Nathan's story about autism & how he continues to recover.

[pafs1990]

you are an awesome parent! stay strong and know that i, as i'm sure many others, support you and wish you all the best. your son is adorable ")

[hillmanhuskey1970]

i dont think anyone can recover from autism fully im sorry just opinionated

[milcraig]

Thank you.

[belieber0777]

he is a very beautiful baby even though he may not think like other people hope all is well with your family :)

[kiddlyjesus3000]

i have aspergers and adhd and a tic disorder his younger pictures remind me of what my mom said i how i behaved after i got my whooping cough shot as a baby

[petchharrison]

i still melt and stare and i am 48 so i tend not to get to intence...jeff...uk

[gnomederwear]

Your video totally made me cry. My daughter, who is 3 now, was diagnosed with moderate-severe ASD back in March.  We have done numerous interventions including dietary/biomedical, and we are just starting ABA (which she is doing well in) and the biomedical just beforehand has made her very receptive to the other therapies.

[milcraig]

How are things going with your daughter?

[XtoxicXXkitten]

You are doing very goood with him. My sister-in-law's son has severe autism as well, and is turning 4 this fall. Where we live, good therapy is hard to find unless we have to travel. He also suffers from severe eating disorder, and unfortunately, only says Nana, but luckily he does do a couple signs,(like, more, ect.) He doesnt like my son, who ended up with spina bifida, or any other children, but he loves most adults. The most we can do is just pray for them all

[tatyland]

You asked what price will you pay...I'd pay all I got! You guys are strong and wonderful and Nathan is so lucky and fortunate to have you. God bless you and that child!

[josemarcolara]

Thanks for posting this. I wish you the very best for you and your kid and congratulations for your kid's recovery. Good job!

[jellymornington]

i bet he was a normal happy healthy baby til when he had his first vaccinations. that is to blame. he is so lucky to have you xxx

[annieGirl2008]

what an amazing little boy you have........ i pray that he continue to recover from autism. how blessed he is to have wonderful parents to help him on his journey

[LIMABEANS2day]

such nice videos i just wish the music didn't block out all the sounds of the reactions of the parents voice and nathan otherwise very charming

[LightsCameraCorrie]

You have such a beautiful son! it's amazing what all he cand o!

[sandinoy]

How is nathan doing now? is he completely recovered? are the tantrums and other bad behavior still present? ..... im also a father of newly diagnosed 2.6 yr old asd kid., hope you can help me on implementing the biomeds and other treatments. thanks

[gamiezion]

nothing but attention, love and care helps for true autistics?

if the stuff you mention works youre kid isnt autistic, if youre kid IS autistic the stuff doesnt change his mind, as thats where autism works

yeah autism is something thats in the brain, but then, isnt everyones brain different? why should it be ok for NT brains to be completely different from the next, but why isnt it ok to be autistic?

[CanIntervenor]

recovered? why does everyone keep saying recovered? A c hild can not recover from Autism

[evefan08]

I Got Autistic spectum disorder (Asd.) that means i can't understand hard things like most people what i mean is that i don't pick it up quicky like people do so that's why i have a teaching assiant with me with most of my lesson i'm obbesed with Wall-e & Garfield at the moment my mum says "it's your contion." =)

[aspie101]

What treatments did you give him?

[milcraig]

HI. ABA, Bio Medical, G & C free diet. Heavy metal detox, Pro biotics, Bio Kult, Chiropractic, massage, Far Infra red sauna, HBOT, Fivelac.

Programs = DT trainer, Learning break through.

Videos = Bumble Bee , Watch me learn, Maxi.

Homeopathic Vaccinations (no mecury).

[aspie101]

My friendly advice is that you need to be careful about what treatments you give. Don't go off of impulse. If you do, you'll find yourself spending countless dollars on treatments that have no real evidence to support their claims. I think I only had ABA therapy. If you want to see which alternatives do work, contact the Autism Intervention Research Trust. They will tell you which alternatives work such as Sensor-Motor therapy and which ones are quack treatments.

