and because of you I started my own Chanel! You inspired me to bring awareness about autism! I wanna thank you! Thank you for you videos and information you have put out there. It has helped me a lot! ❤️💚💛💜
I am so glad. There needs to be more autism channels!
Rasika Vijay wow! That is so great to hear!!!!! It gives me hope! I hope my son has the same turn around too!! ❤️
Our LANDing Crew yesssss absolutely!
I’m so glad your going to be evaluated!!! I just, today, got my official diagnosis of autism level 1!!! :) It was a long process but very worth it! Good luck and can’t wait to see the process you go through no matter the outcome! I made it through the entire video lol
I am low key excited about the eval. I feel it would explain SO much about me.
Our LANDing Crew that is exactly how I felt! I had the appointments and actually went through a couple of the exercises that they use with children for the evaluation. I was lucky to get someone who recognizes that adult women go undiagnosed often as children and that e we are different than the typical male person with this. Excited to see your experience!
You’re doing the right thing. We have to protect our children and their right to privacy. I wouldn’t want to put my son’s worst behavior and bad days on the internet for the world to see either. You explained it in a great way and I agree that 90% of your viewers understand this. It’s also refreshing to see you bringing light to this issue that Autism families get so often. It opened my eyes to the words I use in conversation with special needs families.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for you speaking up on this and sharing this video. Even still because our son displays so typical people can be so rude with their comments because of how they think autism is and how difficult it must be due to functioning levels.
To me, it's like looking at someone and saying "you don't look like you have diabetes"... why does it matter what their medical diagnosis is?
I am EARLY! Love when you post during nap time ❤️
Thank you so much for your sincere video! Honestly, it would be soo useful to see also the “bad” moments of autism. Looking forward to the stimming video whenever you feel ready 🤗
Why would it be useful? Like what part of kids melting down or struggling would be educational? I can talk about tips and how we help our kids without putting their worst moments online
I love both of your channel's. I've learned so much from you guys about Autism. Thank you for teaching me about autism.
I didnt know a thjng about stimming untill watching your videos my daughter stims alot and at first I didn't know your channel and your family have made a huge impact on me and everyone else who watches you
I made it to the end! So much good information here.
Thanks so much for sharing! xx
Stephanie...i feel like we are sisters... every word that you said is like you read my mind...I wish there were more people like you in this world.., Lot's of love for you and the family
Ironically you actually said “echolalia” perfectly this time. I Made it
This is what we need , I feel like everything I come across are lately diagnosed adults “advocating “ for autism I’m Noah’s age mad I find nothing especially because I’m a girl
I watched the entire thing hahahah! I think the aac will be amazing for Liam!!
Thank you for this very necessary video, I remember before my son was diagnosed I had an idea of autism and now i see how different it can be and function levels aren’t really accurate.
Yes girl, yes! Great video as always!!!
Omg Nellie on the slide and the little interaction with her therapist was so precious. She truly is so adorable no 🧢
Clapping! Yes! Your speaking the truth! Stephanie thank you so much for all you done and still do. I know you talked about compliments, but it's true that you need to know you are amazing as a mom, person and advocate for the special needs world.
I remember when I was in elementary school and the principal that used to be my mom's teacher told her that I had autism but I don't think that she wanted me labeled. I wish that I had gotten the diagnosis when I was in elementary school and not in 2018 at the age of 33. I struggled academically and with everything else growing up that when did receive my autism diagnosis it was a big relief because it all makes sense now.
Same
When I tell people I have autism (aspergers syndrom) they don’t believe either cause I can be very social... it is just that I do miss some social cues that are normal for other people... also in big crowds I get overwhelmed after a certain amount of time... I was diagnosed very late, when I was about 23-24 years old. Now I have a daughter and am aware of the fact that she could have autism to since it runs in our family. So far I haven’t really seen any signs other than that she is late with her speech, but this can be due to the fact she is growing up bilingual... I can also be missing signs like you said 😊 but if it would turn out that she does indeed have autism I will try to get her the help she needs as soon as possible, cause I had to learn a lot myself and am still learning.
