There has been a growing trend of parents complaining that their autistic children do not want to go to school and that their kids have developed new behaviors to avoid going to school. This usually occurs when the child starts a new school or gets a new teacher.
This reminds me of the time when Ethan was 7 years and we were forced to put him a new school. This school was known for being the experimental school for autism and was actually the brain child of the head of special education in our school district. It was supposed to be the best place to educate an autistic child.
After a few weeks, Ethan suddenly started crying and performing every time we put him on the bus. He had never done that before and we just assumed it was a stage on the typical autism roller coaster.
I remember the psychologists sitting with us and telling us that we had until Ethan was 7 years old or we would miss the opportunity to take advantage of his brain’s development. They told us that if we missed that opportunity it would be too late. My issue with these professionals is that they talk with such confidence as if they know everything and everything they do know is fact. No wonder most of us parents lose the hope when our kids with autism reach that age and don’t progress. We think “this is it, this is the end.” I started teaching Ethan at the age of 10 and he has blossomed ever since. All I did was change the way we teach. Our brain is always growing, and the more you stimulate the brain the more it will develop. If they keep torturing our kids with the same program, yes, they will ensure and prove that our kids are unable to learn.
I doubt we will ever know the truth about the link between autism and vaccinations. For those of us who already have autistic children, the answer is moot. For those in government the stakes are too high for them to admit that there is a link as the ensuing backlash from the general population will be huge. The idea that parents will refuse to vaccinate their kids and the specter of massive outbreaks of previously controlled diseases is their worst nightmare. They will do anything in their power to ensure the status quo where every parent vaccinates their kids. They are so scared that they have take every opportunity to display the pros of vaccination and have even planted subliminal messages in every TV program that they are able. Some governments (such as California) have even gone as far as passing laws that allow a 12 year old to make decisions regarding vaccinations without parental consent. They are too young to vote, but of course they have the maturity to evaluate the trade-offs of vaccinations.
According to the dictionary, 
I have always dreaded the day when I would have to write about Autism and puberty. However, because it is so important, I have to share this with you. This is one time when a little preparation can save major heartache down the road. Research shows that many of our kids, especially the nonverbal ones, are sexually abused because they were never taught the “right things”. 
For many years we thought that Ethan had poor memory. That is what we were told. I remember the ABA teachers spent 2 years trying to teach him the letters A, B and C and the numbers 1, 2 and 3. According to their data, if he couldn’t master those simple letters or numbers, why should they go forward and teach him other academic skills. They refused to teach him typing because he could not even remember the few letters that they had been trying to teach for 2 years. It was time to give up, to stop being in denial that he is unable to learn and teach him how to do functional skills. Obviously, we did not listen!