Hi, since we all come to a support board, it means some of you might be visiting other support boards as well.

My 3.5 year old son was officially diagnosed as having PDD-NOS (a type of Autism where he has some strong characteristics of autism and missing some other characteristics) - I have been suspecting this diagnosis for awhile, and now that it has been made, we will be starting a bunch of new therapies (currently he was part of a preschool program for learning disabilities)

I am wondering if anyone here has experience in this area and knows of a good support group for parents of PDD children.

Thanks in advance if you are able to help me out!

-ds

DS, so sorry for the recent diagnois. I know in some ways it must be a relief to have a name attached to what you likely suspected and to be getting some help for your son. I can give you a great place to start our kids It is a group of about 800 parents of special needs kids. Varying degrees of disabilties and diagnosis but very warm and welcoming group. Some of the parents there will be able to steer you in the direction of groups that specifically can help you with your son.

May I add, DS, that as a parent of a special needs child you now belong to a group of the most amazing and resiliant people I know. God bless you in this journey.

Oh and have you read the Out of Sync Child?

No I haven't read it,

- as I said - I have known something was off and so has all his speech therapists since he started at 2 years with them. Nothing as significant as true Autsim - but things that just weren't right.

After 8 months of him bein observed in the preschool class room setting for kids with learning and speech delays, they finally agreed with me and this morning we did the final tests (with just me and the psycologist) she officially diagnosed him today and gave me a swack of material to read.

I had done some research, but i didn't want to invest time in case it wasn't what he had and I was being paranoid. But now that I am here, time to start the reading. So right now I am a big ole sponge. Happy to read everyone's suggestions lol.

The group you posted looks interesting - i will have to join up, and I will add that book to my list of "must reads" time to visit the library and local book store!

Thanks so much for you support - I have a step sister (since I was 5) that is autistic and severly cerebral palsic (sp?) and other diabilities. she lives permanantly in a home for cerebral palsy adults. So in comparason, my son's disability is very minor, but still life changing. I think the best I thing I can do for him is do all the reading I can!

-ds

DS, don't discount the challenges ahead of you. You will feel and see the ripples this has in your life and you will be blessed by the challenges. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Definately. I just don't like to dwell on challenges tath may arise, but rather prepare and get a good base going so that when they do arise, we conquer them. He is my charming little man and has me wrapped around his finger - I think that will be the biggest challenge.

Faithful, was it you that does webdesign? I remember someone with a F in their name saying that's what they did for a living

No, sorry not me. I am in telecom <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

DS, email killnme2004_mb@yahoo.com and I will send you some information on autism that I read today.

Neat - what do you do in telecom - H is in telecome as well, on the technology engineering side of it (computers, towers, routers, etc) He manages the technology department of a large telecom company up here.

-ds

Your e-mail address bounced on me saying This user doesn't have a yahoo.com account

???

Adds to me cyber wierdness today - when everything goes wrong in cyber land lol

DS-

Just wanted to offer a bit of hope for you. My youngest son was diagnosed at about the same age as yours with the same thing...PDD/Autism. Similar things lead to the diagnosis too...he was seriously delayed in speech, which is what finally got us to a point where he was evaluated by a team of specialists who diagnosed him.

He's 17 now. He's streamlined into regular schools, and is functioning well even without any extra assistance. He still struggles with social cues, and in dealing with the typical social issues that any high schooler deals with. He's a few years behind in grades compared to where he should be age wise...but doing well.

His diagnosis was changed to Asperger's syndrome a few years ago. When he was first diagnosed, this was pretty much not something that many people knew much about.

We never had a support group per se...but we have worked closely with his teachers and have used counseling services for him at various times as needed.

I'm not saying that things will be easy...but believe me when I say that this diagnosis is not a 'doomsday sentence'.

Thanks Owl for your words

I am not depressed about it - I actually have a very sweet very normal little boy with some "quirks" that are a little different than other 3.5 year olds. He is relatively normal persay and I am so blessed he doesn't have full blown autism

I too know that with the right work he too will be a fully functional student and adult one day. He is a very friendly little boy - but still prefers to play on his own. He is in a wonderful preschool meant for delayed children like himself and will continue there until kindergarden.

I am VERY optimistic about his outcome, stuggles or no struggles. He has all the right help around him! I just want to make sure I know as much as I can <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks SOOO much for your words, it helps alot with the optimism to see where other kids are down the road.

((HUGS))

-ds

woops, [email]killnme2004-mb@yahoo.com.[/email] I accidentally did an underscore, sorry. I am a Telecom Mgr for a performing arts center, btw.