I find it hard that people who know nothing about autism can criticise so fast and it makes me sad... and with this I mean people who make stupid remarks not the people who are asking questions out of interest 😊 cause I think there should be more awareness and I think you’re doing an awesome job at trying to explain it so people can understand.
Funny! I had to turn off the video and tv as I could not figure out where the snoring from! 🤪
Also I’m a mom of 3 grown children but my oldest has ADHD he’s 32 now and married but god bless you when he was younger it was hard just with one
Aww seeing liam jump in his crib maked my day!
This video really hit home today. Yesterday I took both Noah (nearly 3) and Nicholas (6) for evaluations for OT and speech at a center. Noah was diagnosed last May and Nicholas last Friday. The same Dr did both evaluations. Noah has made a lot of progress in speech and communication. However, this center doubted both diagnoses. I cried. I felt so defeated and questioning everything. They aren't there on a daily basis to see our childrens struggles. It's making me want to retest them at another provider just to prove them wrong.
Thats so frustrating. I think it's hard when people try to take kids' strengths to say they aren't on the spectrum anymore. My kids have made leaps and BOUNDS of progress but that doesn't make the autism go away and I feel like it takes away from their triumphs. I wish I could give you a hug mama!
Hi! If your comfortable with it, I would love to see your journey with your autism evaluation process. Im 22, I believe I may be autistic and my 2 year old son is in EI, non verbal and may be autistic. I would really benifit and appreciate watching your journey as an adult so i can be better prepaired to do it for myself ❤
Thank you so much for making this video. I HOPE a lot of people with questions or doubts take heed. Things are challenging enough, without getting that from other people!! People need to realize there is no autism cookie cutter. .The definition of "Spectrum" should explain it, but sadly so many miss that keyword!! Educating people is the key, so thank you for that!!😘🥰
Some people with still doubt and have snarky comments and that's okay. I have given them the chance to be informed and educated IF they want to. If they choose to still ignore it and sound really ignorant, that's on them. Thank you for being so sweet!
@@OurLANDingCrew8 So true!! I didn't know what Autism was a few years ago, before I started watching FA, which prompted me to start watching multiple channels. I now watch probably approx. 10-15 channels, where someone on the channel is Autistic. I have gotten quite the education over the course of a few years. If I don't know or understand something, I dive in & find out. Of course, over the past 60 years, empathy within on all kinds of subjects, has set in. Like Jen of Rebranding Autism always says: "It's what I do"😉...God bless❤🧡💛💚💙
You are awesome steph❤ you have helped me understand alot about my baby.
23:09 I made all the way through! How's that!!
I love the longer vlogs, though, so it was great!! 🛫💕💓💙💙💙💙💓
Thanks for sharing!!
You did, as usual, a great job!!
🌟💜💫 You expressed things very well and Kudos! Totally agree... for anyone living with mental health issues and/or with disability an/or also are a parent of a child with disabilities can be full of challenging aspects. It is also absolutely true that it can be a life full of incredibly rich experiences and learning moments in a wonderful family journey. It is always important to leave an opportunity open for individual’s who actually desire and have a growing understanding and potential for true acceptance of those living with disabilities and/or mental health issues.
Stephanie I'm watching the whole thing just to let you know you go girl you got it
thank you for talking about this! it happens to autistic adults too. i get told so often that i don't 'look autistic' and its... weird. people think they're experts on it! but they're not, and their opinions don't make us any less autistic
I have made it to the end! It is so hard for people to really see the disability when they are not living with you. Raising kids with special needs is so hard but harder to explain what your family goes though everyday!
You always handle these so well. 👍 It's crazy to me that people will speak on things that they clearly don't know anything (or very little) about. Just like every typical kid is different, every autistic kid is different too. You have the right to show what you want to show of them too and I know I definitely respect that.
