Who here has experience with autism?

[IthinkNOT!]

Those who are easily offended don't come in!


I have a friend with an autistic son. Her son has always had issues with stimulation, I really don't know how to put this, so I will be blunt. When Barney is on tv he "humps" the screen, he has a tendency to grab and pull on his more masculine parts. He is 7 years old, and the general attitude towards this has been to try and teach him that some things are better done in private. For example, if he starts playing with himself, show him to his room where he can be in private, rather than in front of whatever company or other family members might be around at the time. She doesn't want him to think that it is wrong to touch himself, but doesn't want him doing this in front of people either. This behavior has been going on for about a year. Has anyone else had this happen? Is it a stimulation need? All of his doctors seem to be clueless.

The second part of this has been going on for awhile too, and his mother didn't think anything of it. The little boys plays with stuffed animals and dolls. If it is time for him to eat his dolls are set up around their little table to eat also. When its time for his bath at least one of the animals or dolls has to have a bath too. When he is done playing he stacks his dolls up on his shelf. I have seen him do this, and thought nothing of it. He does the same thing at school. Which has never been a problem until recently. His teacher says that he was stacking his dolls and animals in different "positions" and thinks there is something sexual about it. Personally I thought that it was part of his stacking thing, that everything had to be stacked just so. Now I am not so sure what to think.

Was hoping someone else had experiences similar and might be able to shed some light...

[ElleGee]

I can't help sorry. My nephew is autistic but he is a moderate to high functioning. He is 7 and hasn't done anything like that to my knowledge.

[buttrfli]

The teacher needs to be a little more specific about her concerns with there being something "sexual" about how the animals or dolls are placed. How would a 7 year old know what the positions meant? Is this his special ed teacher? Could it just be that the child is placing them so that visually they fit together or color coordinate? Both of those things can be an important part of a autistic childs world.

As far as needing to have a doll or bear with him at all times and him needing them to eat when he does, it totally normal.

I can't help on the sexual gestures part... but sounds like the mom needs to get with the teacher and the school psychologist.

[JerseyMook]

I don't know first hand about Autism but I can Google my heart out!

http://www.starautism.louisville.edu/images/pdf/d.pdf

[IthinkNOT!]

He is in a special class with others that have autism. He is considered to be in first grade. He had the same teacher up until this year, when they split the class rooms up, and it is only his new teacher that thinks this is sexual. She keeps calling my friend and asking her about having boyfriends over at the house (which my friend does not do) and wanting to know what he is watching on tv at home. My friend has explained to the teacher about the boys stacking and placing things just so, but the teacher still insists that it is sexual. The first time the teacher complained she sent a polaroid shot of some animals that he had stacked, and pointed out that there were no clothes on the animal and that they appeared to be in the "69" position. Me and my friend both chalked it up to the teachers inexperience, she is a first year teacher.

Unfortunately, no one believed my friends explanation, and now social services is at her house. They are investigating my friend, saying that it is possible that the boy has been molested.

[IthinkNOT!]

I don't know first hand about Autism but I can Google my heart out!

http://www.starautism.louisville.edu/images/pdf/d.pdf
Thanks! I read over this and passed it on to my friend.

[dinosmom]

A neighbors son is autistic and he sometimes will stimulate himself in public. I think he just doesnt understand that its not socially acceptable to do that in public. As for the dolls, I dont know. He would have to know what those positions meant in order for it to be "sexual".

[IthinkNOT!]

A neighbors son is autistic and he sometimes will stimulate himself in public. I think he just doesnt understand that its not socially acceptable to do that in public. As for the dolls, I dont know. He would have to know what those positions meant in order for it to be "sexual".
Thats what I was thinking too, and I don't know how he would know. He is only 7 years old. He is nonverbal, so I'll admit that no one knows for sure what he does know, but where would he see something like that? All he watches at home is barney and the little people.

[andreame70]

I really hate this for your friend. Right now, the best thing she could possibly do is get the advice of as many pediatricians as possible who are trained in this. She needs some kind of documentation showing that she has sought medical advice about all the issues. Even if it seems a little overkill on her part, she needs this, because the social services will not back down until they find something to link this behavior to. Her best defense to any kind of investigation from them would be documentation from physicians.

I have a good friend who's 11 year old little girl is autistic. She is highly functional and very opinionated. Anything that she is thinking comes out of her mouth, without any thought.

Once, they were on a church skiing trip and the congregation gathered for communion. They each had a small cup of red juice and the minister began talking about the blood of Jesus Christ. Her daughter starting blurting out loud "I'm not drinking blood! I'm not drinking blood!" She told one woman that she was too fat to ski and the music they were playing really sucked...etc.
It is quite an adventure being around this young lady.

[dinosmom]

I hope your friend gets it all straightened out. My heart goes out to her!!!!

[buglebe]

I had a nurse friend I worked with who had 2 boys both the same age as my girls. The oldest is the age of my oldest so is 44. He is autistic. The 41 yr old is normal. This was 15 yrs ago so I don't know what is happening now but she had trouble with her autistic son wanting to masterbate just when ever he wanted to. I know she tried to discourage this behavior but it still happened. She said this prevented her from having guests over and also was a problem when they moved to a condo because he would occassionally do it on the balcony. He was adult size and she said looked normal except if you looked into his eyes. Her husband wanted to put the boy into a home because they were near retirement age and he wanted the boy to learn to live without them. She objected to this and it was causing friction with them.
I remember he was also very afraid of storms. He had to spend about 2 hrs by himself on the days she worked and she always hated it when it stormed and she had to leave for work. I guess that's not much help with the situation you are asking about but I think the part about handling themselves is normal. They are still male.

[diana_circe]

My oldest son is mildly autistic and he is overly stimulated as well. Is the boy on medications? Some if it, while its supposed to calm them down, enhances that stimulation in some autistic kids.

I think the teacher is seeing things they want to see, most autistic kids will have OCD type attitudes about the way they stack things, or put things away, etc. If there is no obvious signs of sexual abuse, like the boy now trying to touch other people inappropriately, I really would mention it to his doctor, but not freak out about it.