Late to this thread, but here are a couple:

``Therapuetic brush?" What a rip off.

My cousin had learnng disabilitiies, and he turned out to be a millionaire.

You're autistic son has no friends? Yeah, my daughter is a loner too.

Anonymous wrote:I just want to say thank you for this thread, I had read this when I first saw it posted because I thought it would be helpful if I ever met someone with a SN child (but I didn't know anyone). A few days ago my brother called me to let me know his son might have speech apraxia and they are currently working to discover more. I'm glad I had read this because I was able to just shut my mouth and listen (vs. offering "solutions" or "opinions"). After he had talked - he was able to tell me he was surprised because he had expected to me to start asking questions right away, and thanked me for just listening.

So thank you for helping me help my brother.

This is fabulous! My daughter has apraxia of speech. You just got "most awesome sister ever" award in your brother's world right now, I bet! You would in my life.

Holland Schmolland:

http://www.autism-pdd.net/testdump/test16481.htm

Can someone post a link to Holland Scmolland?

Anonymous wrote:I think the thing that bugs me most is when people roll their eyes in what they think is "solidarity" with me when I say my son gets PT and OT to help him walk and eat/drink. "What a crock - he'll walk when he's ready. People get so freaked out these days, don't they?" one coworker said when I mentioned my son's therapy schedule. WTF does he know about my son and his abilities? I know he's trying to be encouraging, but it comes across as diminishing the challenges my son faces.

At the same time, don't assume that my kid won't or can't do something. It might take him longer to learn a skill. He might not take the same route to get there. There's tons of stuff he can learn to do with patience and persistence, though, and I don't want to hear from someone who isn't a treating medical provider or a parent in our house what this kid can't do. If you're not part of the team, you don't know what his prognosis is, so STFU.

That annoys me too. I hear a lot of "Back in the 70s and 80s when we grew up kids were allowed to be kids and nobody worried about this stuff." Um...my kid almost in utero during the pregnancy and he almost died during delivery, his situation is not typical. I allow him to be a kid plenty thank you and even his interventions involve play. In the 70s and 80s there were kids with issues too, but I suspect there are many more today due to life-saving procedures, toxins in our environment, etc. I wish these delusional folks who poo poo us would go talk to a seasoned special ed teacher or even a veteran regular teacher. They will tell you times have changed and there are more kids with issues.

What makes me sad is when I encounter parents who took the same attitude as your coworker...and the kid is now 6 or 8 or 10 and clearly the child isn't just catching up and there is such regret that they didn't do more earlier. Pediatricians, well meaning friends and family members and other people who perpetuate "denial" and that whole "what's the big deal" mentality have no idea how much damage they can cause when people take their advice.

I think the thing that bugs me most is when people roll their eyes in what they think is "solidarity" with me when I say my son gets PT and OT to help him walk and eat/drink. "What a crock - he'll walk when he's ready. People get so freaked out these days, don't they?" one coworker said when I mentioned my son's therapy schedule. WTF does he know about my son and his abilities? I know he's trying to be encouraging, but it comes across as diminishing the challenges my son faces.

Anonymous wrote:I just want to say thank you for this thread, I had read this when I first saw it posted because I thought it would be helpful if I ever met someone with a SN child (but I didn't know anyone). A few days ago my brother called me to let me know his son might have speech apraxia and they are currently working to discover more. I'm glad I had read this because I was able to just shut my mouth and listen (vs. offering "solutions" or "opinions"). After he had talked - he was able to tell me he was surprised because he had expected to me to start asking questions right away, and thanked me for just listening.

So thank you for helping me help my brother.

So glad to hear that!! Thanks for letting us know.

Anonymous wrote:After seeing "Trip to Holland" mentioned repeatedly, I looked it up. What an incredibly assinine piece of work that is, and offensive in many ways. No wonder people find it annoying.

I love you and I don't even know you. I busted out laughing when I read this because I too find that poem annoying and pollyanna-ish. I still crack up reading your post and the person who said "yeah and I am from Holland." I've posted this before but I like the poem in response titled something like"Holland Scmolland."

I just want to say thank you for this thread, I had read this when I first saw it posted because I thought it would be helpful if I ever met someone with a SN child (but I didn't know anyone). A few days ago my brother called me to let me know his son might have speech apraxia and they are currently working to discover more. I'm glad I had read this because I was able to just shut my mouth and listen (vs. offering "solutions" or "opinions"). After he had talked - he was able to tell me he was surprised because he had expected to me to start asking questions right away, and thanked me for just listening.

So thank you for helping me help my brother.

Anonymous wrote:After seeing "Trip to Holland" mentioned repeatedly, I looked it up. What an incredibly assinine piece of work that is, and offensive in many ways. No wonder people find it annoying.

Yes, and I'm from Holland!

oh this is probably because you left him with a nanny and went to work when he was three months old, that's why he isn't meeting the milestones.

don't worry, some of those kids are very functional, in fact you are lucky, you'll not need to put them to college.

hey, then you can go to a government-sponsored daycare instead of an expensive private one for normal kids.

After seeing "Trip to Holland" mentioned repeatedly, I looked it up. What an incredibly assinine piece of work that is, and offensive in many ways. No wonder people find it annoying.

A few comments I heard over the years about now young adult GT/ADD/LD anxious son (who is doing extremely well now).

"Well -- did you read to him?" When he was 6, and wasn't recognizing sight words.

Laughing when I said that I was thinking about pulling him out of school and homeschooling during his terrible fourth grade year.

When he became depressed and anxious at the end of 8th grade, and I could barely get him to the end-of-middle school ceremony: "And in the fall, he'll have to do it all over again!"

A psychiatrist we were seeing laughing after I told her after the end of my son's horrendous first quarter at our local public high school that we were done with our public school system (which we were).