[k0rps3gynd3r]

@milcraig please will your tell me how you did this in a little bit more detail, like what was specifically used, methods used, what was he allowed to eat on the diet. i know you have explained once already but i am new to this. i discovered that my son has autism and he acts similar to your baby boy. i havent slept in days i cry almost every hour, i have a daughter that is not autistic and she is hugging me and asking me whats wrong and that she loves me. i am so upset i cant think strait.

[k0rps3gynd3r]

Respond to this video...he jibber jabbers alot as if he is trying to say something but i have heard that can just be an auditory stem. he will tell your "no, go away" if he gets mad at you. if he realizes ( with no distraction ) that someone is leaving he says "bye" and waves or "bye, see ya". he just turned 3 on the 22 of july. are these good signs? he will interact with people, but has to be in the right mindset. he can also get a cup out of the fridge, drink it., and put it back.

[milcraig]

HI. They are very good signs. My only advise is to take one day at a time. I think he is very blessed to have a father like you who is so concerned for him. There is so much you can do to help him without it taking up all your spare time. I will write to you soon and give you some ideas. You and your daughter can work together to help him at the same time you can also help each other. It won't be easy it will get easier.

[k0rps3gynd3r]

Respond to this video...if you could please also compare a few of my sons actions to yours. could he do more or less at 3. again, thank you.

[k0rps3gynd3r]

Respond to this video... one more thing and ill stop writing lol. he sleeps all through the night and rarely wakes up. no seizures either and he is full of energy. that is alot of the problem. cant slow him down enough to get him to concentrate.

[k0rps3gynd3r]

@milcraig i am worried he will never improve and that scares me to know end. i had such high hopes for him. i bawl when i think about the hell thats in store for him in the coming years. any help would be greatly appreciated. i am a single father with no one to help. i am hanging on by a thread. thank you in advance.

[k0rps3gynd3r]

@milcraig one other thing i would like to address that i find differs from many autistic children i have studied about tend to not sleep through the night. extremely aggressive. as long as he is in a comfortable invironment which means at home or grandparents and without large groups of people. he is not sensitive really. loud sounds that we wouldnt be bothered by do not affect him as well. if you can get his attention by excitedly talking at him will try to respond to you and look right at you.

[FutureHucherson]

hes so cute

[milcraig]

Thank you

[carsonia1200]

he is so cute!

[pokelover66544]

if it cost you your home where do you live

[milcraig]

We rent now.

[onuba999999]

saludos desde españa

[milcraig]

Thank you, greetings from Australia. Gracias, los saludos de Australia.

[Vickylie]

How did you know that your child had autism? I had concerns about my son's development and was referred to see an autistic specialist by the speech and language specilist. Since found out that he had been deaf and had grommets in. hearing is now better but his behaviour is still characteristically autistic. Eye contact is good but he won't concentrate, sit at the table to eat his meals and screams so much if restrained that he gets purple spots on his face. Hate the waiting game!

[nathanatt123]

hi how is he getting on

[milcraig]

Hi. Nathan is going leaps and bounds and he just surprises us every day with something new. His health overall has increased dramatically. He loves to learn and loves to be loved and pampered and praised which makes him want to learn even more. He still has the occasional melt down and still has he little quirky traits that I think he may have for the rest of his life. We love Nathan so much.

[kymihills]

Probably the most inspiring vid Ive seen on autism. Nathan has really come a long way and I can see how much the therapy and love of your family has helped him.Thank you so much for posting this vid and giving my family some much needed hope.

Thank you.

[milcraig]

Thank you for your inspiring words. It hasn't been an easy journey but one that has been very educational to us a family.

[EMLIZ71600]

Your son is absoutely gorgeous! I have a 3 year old with pdd nos, and after about a year of intense therapy, including aba, we are seeing the fruits of our and our sons labor. I feel blessed to help my child, and blessed that we have had excellent therapy. Best Wishes to Nathan and Sophie.

[milcraig]

Thank you and all the best to you and your family too.

