My parents taught my none verbal brother the sign for sick that he can tell if he doesn’t feels well. I don’t know if this works for Griffin too but I hope he’ll get better soon .x
2nd? This is such a nice comment. One of the students in my class that I teach is non verbal and he does the same thing. He has a sign for when he is sick. Hope this goes viral!
I wish school would keep teach me this. My motor skills was why they stop. Sign languages dont carry a tablet. I use AAC part time. Try AAC and sign. It should be multiple communication ways. Not one.
Just got back to basics , babies are non verbal , but we figure out what’s going on for them . Special needs kiddos have their own language only parents know . My daughter is a rare, no ID , but like all genetic conditions, as well as physical, you have the all the asd , sensory, dyspraxia etc etc . She is at college , doing great , came home, sitting at the dinner table , one look in her eyes and I knew . When I asked her how she was feeling,she said fine and smiled. I took her temp 106 , double pneumonia and strep , she was completely unaware😱 I guess we just have to be here eyes and ears. Really hope the wee man feels better soon. Love a rare family in Ireland 🇮🇪, Dubowitz syndrome x
My family all got strep a couple weeks ago too. Hope he is feeling better now! I just wacth my nonverbal son for abnormal behavior. Grabbing at his ears, rubbing his tummy, holding his throat or not wanting to eat or drink. It is very hard. Dont beat yourself up- you figured it out and got him to the doctor as soon as you realized. As moms were not told this enough- your doing great 😊
My daughter is autistic and non-verbal. When she's sick or about to fall sick, her appetite becomes reduced. She's less verbal in the noises she usually makes, isn't as active, doesn't want to come out of her room in the mornings.
Don’t beat yourself up, this is the hardest thing with non verbal kiddos! And happy kiddos!! It is so hard to know. 💜💜 Energy levels, food intake and clingyness are the things I can usually count on to tell me when something is up. If one or more of those three things is off for the child, it usually means illness is coming/happening.
I usually tell when my daughter doesn’t act like her normal self (sleeping more, not playing as much, eating/drinking less and less wet diapers) she’s non verbal as well so it’s tough
Hes a good kid. He does have a way to communicate. Its unique to the two of you though. People can recommend places to start looking, but it will always come down to the two of you.
I could tell by my child's eyes long before they told me they were feeling sick. Their eyes somehow looked 'glassy' for want of a better expression. They also looked tired and the facial expression was telling. I would then put my hand on their forehead and sure enough they'd be running a temperature. My mom also could tell just by looking at us, whether we were coming down with something.Hope this helps some and I hope your son feels better soon!
I have never been in your shoes, but I can tell you’re a great mom who loves her son. My advice: try to remember that. You’re doing great. He’s okay now. You are a good mom
He looks fantastic and the both of you are doing a wonderful job. Do not beat yourself up. I have a son who is special needs. Unfortunately, with him, it hits him fast and hard and usually with fevers on whatever happens, but he starts being more tired. Reading his Cues, not wanting to eat. Maybe drinking too much or not. Not drinking at all or sometimes even throwing up.
Bless his little heart my baby didn’t speak until he was 5. He made sounds for different things he wanted. Water food. Wanted to play. I wish I could help.
I struggle with the same thing as a special needs mom!!!!! It's not instant, but I've asked for my son's school to teach him body parts so he can hopefully tell me what hurts with his AAC if I ask him. We're still working on it. ❤
I noticed immediately with my non verbal son. Not eating his calm down snack. First doctor check only showing viral. He started leaning his left ear on his shoulder while walking. Took him back ear and respiratory infection. I hope he feels better soon!
We can't tell either. He doesn't feel pain on top of being nonverbal. He has been silently aspirating for months and we didn't know because he never coughs. Ended up with aspiration pneumonia and admitted to the hospital for a week. He acted normal thr whole time
Its sooooo hard... my daughter was constipated.... we went from thinking UTI, to a yeast infection that i treated for days to possible bacterial infection... to then realizing in everything we hadnt changed a poopy diaper.... all she would do was point down there. I dont have any tips. But im here with you! ❤
Teach him ASL. Usually, when people are/go non verbal it’s not a “I can’t communicate” thing, but a “I can’t speak” thing. Sign language is a good alternative communication for when we can’t get words out. Even if it’s not ASL, you can come up with a few signs like “hungry/food”, “thirsty/water”, “sick” and “yes/no” for him to be able to tell you what he needs. I haven’t watched much of your content so I’m not sure how aware of his surroundings he is or how much he understands when you talk to him, but sign language could be a good idea. Give it a try, it really helps me when I go non verbal.