Made it to the end!!! Hehe x
Omg ‘it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it’ is what my mum used to say to me all the time.. I’ve Never understood this phrase. I guessed it was about voice tone but by your explanation it’s about the wording too? These idioms and phrases people use have always been difficult, I have ASD too.
I think it could be tone and how you use your words so if you wnat to someone to move out of the way you could say
1. Move!
2. Excuse me, I need to get by you right quick
Obviously #2 would be better received but they both "mean" the same thing
I totally agree with you that you shouldn't show everything. If someone feels the need to see the bad moments for their own entertainment, that is their problem. You are doing a great service to others who need more information. You are not showing a reality series. You are showing real life.
You have such a lovely family. I really enjoy watching your channel. We are in the process of getting our little dude assessed its a long process and overwhelming. I also think he might have adhd. Would you consider doing an adhd video x
Hi! I am an early interventionist. Wondering where his therapist or you got that mat he was using in the beginning clip! I would love to use that with my kiddos! That is a fantastic activity!!! So excited to try it!
A viewer gave it to us but you can just print out something that labels body parts, vehicles, shapes, etc and laminate it. She just uses playdoh because Liam LOVES smashing it :)
Wow this brought back memories for me. My Autistic son who is now 18 used to chew his shirt collar and sleeves. We used to use chewy necklaces but they were hit and miss. He did grow out of it. ❤️
How is he doing now ?
My son is 3 and getting diagnosed for autism. I knew nothing about autism, still trying to learn. Looking back now i remember my now 6 year old daughter doing many things that my husband said i was looking too much into. Now she only toe walks, doesnt understand personal space, has food sensory issues, and still has sleep issues. Im not sure if she will be diagnosed as autistic though because she doesnt do a lot of the things she used to do (masking maybe)
Yep. I’m always being told that I don’t struggle with the challenges I do because I seem fine when people see me at church etc. I only go out on good days and I mask a lot. People don’t see me when just the thought of opening my front door puts me in panic or the nights when my sleep is restless and full of nightmares because my brain hasn’t been able to process a traumatic day in a better way.
I literally always feel like our autism isn't the right autism, despite my daughter basically being super autistic. If in Germany you already have a developmental delay, they are like nah she just slow 🙄 sch anyway ..ten years later...we have a diagnosis. This a great video, also where did you get that brilliant poster behind you ?
You are speaking such a wonderful english
Many greetings from Germany!
Thank you for Sharing your story’s
I completely agree with you about what people say. I just took my son to the dentist and told them he was on the spectrum and the hygienist said really? You sure? It’s mild though right? 🤔🙄 I know she meant well, but it happens. Your always great Stephanie! Much love ❤️ from Vegas!
Lexs reaction to Liams news 😆😍
Thank you! My youngest is starting to talk more but there are still so many issues. People are suggesting I’m being dramatic or I WANT her to be autistic, like I’m reaching. But I’m not.
Yes! Is not what you say, is how you say it. 👌. Learn a lot about many things thanks to seeing your videos. Just moved to CS as well for my son. Blessings 🙏♾
Hi Stephanie! I am new to the channel (just subscribed last week) and I have to say as someone that has worked with children with ASD, I immediately knew before I even heard that this channel was about Autism that your children were on the spectrum. It is immediately obvious even just in the first few seconds of this video so to the people that say your children aren't "showing signs of autism", they must not know what those signs are. I just heard on another one of your videos though that Penelope failed her hearing test so I encourage you to please get that thoroughly evaluated as hearing loss can also make children not respond to their names and not be responsive to other people when they are being spoken to which are some clear examples of ASD signs immediately obvious in this video.
Stephanie I made it and applaud your approach!!!!
I have a nephew who is 10 who has autism who is, in some ways, very typically autistic, and in other ways, completely atypical. He has very little speech (though it's clear that he understands most things), he doesn't always respond to his name, he doesn't engage in creative play. But at the same time, he is very expressive, he is very social with the people he knows well (me, his mom, my parents) AND he makes eye contact all the time.