I almost wanted to film this video over but I didn’t want to be late uploading it. I think I may have confused you guys when I was trying to explain that Anne was not showing major signs of autism and was “on track” to being typical. I’m not saying she was “fine” then became “not fine” out of nowhere. You guys Anne was always unique my point was that she was not necessarily unique in the ways that the experts were suggesting. So we had to look beyond the checklists and when we did we found those barriers to learning that I mentioned. She was not “fine one day” then suddenly different. I’m so very sorry for the confusion. I was rushing a bit to hit all my points so please take this as a bit of clarity and I’ll touch more on these topics in future content. ❤️
I worked in education for 6 years and I would hear parents say about their autistic child, "he or she was ok, but at about 1years old things changed". So, I was going to ask, if the doctors knew how or why "normal" behaviors changed. Thanks for clarifying. Glad I read your response to the video.
I completely understand! I have a 7 year old son who is on the spectrum, we too knew he was unique but as he got older I knew something was different so I went to his dr & & said we need to check out these behaviors & sure enough it was ASD not only that they retested him for hearing & to our surprise he has hearing loss on one side, which answered a lot of questions we had as far as speech and hearing! You are a strong mom & I watch & ❤️ all your videos! Much love to you & your family! We are all wonderful autism warriors!!
This just warmed my heart. I'm looking at her at 18 months, and she is responding just like every other 18-month-old would at the dentist's office. The patience of the staff is amazing!! She did so well!!
This was great Vaughn! You’re such a great mom and I loved the message at the end about not wanting to change Anne just wanting to help her live her best life! I’m sure it gets tough, but keep up the amazing work! 😘💕
I'm originally from Chicago...and my good friend's son was diagnosed with autism.. they have an excellent program at La Rabida children's hospital... now he is talking so well you wouldn't even know that he was diagnosed at all good luck with little Anne she is absolutely beautiful ❤
I love your videos. I don’t have a child but I want to have a child in the future. To me, these videos normalize neuro-divergence. I appreciate them so much! When I have children I want to accept them for who they are. If anything at all, the level of patience, intentionality, love and kindness that your family gives Anne is exemplary and seeing it on a regular basis has helped me and reminded me to be compassionate with myself and others.
I love the way how you express how your here for your daughter well being and not trying to fix her. I'm glad how you always express how much you love your daughter unconditionally and your just giving insight on autism. I also love how you said you listened to your mother bout her concern for her granddaughter. A lot of "first time" parents always want the "perfect" child and when a love one express something other than "perfect" bout their child the "first time" parents will be offensive and that wouldn't be the intention that a love one would be doing. Thanks for sharing and giving us the pointers of what to look for not to look for. I just love your vlogs. You have a beautiful family. Always remember to be prayed up daily when your opening your beautiful family to the world who would "try " and turn a beautiful and learning experience into something negative. I have 3 grown children and 5 grandchildren from 1 year to 16 years old and your right they can be going in the right direction for growth and next thing you know it's going in another direction. I'm willing to learn and hear because I might be around someone and I want to know how to go bout approaching them. Once again thanks for sharing your life and family with us.
I love what you're doing. I have a nephew who's autistic. He's obsessed with certain kinds of objects. I'm not sure what type of autism he has, but watching your channel is helping me understand more.
Hey Vaughn! As a long time follower of your channel, I'm a self proclaimed internet auntie. 😊I love how you approach autism not just as Anne's mom, but as an informant and advocate.
You are such a light in this world. Thank you so much for being you. I"m sure by you sharing your experiences and knowledge, it will help a lot of families. Your delivery is so peaceful and caring. love you and your family.
I would definitely keep going to that dentist just because they are so patient and involve the kids! A lot of the fear for kids is just the unknown and they were AMAZING in just sharing what was about to happen. Hell I wish my docs were that way!