I use to get strep all the time as a kid i feel for the poor guy. I just wanted to say your doing a great job momma! And there seems to be some really good advice in here ❤
I’m not a parent, but I work with kids with autism and most of them are non-verbal. It doesn’t apply to all, but certain kids will have tells that they don’t feel well, usually in the sense that something we see every day has changed. For example, a kiddo that always comes in and has a snack doesn’t eat. Or a kiddo that usually goes straight to playing with cars stays in his therapy room. It’s usually little things that you wouldn’t notice unless you know the kiddo really well. We also check their temps frequently if we have any reason to think they don’t feel well. It’s really difficult though, and it breaks my heart when we realize they’re really sick and we didn’t know. Your little boy is so loved and you are doing your best! You got this mama
Hi ! My name is Angie and I have a 4 year old with Rett Syndrome. She is nonverbal but completely “ in there “ and illness , I agree , is SO tough. I have noticed that she wants her comfort things more often when she is getting sick. For example her music show she watches “ little baby bum”. Maddie doesn’t run fevers until she is REALLY sick. But she will cry a lot harder , nap longer , she gets sluggish in her therapies and when her throat hurts , she will drool sometimes , from not wanting to swallow . Hope this helps !
I've had the same struggle with my non verbal son. Last week he didn't want to eat his dinner and I thought maybe he ate a big lunch in preschool so just a snack was good. But in the morning, he was throwing up and had the flu for a few days. I just don't think he is at the level to understand my tummy hurts until he is in the middle of being really sick. We just got an Aac device for him to communicate. It has been a game changer for everyday communication and now we have topic to model and try to understand. Hopefully, in the future, he can use his aac to let me know something is a little off with his tummy now he's experienced being sick and using his aac.
Warmer than usual to the touch, eyes being a bit glassy or tearing. Skin looking flush or ears being red. More listless than usual. Not wanting to eat or drink if they do so by mouth. Sleeping more or sluggish. All non verbal signs that signals a parent. He’s adorable and I hope he’s feeling better in no time !!
Poor Griffen 😢it is important to know when your kid is sick before it is to late but i understand it is hard for you guys and I hope Griffen feels better soon ❤
Maybe take temp every day and check glands. I'm assuming it would be hard to check his throat. Maybe there's a way to teach the word hurt and then ask where. On his tablet. Good info to consider. I'm sorry it's hard to figure out so many things but I'm proud of you for sharing so we all can learn.❤
My kid his name is Logan he has autism he is nonverbal too and I find that a talker would help a lot or asking him he might give you a head nod these are from my kids and your doing really good have a good day hope he gets well soon❤
I feel so sorry for you and your struggles but you can get through this look at how much you’ve already done we all support you and I personally think he’s going to come find language
aww poor Griffin I hope you feel better soon and God blesses you 🙏🥰♥️ and bless you and your family ✝️ I hope you feel better soon and I hope your nonverbal son feels better soon🙏🥰♥️♥️
You may want to consider daily temperature checks for a while. It won't catch everything, but tracking it and behaviors should hopefully give you a heads up to do a temp check if he starts acting a certain way, and those behaviors came up as something he does with a fever.
I was nonverbal as a kid, and with my ADHD my mom could tell the first time I had the flu without major stomach issues because I'm never hyper with a fever, and I'm a verbal teenager now, and it is still true, but also now it is that I'm quite and it isn't sensory overload because of my sensory issues I can't shut up unless I'm sick.
Mother’s intuition is always the most reliable. Anything out of the ordinary is to be taken as a sign. Sleeping more, sleeping less, more passive, lethargy, more fussy, pulling at ears, crying, grimacing, more aggressive, refusing to eat, urinating less, change in potty habits, moaning, changes in breathing pattern, appetite changes, or changes in coloring such as pale face or red cheeks. Also any swelling, swollen lymph nodes, sweating, drainage from eyes, ears, or nose. Any changes in body odor such as scalp, breath, sweaty places, or in diaper or toilet. Refusing to eat may be a sign that it’s painful to swallow or a grimace as he swallows would be overt signs but listlessness might be more subtle and less obvious not pointing to a particular area of pain or concern. If you suspect or notice changes, take temp at least 2x a day and call an advice nurse or physician’s office. A nonverbal child or with autism may have more visits than a child who can vocalize and parents should not feel inadequate or any shame as the challenges are many. It’s like a puzzle or a maze, never straight forward. Never hesitate to ask when in doubt. Trust when you have a gut feeling or instinct.