[jessefan21]

uh, last night, i found out tht the councelers @ my school think i have autism (asperger's) i'm 11.. ur son is so cute! im probably gonna have 2 go on an autism diet ( gluten free as u know) and i rlly don't wanna.. but i have 2.. maybe idk

[milcraig]

Hence they are counsellors and it is great that they are interested in your health, and until you have been properly diagnosed try to do what ever you can to help yourself. The GFC diet is a very good start. PS Sorry! it took so long to get back to you.

[jessefan21]

so, how is Nathan?

[milcraig]

Sorry about the delay in replying, just been flat stick. Nathan has come such a long way. He is now 6 & 1/2 years old and he excels in so many areas. Thank you for asking.

[jessefan21]

i meant 2 type "whats the song and who's it by" :)

[milcraig]

Hi. It is by 'Savage Garden' Australian Duo and the title is 'I knew I loved you before I knew you'. Beautiful song isn't it.

[jessefan21]

yeah, it really fits the video well!

[jessefan21]

this video is so sweet! :) and the song is good too, ur son is so cute/precious! what is the on this video? and who's it by?

[charityjunebug]

Nathan playing with his sister is soooooo sweet. I am crying from watching that scene. My 18 month old boy was diagnosed 5 days ago. It's going to be a long road.

[jessefan21]

never mind that other comment i made, i realized how mthey hurt themselves :( it really hurts me to see them hurting themselves onm the other hand ur son is so adorable! good luck with the whole autism thing, how is he doing now? i hope he's doing well!

[milcraig]

Hi and thank you for your enquiry. He would smash his head on the floor constantly and he would through himself around crashing into walls and furniture. These episodes could last upto 2 hours and they would just so horrible to watch as a parent you felt so helpless and all you could do was make sure that there was nothing in his way that could seriously hurt him. We later found out that he was in a lot of pain from one of the other illnesses he suffers with. Regards Michael.

[jessefan21]

uh, did u reply 2 my other comment about me saying nvr mind about the question comment from me?

[jessefan21]

what do u mean hurt himself? how is that possible?

[ToxicMale]

Well done to you and your family. We are going through the same problem now with our son Miguel and I would give anything to hear him call me "Daddy". We are looking at HBOT treatments in the US. May god bless you and give you the strength you require for you and your son.

[milcraig]

Hi. Thank you for your lovely and encouraging comment. HBOT is a fantastic therapy. Nathan had it about 2 years ago now and it was the first time Nathan sung that we could understand him and the first time he put words together. We were just so excited. We are hoping and praying to get Nathan another 90 hours of HBOT later this year. All the best with everything and God Bless you and your family to. Regards Michael. (Nathan's Dad). PS: It is pretty cool the first time they say daddy.

[hannahljinky06]

This video makes me cry everytime I watch it...I have a nephew that was diagnosed with autism in June of 2007. He has actually come along way since he has been in therapy. It has taken an emotional tole on his mom...but we pray for him everyday. Nathan is a gorgeous little boy and I hope all is well with him. I hope the best for your family.

[ProjectHelpHealChase]

Your story is so much like ours! We are inspired by Nathan's progress. God bless you and your family.

[shaunsdog]

You do a great job I work with kids with autism and its so good to see parents who care and do the best for there kids

[cayceeface]

thank you so much,. my child has autism,..and it is profoundly helpful to have people out there that understand what it is that we are going through,.GOD BLESS YOU and keep you,..

lots of love and peace,

caycee

[CyRxJustin]

i thought the music was a little loud, i could barely hear what was going on, which may have been intentional, but i think it would've been more effective and personal to hear what was going on. Anyway, I have AS (high functioning autism) and parts of this video really touched me. Thank you.

[maryank3]

thank you for posting a nice video. i am collecting videos on autism especially with its intervention. I am a mother of two kids both diagnosed with autism. Videos here helps me a lot in my emotional struggle as well as with my kids intervention. I appreciate so much for having this video.

[singingbabe26]

Thank-you for posting this video I am an adult with ADHD and ODD and all it really touched me.. Your son has made great progress and Autism I know is a great struggle as I have researched it when we thought my nephew had a form of it.They thought he had Pervasive Personality disorder I think it's called now drs are thinking otherwise. So thank-you very much and keep up the great work we can tell you are patient and love your son very much

[nynetailz]

this video really touched me, a parent of a child with adhd. your journey with nathan is inspiring, to never give up on finding help for one's child.