You've taught me so much over the years. Thank you for sharing your journey! This is valuable information to us all. It touches me so deeply to see how much patience you have with Anne, and throughout this journey. ♥️
My youngest child has a developmental delay and listening to you speak about Anne makes me feel less alone. I've been avoiding watching your videos on autism because i wasn't quite sure how I would handle them. I've never been in denial about his condition and the feeling I had when he was first evaluated 2 years ago is still hard to revisit. I'm grateful that we found out early but that day when the evaluators showed me their results it had me down for a little while. We have him in a special needs program in our county school system and it has been a great start. We are always learning and growing along with him. Thank you again for sharing. I feel a little less alone in this.
Anne was amazing at the dentist visit! She did very good! Im hoping my 2 year old does well at her upcoming dentist visit! Thank you so much for sharing!
Great info for anyone who loves children. I cautiously share info with others who welcome it, (sometimes we can be in denial or be offended). Looking forward to vlog on what to say/not say. I have learned much from talking to parents, childcare and teaching. I have had extensive exposure to children on the spectrum and they are all unique- some verbal others not. I said that only to say I learned somethings in this vlog. Please continue to share- we don't always know who will benefit or how. Anne is blessed to have you and your husband as her parents and a watching grandmother who was concerned about her development.
Very informative my son was diagnosed with O.D.D oppositional defiant disorder I wish I had someone to explain their experiences good on you for what you are doing I pray for continued strength for you and hubby cause I know the challenges it can put on a parent and marriage 👏🏾👏🏾❤
I loved this video! As a nurse practitioner that has to diagnose children on a near daily basis, it’s nice to hear early signs/concerns from a parents perspective. Great job! And great job Anne, she did great at the dentist.
I pray I can get to where you are. I'm so much in pain and sadness. I still cant believe my beautiful child has to deal with this. All these therapies I'm so scared for the future
glam anesthesia It’s all in how you think about it. My son is almost 3, he was diagnosed as soon as he turned 2. It mainly manifested as feeding difficulties. He is verbal and repeats everything, but is delayed in using his speech to really communicate what he wants. He is a happy, fun, and very active little boy. I got pregnant again very soon after my first son. I lost him out of nowhere at 34 weeks. He was stillborn. I’d give anything to have my second son. With that being said, my first son having ASD is nothing to me! I’m just grateful God blessed me to have him. I’m his mama and I’m equipped to handle whatever goes along the journey of loving him. It can be difficult but just take a moment to sit in the blessing of having your baby. You can do this and your child will be okay. My son goes to ABA at an autism center 3 days weekly, all day. I also have him enrolled in the state’s early intervention program, where he gets 3 additional hours weekly of speech and early intervention therapy. It’s no more than him going to daycare everyday and he’s learning so much. He is doing great and an absolute joy. He just marches to the beat of his own drum- he is who he is. Be encouraged mama! It’s not the end of the world. Many children with autism go on to live full productive lives.
This was very informative just the same. The most important point was that you mentioned the fact that everyone's Autism journey is different. Thanks for sharing as I am a Kindergarten teacher assistant and I learn a lot from Anne's videos. By the way... so super proud of your for loving ANNE enough to share so transparently and super proud of Anne for her bravery at the dentist. She rocked it!
Thank you, Vaughn. This information is so important, especially in our community. A "thank you" shout out to Anthony, as well. Autism is a challenge for any parent, I really appreciate you sharing your experience.
Vaughn thank you for this excellent video ( all of them!) . I hope you will keep this dentist . I think they have been successful in seemlessly folding in strategies to help keep children feeling comfortable and safe.The classic " they are so good at it, they make it look easy".
People with autism have lower vitamin d levels, so I would be sure to get my kids some sun exposure. This is even more important for African Americans, we actually need vitamin d3 from the sun, but getting it from diet (eggs, cow's milk isn't suitable for us) helps as well. There is so much research going on that I read what I can get my hands on. Try to get out in a non polluted everyday for at least 20 minutes.