This is really toughing, I had a friend in elementary school who was non verbal and got the flu very bad but nobody knew he was sick, and a bit later something happened and he had a horrible seizure, rest in peace Tyler ❤
Have you ever tried to use sign language or using a tablet with pictures? I must be blessed,my youngest was a surviving twin,we had a very hard start too.We learned sign language bc she wouldnt talk too. She didnt start haing signs with comprehension til she was 6 years,I made a habit(using youtube videos)to check temp.every morning and when she came home. I just learned her behavior. You will find your niche what works for you,dont beat yourself up. Best wishes
He is able to use a phone here he should be able to use AAC to increase independent and to express himself. You may be so surprised to see how smart he is too. Please do not hold him back. He will be super happy. There is this RU-vid who did that with their teen. Love for Gabe. He picked it up super quickly and has done it better then me. Both your son and their kid is non verbal. I am verbal but helps me with social skills and behaviors.
Maybe using a picture? Like on his device or even having a chart in his room. So when he wakes up you can ask him how he’s feeling every morning? Like a pic for happy, sad, tired, sick? I worked in an ABA school for years and feelings was something we went over a whole lot with the kids. It helped to stop behaviors because they we able to show us if they were upset or something was hurting them. It’s horrible when kids are sick and it’s so hard when they are non verbal and can’t tell you what’s wrong. Hope you find something that works for him he such a sweet boy. Get better soon
There are apps you can get to help communicate with your kids they take some teaching but they can be really helpful and can give your child a better life overall because they'll feel like you're able to listen to them ❤
Some sort of adaptive, augmented or assisted communication device might work such as a Go-Talk. Basically a child presses a button that corresponds to a picture that relays what he wants to communicate. Can be provided by your school district along with the therapy and assessments to determine what would work best for your child and whether it is the appropriate equipment. Hope that helps.
I work with non verbal kids. It is hard to always tell when they are in pain or are sick. For pain there are some scales you can use like the FLACC- scale. But the most important is learning his non-verbal communication, I'm sure you know your child best and recognize signs faster than everyone. You can say it is the same as with babies. Fever is a giveaway factor, but it is not always a symptom of pain or sickness. You have to look at other signals, like his mood, energy,... You're doing good mama!! ❤
I AM NOT A SPECIAL NEEDS PARENT! but if I was taking care of a special needs child, I would check his temperature daily to make sure he doesn't have a fever
I'm not a parent my self but my little brother won't tell us if something is wrong it's all about body language, his behavior, if he walks slower or face expression are different he could sit differently just try to pay as close attention to he's body as possible and you will slower see difference we he is sick and since he has seizures see if he has more then normal or something I do just want to say that I have been watching your channel for a while now and I can see that you are a good parent and you love griffin a lot I know you will learn quick and get better as you go you are all ready doing amazing love your content and hope the little guy gets better
If you are willing to try it, try sign language it’s a language that is amazing at communicating even when someone can’t or people struggle to understand what the person says
Me and my family have that thermometer green means no fever yellow means a little fever and red means a fever you might not wanna go out if ur temp is yellow or red
Can you ask your Dr for things to look for, like swollen glands etc, and periodically check Griffin for signs of illness? I hope he feels better very soon. ❤
I was nonverbal till I was six and whenever I didn’t feel good my mom gave me a special stuffed animal. It was called my sick Bunny and whenever I was sick, I would place it in a designated spot easily for her to see mine was on our kitchen table. If the bunny was on the tables and I was sick. Maybe you could implement something like that as a means for him to communicate nonverbally, hope it helps.❤
Im not a parent, BUT i have something that might work. U could maybe check his temperature every day and see what is normal for him. If there is a day that the temperature is higher than usual, u can keep an eye on him to see if he has more seizures or even give him his communication device to see if he says he doesn't feel good. Hope this helps if u didn't find a ways to tell ❤👍😁
I believe his communication device is broken, because she said about a week ago that he threw the device because he got overwhelmed and the screen shattered. They may not have been able to get him a new one yet.
