Hi everyone,
Hope you had a great Easter break (for those of you who celebrate it).
I certainly appreciated having a bit of time off, even if I did eat a bit too much chocolate. 
Today I wanted to flip things around and hand the microphone over to you, to get your thoughts and feedback on my weekly tips that I’m sending you. 
Are you enjoying them?
Should I keep doing them…?
My goal is to help you by sharing my knowledge and years of experience treating children with autism. I know there are many of you out there who don’t have access to autism professionals, so hopefully you’re finding my advice valuable. Even so, I still need to check in with you from time to time to make sure I’m on the right track and to ensure that you’re actually getting some benefit out of it.
So let me start by asking you probably the most important question…
What is the single best way I can help you right now?
What do you need or want relating to your child?
What burning questions do you have?
What are your greatest challenges or fears?
and in relation to my Weekly Tips…
Are you finding them helpful, easy to understand, too long or too short?
Would you prefer to receive them more often or less often?
Are there any topics that you’re dying for me to talk about?
Obviously it will be physically impossible for me to respond to everyone individually, but your answers will really help me understand how I can best help you as a group. So I’m hoping you can take a couple of minutes to leave me your feedback on these questions. You can do this at the bottom of the page.
Also please remember…
You’re not alone here. Every single person reading this message has something in common, and by sharing our thoughts and experiences we can go a long way to help each other. Perhaps you have an inspiring story you could share or you’ve just had a major breakthrough with your child. Whatever it is, please feel free to share it with the rest of us!
Please leave your thoughts, questions and comments in the box at the bottom of the page.
Thank you and best wishes
Monique Simpson
Tags: Monique Simpson
Please do keep sending your tips out, at whatever frequency suits you and your work. I find them useful, interesting and sometimes very timely. I genuinely appreciate your efforts in putting these tips together. Thank you.
Your tips are great, Monique. I am a volunteer with the Son-Rise programme working with a wonderful 7 year old boy and find that your insight and advice very relevant to this approach. I love the fact that your tips cut across the various therapies and dont rely on one approach. Please keep them coming, I look forward to them. Thanks
Hi,
We have 4 autistic childern from 3 to 10. We try a lot of stuff (free and costly) and it’s cause have been caused by the FoxP2 gene which is mainly Speech and Language development (couldn’t be bothered to test for it. More money and won’t fix the problem). The three youngest still can’t talk. All have varying degrees of autistic traits.
Your emails, when we have the chance/time to read them, sometimes hit the mail on the head for us.
Just keep doing what your doing.
Dean and Wendy
Hi,
Your tips are really helpful and practical,they do make lot of sense and we can implement and see results.At present I have a question for you.
My son is 6 yrs old and holds good vocabulary, at present he can hold a conversation of upto 2-3 sentences.But in the recent past i have noticed that my conversation is invariably more of a question answer sessions with him.He usually does not initiate a conversation unless it is necessity for him.In such a case if i have to initiate a conversation i have seen that i usually start with a question and also ends with it.I need help in mending my conversation techniques with him.
If any one has faced a similar issue and you haave worked out a plan to increase the length of conversation without it being a question answer round can you please let me know about it.
Thanks and regard
Kajal
Thanks for all your emails. Good to know there are other people out there with autistic children….a grandson in my case. William said his first meaningful word the other day as he looked at his 3rd birthday cake [gluten/dairy free!] He said ‘CAKE!’ A birthday present indeed for his parents and grandparents!
As long as you have time, please keep your emails coming! They give me heart and hope for my grandson. I look at Will’s 10 month old brother, Harry, and just hope and pray he will be able to say ‘Will ain’t heavy, he’s my brother’.
Hi Monique,
I enjoy reading your emails. Thanks for sending them to me.
Regards,
Thanh
Hi monique,
its so great to receive yourmails,they come in very handy.thanks a lot for your good work&please continue doing this. As for me in kerala there is hardly any help available for autistic children.
my child who is now 6yrs old,talks 2to 3sentences,follows all that we say,my doubt is nowI talk to her in malayalam that is our mother tongue,but in schools she has to learn English &talk in English,so i am in confusion whether it will be difficult for her to manage the new language,as her vocabulary in malayalm itself is very limited.
Thanks for the information, my daughter is 10 years old and I wish I had more information like this when she was younger. She was diagnosed with PDD-NOS when she was seven. My main concerns now are her social behaviours, she desperately wants friends but doesn’t act appropriately with them. She has alot of sensory issues and is I.I. as well. Thank you for all your e-mails.