My 21 month old son has just finished the evaluation process. He has some red flags for autism.. but was not diagnosed (will be re-evaluated within a few months), however he will have a ABA teacher as well as a speech therapist. I’m actually very excited to start this, to better understand my baby boy. At 16 months I was already curious as to his development and brought it to the attention of my husband (who is in denial) and his pediatrician
Just started watching. I love her ! I’m concerned about my daughter a little. She just turned 1. i have a heart for special needs kids. I actually drive busses and one of my students on there has autism. Takes a special person to watch after them. I love your daughter she’s beautiful ! She did a wonderful job at the dentist! & you’re a wonderful mommy! 💜
I love your vlogs and how passionate you are about sharing information. I want to ask if in your experience do you think there is a link between autism and vaccines?
Hey Vaughn thanks for Video ! You’re truly a great advocate for Ann and as well other mothers like ourselves when it comes to having a child on the spectrum. You’re very inspirational in so many ways. My question for you is with early detection of Anne signs did you have a issue with Sensory Processing disorder? Did you have a hard time getting Anne to transition to solid foods?
Hey Vaughn! Thanks for an amazing video. I am not a mom yet but I have guardianship over my 10 yr niece and nephew (whom we adopted when they were 3 months). They both struggle with severe adhd and more recently their defiance and behavior has made me think of the autism spectrum. (There are more signs that I’ve not mentioned for respect of time) My question is are you concerned that being “labeled” or “identified” as autistic will hinder your child’s future endeavors? I just don’t want the twins to think we impeded their progress or held them back. I hope you understand what I’m trying to say. Thanks 🙏🏾
We have a great dentist in our area I was so happy to find her because she specializes in special needs children and adults as well as typical peers!!!
How do you stay in good spirits? I find the days we go to therapy I find myself getting sad when I see all the things my babies can't do, also when I see kids my children's age doing things my children can't I do feel sad.
Love all of your vlogs but especially the Autism Mom series. I’ve mentioned in a comment on a past video that I also have a daughter on the spectrum (11yrs now) and it’s still comforting to “char” with another fellow mom. I’m also from Chicago, born and raised, but been in Cali forever. I don’t know if they have a TACCA (talk about curing autism) chapter where you are, but, they were very helpful for me during the first 5yrs...and even now. It is touchy whenever the word “cure” is mentioned with Autism...but I hope others understood it more of wanting the best outcome for our children instead, whatever that may be... Anyway, through TACA I got a lot of information from actual DAN doctors which they now call MAPS doctors...a more natural based, find and treat the cause type doctors. I learned about mitochondrial issues a lot of our children may have and got my child MTHFR tested and on supplements to treat mitochondrial dysfunction [ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3179978/#idm139672949707760title ] Studies also show that autism can present differently in girls....I’ve seen it written that girls are “better at hiding “ sort of speak or compensating and often times go under diagnosed longer. It’s all definitely a journey and I really appreciate you willing to share yours and always look forward to your vids. 🙏🏾
I can't stress how important it is to pay attention to your children my uncle's son when he was 8 months old we all noticed how he never made eye contact and he would be fixated on one things for hours and hours and he liked everything just so by the time his parents noticed that something was going on it was to late he has a severe case he is grown is in a home for autistic adults he was raped in one of these state facilities I know I am all over the place but this has been heartbreaking for our family
Hey Auntie Vaughn! I hope you remember me um maybe afro puff girl , my nickname is Jozzy. I wrote this to tell you that I miss you and I enjoyed the fun times together and I can't wait for us to see each other soon!😁
My child(2nd out of 3) isn't on the spectrum but she has a speech and developmental delay,I constantly get there's nothing wrong with her. It irritates me so much because how you,as an outsider,going tell me she's fine. They continuously make comparisons to other children. I,as her mother, knows she needs help. I have 2 other children and ik kids develop differently but I can tell she needs help but it just makes me so mad. I digress...Do you encounter people who tell you,there's nothing wrong with her? Lol but I'm sitting here thinking my daughter would have torn that place up. She would've liked the fish but other than that, she would have had the hygienist in a head lock🤣 oh, what is that color?