As someone else said, there's always sign language. However, what comes to my mind is this... There's a device for pets that the animal can stand on & an electronic word is spoken (I don't what its called). As it has very large buttons and looks like a big toy maybe it can be permanently attached to a wall in your living area and your boy can press a big button to let you know where he's at. Maybe this could be a business idea for an entrepreneurial parent out there ❤ This is the kind of thing I mean: ru-vid.comCS3kviWGkH0?si=sfquOePbipqitwgl
It may not just be an ability to physically communicate problem. I'm autistic, I'm fully verbal but I have a lot of difficulty communicating when I'm ill, even if I'm really worried. A communication tool may not be enough.
I remember those buttons. They are sold by a company named Fluent Pet. I first heard about them in a news story about a dog named Bunny. In one video she supposedly pressed the buttons for “ouch” and “paw” when she had a thorn or something similar in her paw. I’m rather skeptical about whether buttons like those actually work as depicted, but then again who knows…
Hi, I’m not sure if you’ll read this but I saw your son is able to hold the phone and tap the screen. A speech pathologist can help him communicate through a communication board (a tablet in some cases). The therapist will take the time to show him how to use one to the best of his ability so that he is able to communicate his needs. ☺️
You can get communication apps that helps them talk through things like touching a picture and it says it out loud you could teach him to use that to communicate
You don't have to talk to let people know your sick, look for body language as soon as he's acting a single bit different/sleepy or not wanting to do stuff check his temperature 😊
There is nothing that you can make him do or make him talk.but you can look for signs or create your own way of communication with him I hope this helps
Not a parent but an autistic person who struggles to know when they are sick themselves. Trying to make a connection to something you use when he is sick may help, like a thermometer or special item. Each time he is sick make that item a big deal and hopefully if he starts feeling sick he will use something like pointing to a picture of the item or going to the area you use the item until it happens and you notice. All the same I hope he gets better soon and you find something that works for you.
I hope he is better. Try being more attentive to his behavior if possible. Maybe his reaction to something’s may be different. I always do a feel check through affection. If he feels warmer than usual check his temperature. I hope this helps.
The other day, when I was at the airport, I saw a non-verbal boy, and he had an iPad and an app. The app had the letters of the alfabet and some important words that he would click on to basicly tell his mom what he needed. I don't know if it will work for Griffin, but it worked for that boy. I hope this helps.
As a parent of two nonverbal kids, I pay attention to it what they’re eating how much they’re eating and play if they wanna just lay around the house and be bumming it then means something is wrong. If they’re playing wildly like my child is sick that means I’m just feeling his head. Give him kisses, so not only my nonverbal they also have a sensory needs. They’re both autistic. Our children are a lot of work babies. I know you wouldn’t change it for the world. I would pay attention to his face. His eyes would tell you and his reactions. I know you have been studding him for many years you might need to get a good look at his eyes when he’s sick take a picture and then you’ll see the difference when he’s better and then you’ll know what to look out for in the future i’m sorry he got sick. I know it’s hard to give the medication. I hope for fast recovery.
If he’ll tolerate a device on his wrist, there are a lot of options that could help you monitor base temperature and behavior so you could see anything different from the norm.
Feel better Mr. Griffin!!!! Some kind of way for him to signal to you that he doesn't feel good. It doesn't have to be official ASL, just something you can easily tell what it means. Does he use a speech device? You could have it on there. As far as being able to know sooner, I'm not sure what you could do about that.
The problem could be deeper than something a communication system can fix. I'm autistic and verbal. I have the physical skills to tell you when I'm ill, but I still have difficulty with it. It can be difficult mentally to communicate that, even if you have the technical ability to do so.
I’m not a parent but I am on the spectrum. I’m currently level one but I was level two when I was growing up. I said my first words more or less on schedule but I was older than average when I used words to communicate. I was around seven years old before I could verbally tell people that I was in pain. This caused some issues when I would get sick until I was as old as six or six-and-a half years old. One time when I was six years old I had an ear infection and I wasn’t able to tell my parents that I was in pain. At the time I was only able to put a hand over my ear and cry like someone much younger. Luckily that time I was only in pain for maybe an hour or two. By that time my mother felt my forehead and noticed that it felt warm. I was taken to the hospital and I had a fever but it was only a slight fever. I was given some liquid Tylenol and a liquid antibiotic that sort of tasted like bananas. My ear infection might have been easier to find than it otherwise would have been because I have a lighter than normal complexion and my ear becomes noticeably red when I get infections like this. At the moment I do not have any suggestions for identifying strep throat. In time, you might be able to tell if he has a headache, or a stomachache, though.
