Hi. My name is Amber and I’m new here. I stumbled across this place when i was doing a search for a coupon for Little Pim. This place helped me get 25% off which was great! When I found this place I thought it looked great.
I am 31. I have 4 children. Chloe is 9, Aiden is 7, Clara is 4, and Owin is 2. Both of my boys are on the autism spectrum.
I never heard of programs like this when I had my first two. I worked with them on my own with things but wish so much I had thought of reading programs and such when I had my first. She is smart and I know she would have taken off with it. But can’t go back. I heard about reading programs when I was preg with #4. It was the Your Baby Can Read program. I also just do my own flash cards and print worksheets off free websites and such. Clara started it when she was 2 and now at 4 can read pretty well. 100’s of words. She also can write and tell you all the sounds letters make. She is learning math now. She knows what a right triangle and isosceles triangle are along with other advanced shapes.
Well when I had Owin I sat him in front of the dvd’s and showed him the flashcards from the time he was 3 mths. Now at 2 he can read at around a 2nd or 3rd grade level. That’s my own estimation of course I haven’t had him tested or anything. But I can write down any word off the top of my head and he can tell me what it is to 97% accuracy. Even words like engineering, knock, and trapezoid. He is also learning russian and can say about 100 russian words including counting and colors. Now I will never know how much of it was due to me working with him and the programs or how much of it is due to the fact that he may have natural ability due to his autism.
He actually didn’t start talking until he was almost 2. He’s been in speech therapy for some time now. But before he was 18mths he would pick out the words on flash cards when I would lay them out since he couldn’t yet speak. So even by then he could read 100’s of words just he couldn’t say them. Then it’s like he woke up one day and was talking overnight! I believe his autism is fairly mild, tho they won’t say yet until he’s older how mild or severe. But since I already had lived with it with my older son I was able to recognize it early and started getting him help very young which I think also is what is contributing to how well he is doing now. My other son however struggles very much with reading and school. But he is very good at other things like building and video games and such. he just has different abilities and skills as with any child.
The dr says it may be that Owin is hyperlexic. He has always been fascinated with words and letters. So again I have no idea how much of his skill is natural ability or something else but I am at least certain that the work i did with him helped to get him where he is now. Anyway just wanted to say I think what I’ve seen of this site so far is great and I wish i had found it many years ago!