Hi, I actually took my daughter to her pediatrician and a therapist, they both said it was just anxiety. I still feel like she’s on the spectrum. Is that weird or am I overthinking?
In Houston we have a doctor named Jacob Dent in Sugarland that’s a special needs dentist. He is the father of a son with autism so he is VERY passionate about special needs children.
Hey Ms Vaughn. I work at a special needs dental office at Riley Hospital in Indy. Even though she did well, I would keep her at that office. Mainly for consistency. I see a lot of kids that have been coming for years and some visits are good and some we have to reschedule. Some kids also do desensitizing visits. Meaning instead of waiting for six months to come back they come every 3 mos not necessarily for a cleaning, but it keeps them familiar with the environment and the time span is not so long. Hope that helps.
I absolutely would encourage you to keep Anne where she is. Though this experience was great for her and she did really well it was a combination of several factors including training the staff does to ensure they are helpful to special needs children of all facets. A place that does not specialize in this will have a different standard of care that you will feel and notice and so will she. I would also encourage you to begin looking into schools now as well. You seem to have a team that is supportive and working for her now. Whether you all decide on public or private her educational development will take on a new level of learning and stress for her, you, Anthony and your support system. Top places including public ones can have a waitlist for services and placement and all will have their evaluation systems so not to add to your plate but you should be aware begin planning for this next phase as early as plausible. And FYI I’m speaking as an educator, an EMD and ABA trained and certified educator. She seems to be making good progress. The school transition can be a setback even when prepared but definitely when not. Great video!!
This was so great!!! You explained it so well. I'm so glad you mentioned that it is a SPECTRUM. I have TWO with Autism. One who will be 6 in October who is non verbal, my grandson. And one who is 3 with limited speech, my granddaughter. I think I've mentioned before that Anne and my granddaughter are very similar in their characteristics. My Grandson is very different in how he presents with his Autism. He flaps his hands, he stems a lot by bending his fingers in awkward ways including looking like he is flipping people off, and he makes a lot of facial movements. He squeals and makes noises and is very attention and food driven. He was a very active child and his symptoms were glaring from the first day I met him as he is my daughter in law's son. When she married my son and I met him, I said, " Oh he has Autism." And his mother literally screamed at me that he didn't. He was about 2 years old then. He didn't talk at all. I apologized to her, but I knew something wasn't right. My daughter in law gave birth to his baby sister a few months later but I was still planning on how I could help him. I worked with him at home everyday as much as I could. But then, I watched the same progressions in his sister. Everything you said with Anne, was exactly my Granddaughter. It's like she would forget things she learned. She was curious and inquisitive but she just wasn't hitting all of her milestones. Their Mom started to withdraw. I went and got guardianship of them BOTH and got them both some help. I called a program called Babies Can't Wait for My Granddaughter because they provide referrals for infants and children until they are 3. And then I got them both tested. I made sure to get My Grandson tested first right away to get services started for him Asap! My big boy has come such a long way. And baby girl is talking now. They are both potty trained. They both do ABA daily. My Grandson does OT and PT as well. They both also do speech therapy. AND they are both in school. We have an extremely full schedule. I spend 90% of my time in my car! Not to mention big boy has Leukemia and still has to see an oncologist for chemo and a neurologist for seizures. Baby girl doesn't have seizures, thank God, but has chronic migraines and sees a pediatric neurologist as well. And then theirs also psychiatry visits. It's overwhelming!!!! But I'd do ANYTHING to make sure these two have as successful a life as they can have. Thanks again for sharing this. It's so important. 💗
I get you, I'm also raising my granddaughter who is on the spectrum has seizures and a genetic disorder.thats causing her to lose ability to walk , she's using a walker now , she's 12 acts like 6 mom couldn't cope ,dad doesn't want so I'm trying to help her be the best she can be
You’re an amazing mother Vaughn. Life is a journey. Mother’s of special needs children are faced with unique forks in the road as they navigate theirs. Your video is a tremendous help for so many. May you be blessed and continue to help others with your platform.❤️
My son has autism he screams and cries so much that I have to hold him and sit in the chair for his dentist appointments. Anne is always so calm and quiet. That's such a blessing.