[christmas3399]

I would like you to give me any advice you can give me because my son was just diagnoised with asperger's syndrome. form of autism.. thankyou

[hahadillonsface66]

well an extremely commen symptom for asperger's syndrome is the lak of social skills so i would just suggest speech therapy if it's severe or just little social improvement groups for milder cases. Wish you luck! :D

[hreshtag]

nathan is just gorgeous :o)

[hreshtag]

poor puppy, tho..

[PCJoejoe]

is he really profoundly autisic?

[la1ca1jas]

super! you go Nathan!

[luccaskunk]

Maybe it's my own autism at play here, but you say "recovering" which would seem to imply that your son's autism is something that was done to him or some kind of accident that occured. Like "recovering from a broken leg." Autism isn't an injury. But if your son is learning to cope and deal with the real world then that's great. I never learned and now have to scrape by as an adult, doing odd jobs and whatnot.

[riceboiphoeva]

thank you for posting this video.

[kelleyfamily]

Go Nathan! I hope my son to follow in your tracks. Thanks for the video. I hope to have my son on here if and when he gets better!

[christmas3399]

you said something about ajusting his diet, what was he eating before his diet was changed what does he eat now? thank you

[elydane]

This reminds me so much of my daughter. Keep up the work - never despair. Our duaghter graduated from college with honors. Cheers!

[babycatblack]

its so sweet how nathan is with his baby sister. My son who is 5 and autistic ignores his little bro who is 2. well not really ignore cz he does pick on him. And his little brother picks on him its funny to me. I laugh cuz my 5 year old does it than laughs like he knows how to push his little brothers buttons. I am so lucky

[hydrocitg]

i think thers hope for young autistics, im 25 yrs old n i just found out that im autistic 2 weeks be4 my recent b day, which was 2 months ago. i felt worthles,horrible, n meaningless, but i also felt like i have improved my autism for about 2 years now,well d things that i tought were odd 2 me in life.(being shy, my speech and understanding n social issues,even my tantrum). i stil go thru all those problems, but i have improved i think quite alot, specially since i found out bout my problm

[milcraig]

Hi hydrocitg, thank you for your comment. Your comment, it is a very good one. I am really pleased that u have been diagnosed. It really helps a person & those around you, start to put the puzzle together. I know exactly what you are talking about as I suffered really badly as a child & young adult & even now, it was about 3 years ago myself & my wife realised it was autism, now aspergers. There are many things that are still odd to me. Regards Michael.

[pker120]

my cousin has same thing ........ well good luck and i hope u sucssed

[milcraig]

Thank you for your lovely comment and we wish your cousin all the best for the future to.

[mle983]

i agree that 14 is not too late to give therapy a try. honestly, each child is so dynamic and different that you won't really know if or how quickly a child will improve until they get into therapy. the earlier you start therapy the better, but i don't think starting out later automatically means you won't see improvements.

[yoyochickens]

Is the age of 14 too late for therapy?

[milcraig]

Hi yoyochickens, good question. For what we have been told and we have read many testimonials that shows therapy for teenagers even adults who have autism works. It may just take a while to see the effects but in many cases big improvements have been seen in 6 to 12 months. So 14 is not too late and is still a very good age to implement what ever you can. All the best & feel free to contact us at any time. Regards Michael.

[mle983]

i have recently begun working as an ABA therapist. i found your video both touching and inspiring. i work with so many children like nathan every day and they are the most special, wonderful children you will ever encounter. i agree that many children along the autism spectrum are quite recoverable with the right early intervention. bravo to you and your family for making nathan's future such a priority. thanks for the inspiration.

[milcraig]

Hi mle983, thank you for such kind words and for your inspiration to want to work as a ABA therapist. With out people like you who are taking on this role as therapist these children along with their parents would be lost. I think of all the therapy that Nathan has had and we know that ABA was one of the most effective and I agree with you, the earlier a child receives therapy the better. Bravo to you & all the best for the future. Regards Michael. (Nathan's Dad).