Hello Monique
Thank you for the information we have,I personaly would like to have more information about autism because I am curios and would like to learn more about it,I know it is a wide range and i have many questions in mind starting from the causing of having autism child ,the nutrition the degrees,and many many questions may be later on i will have the chance to studly about it in the college or to read about, i know thats in april it the autism week.
Thanks for your E-mails,I have four children and they are great and wonderful.
Good luck for all
Rana
Dear Monique, Your are doing a wonderful job and god bless you. In Bhagavad Geetha there is this famous saying, which translated means do your duty with out expecting any thing in return. You are also doing the same. For some it may seem worthless but if even one person gets some benefit your job is well done.
I can suggest that you can ask the people to ask specific questions and then answer them in general. Later these can be put in the form of a FAQ. which every one can access from your web site.
Once again all the best.
R Sunderrajan.
Hi madam,
Your tips are very usefull to manage my 10 years son who is suffering from autism. thanks for sending information regarding autism. Keep sending further tips. I will be very much thankfull to you.
Madam,
My son age is 10 years. Now he is speeking 2 to 3 sentences in Telugu. He like to watch TV and wrinting movie names Continuously, if there is any disturbance occurs he will be very angry and he is treid to bite his hand and shout loudly. How can I manage this situation. To overcome this most of the time I use to switch off the line which is connected to TV and also he is having some sexual feelings i.e. He is hugging his mother or sister very tightly and feel happy. what can I do to overcom this problem. Please give some suggestions.
Hi Monique
Thankyou for your information please keep sending it as my Daughter Sheryn,(mother of Hayden & Lachlan identical twin 4.5 years old & myself Grandma & Day carer find it very interesting. Hayden has autism Lachlan doesn’t,but he looks out for his brother & often will tell us what Hayden is trying to tell us.This I think is the twin connection in action a beautiful thing to see.
QUESTION How can only one twin have autism & not the other being that they are identical?
Thankyou so much & Keep up the good work it is apreciated.
Debby & Sheryn
my biggest concern right now is my daughter not keeping her cochlea implant on and her grazing behaviour of non stop begging for food at our kitchen gate, on the GFCF diet, and her lack of sleep and only needing 5 hours a night, compulsiveness with putting her finger in a block etc, and not being able to potty train her as she have no receptive language because of her deafness and not sure what she understands with makaton signing?????????????? a very frustrated mom indeed
Hi we have problems when our child picks up new odd behaviours. Its been the school holidays in melbourne and he has picked up alot of stimming where he is talking back to him self (outloud and its embarrasing). any suggestions. He is 10
Hi
I enjoy your emails and find that there is lots of good information. I have a ten year old granddaughter with autism. She started talking as a late five year old and has been progressing beautifully.Now she is in complete sentences after lots of tudoring with a speech therapists.
She is still sometimes very fearful of birds and ducks, balloons and large dogs.On many occasions we need to leave the restaurant as she sees a duck outside and can’t control her fear so acts out. On other occasions I have seen her have a completely different reaction, she is not happy however keeps herself more in check.
Keep up the good work.
Are you aware of Autism Research Institute in San Diego,CA? They have provided me with a lot of good information.
Any suggestions about the ducks and birds?
Its always hand to come across tips, ideas, strategies and to network. I have 3 beautiful children, 20yo son with autism, 18yo with no autism, and 5yo daughter with autism. The 5yo has just started talking, and we are going hell for leather to keep her progress moving forward, she is lovely and affectionate and social. My young adult son is highly verbal and gifted, but lacks social and interactive skills so they all have their own profile. I wouldn’t change a thing, they have been a blessing and a privilege, and it is my mission to give them the best life possible. All of you out there are awesome, stay strong, good things are coming.
[...] to those of you that sent me through your questions and comments in response to my last message. It gives me more ideas of the knowledge that you would like me to share with you. As mentioned, [...]
Don’t change a thing!
I am a teacher with special education training working contracts so that at times I do-at times I do not – have children with autism. I find the comments very helpful both in a practical sense and that they “keep me in the loop”.
What is more, I find that the thinking that we have to do so that we do not ASSUME how children learn can be very helpful in working with ALL children. For example, in a recent comment, you discussed how getting down and playing with a child with autism allowed the child to trust you and then develop communication beyond just “asking for things”. – Sharing emotions and deeper thoughts. This really hit me. This is what I do in junior primary and find it hard to justify. Yet I sense it works.
Thank you and best wishes to all you brave parents who have the privilege of caring for your irreplaceably beautiful children.
I don’t have a computer at home at the moment, it died, so I can’t post comments as often, but please do keep sending the tips Monique. I appreciate your effort. Thank you