My son was diagnosed at 18months as well , I brought it up at his 12 month appointment, but his pediatrician thought it was a little early ( I knew better) .I have friends back home that would post on FB about their children that was diagnosed on the spectrum, so I had begun to read and watch different videos a couple of years before I was pregnant . Because of videos like this I noticed very small signs even before 12 months although he was on track as well as ahead of some milestones. My son also goes to a special needs dentist , I’m glad you’re making these videos they will definitely help a lot of families.
You're a good Momma. This is very informative. My coworker's son has Autism and I learn so very much from her. What a gift he is. My niece is also on the spectrum and we can't imagine life without WHO she is - another gift.
My niece is 13 months and still hasn't been vaccinated due to this possibility. I've seen documentaries about this theory as well. My sister is waiting until she gets a little older before she gets vaccinated. She is not in daycare and my sister still breastfeeds her. We don't know what causes ASD, but we are aware that vaccinations could be a factor.
I know someone who didnt want to vaccinate, do everything "so natural" she even had her baby at home in her tub! But her son is SEVERLY Autistic, I mean severly. To the point that she finally had to go to the doctor and she couldn't blame it on the Vaccine cause he was never vaccinated! I talked to my children's pediatrician about this and she shared a similar story. And she told me she truly believes it could have alot to do with the Chemicals that are out there now, that are injected in the food, water even air! So alot of people want to throw this theory around but what about the millions of kids who have been vaccinated and don't have Autism ? So if your not completely living a complete Plant Based lifestyle, you and your children, they could still be at risk. And even then they still could be at risk from the chemicals they are exposed too.
Whitney Hammock I avoided vaccinating our first born as well for similar reasons, but now she is current due to her Biliary Atresia diagnosis she is overcoming. Didn’t have much of a choice but to vaccinate. Anyhow, she is 13 months and is no where on the Autism Spectrum even after her MMR vaccination. Some studies say there is a gene that causes Autism in some children that is aggravated by the MMR vaccination which is why some parents link the MMR vaccine to Autism. So in theory, there are children who have the Autism gene already, but it never presents itself because it hasn’t been “triggered” and remains dormant and then there are those that have the gene that manifests itself due to certain triggers. Now with that said I do believe in legit vaccine injury cases, so I only plan to give our children what is truly necessary and the Gardisil/HPV vaccine ain’t one of them. I believe environmental containments are playing a larger part in the increase of Autism diagnoses rather than vaccines alone. Which is why I believe pregnant moms should scrutinize everything they put in and on their bodies as much as possible. Childhood cancer is also on the rise because our environments are so toxic. It’s really terrible and there is only so much you can do to live a “clean” lifestyle. At the end of the day we are all exposed to poisons. This is why I plead the blood of Jesus over children in general because there is so much out there to harm them.
@@GracewithHumility I agree with just about everything you said! My younger sister has Autism(she is not very verbal) and my parents had a genetics test done on here years ago and though nothing was found out to be linked to either of them genetically, it was discovered that one of my sister's Chromosomes didn't develope fully(like half). They didn't link that to it and do much more studying on it after that, but I feel it may hold some kind of link seeing as Down Syndrome is linked to a chromosome issuse. I don't know, but I do know that now its becoming the thing to say "its the vaccines its the vaccines". I mean...me and my sister were both vaccinated, why just her? And I didn't know that about a MMR vaccination, I have a 2 year old and a almost 4 month old.
I’ve been an educational aide to a few children on the spectrum. When it’s time to put her into school and they create an IEP for her, I’m here to offer advice on how to get the best assistance for her within her IEP if you have questions.