[cajunmaoris]

My son is also four. We started ABA last week. Your story gives us hope.

[milcraig]

Hi Cajunmaoris & thank you for your encouring comment. ABA is a great tool for these children and it is a program that you can incorporate 24/7. All the best to you & your family. If you haven't already check out our Web Site autismrecovery dot org dot au. Regards Michael. (Nathan's Dad)

[TaylordaBrilliant]

I don't know how your sons autism was caused but mine was an allergic reaction to the chemicals in milk. His could be some sort of alergic reactionas well. Of course Im still autstic though

Examples: Repeated moments, pacing for HOURS a day, Having horrible spelling . I really

Hope Nathan ccan live a good life I wasn't out if special ed until I was seven so hopefully nathan can carry a normal life. God Bless

[milcraig]

To TaylordaBrilliant, thank you! Your comments are so encouraging. I called my wife in to have a look. We were only talking about Nathan going to a special school for a couple of years before he will be able to go into mainstream school. Dairy products certainly played a role in Nathan's autistic behaviours as well.

[milcraig]

Great job on being an honuor student & thank God your parents were on the right track when it came to therapy for you. God Bless & all the best for the future. Regards Michael, Nathan's dad.

[TaylordaBrilliant]

WOW It reminded me of my trip with autism. My docters told my parents I was retarded and would never talk and never be functional. Boy where they

wrong, I'm now a staight A honers student and I defied autism thanks to therapy like the ones nathan got.

[sweetdestiny77]

Thanks so much for sharing this video! I am beginning training to be an ABA therapist and questioned if I could handle the task. Watching this video touched both my heart and spirit and has encouraged me to step out in faith, to reach a child who in return, can reach many. God Bless You!

[medic1521]

WOW thanks so much for that video! I have a 4 yr old autistic daughter and we believe our 3 year old son is on the spectrum as well. Your video showed many concerns I have about my "nathan" too. His name is Nathan too And he also was born in July. The video highlights both of our children's actions. Thank you for a look into your life as parents of a Autistic child!

[smoothr25]

You are incredible parents and have a beautiful family.

[milcraig]

Hi smoothr25. Thank you for your lovely & encouraging comment. Like most parents we just want the best for our little boy. We have learnt so much with Nathan & continue to do so on a daily basis. It hasn't been easy journey but we are so thankful for Nathan in our lives. Is little sister has been a big blessing to us as well. We just try to enjoy the simple things in life, the most important thing is time together. Take care & God Bless.

[happyautie]

I hope that is Gluten free Casien Free CAke LOL!!

[milcraig]

Hi. Good one, I hadn't thought of that before. It was a ice cream cake and we didn't know until late that Nathan had stuck his finger on it a licked his hand. Because of Nathan's digestive problems he was unable to have a piece. Instead he had peaches.

[kingescobarjr]

im in a psychology class and im acually doing a project i picked autism after i seen the movie rain man..i want to present this vidoe to my classmates ..god bless nathan..helped me understand more about autism thank u

helen...

[milcraig]

Hi Helen. Please be our guest to use this video for your project and thank you for your kind comment/s. We also have a website 'Autism Recovery Information'. Search Google or Yahoo and you will find it. All the best with the project. Regards Michael. (Nathan's Dad).

[auti34]

i get anoy with recovery there is no such thing and it only give parents false hope .you can learn to over come your autism but still have it i do i can pass for nt but im still autisc

[milcraig]

Hi auti34. There certainly is such a thing and our son is one example. He may not be a 100% recovery story but he is doing a lot better now then he was three years ago when he was severely autistic. Through harmless therapies he has progressed to where he is today. So there is hope for parents and it is certainly not a false hope, other wise I wouldn't have sacrificed our family home to cover the cost for his therapy. Kind regards, Michael(Nathan's Dad)

[Onballers]

I've watched this video over & over, the music is perfect just like Nathan. We are so proud of you, love Aunty San xoxo

[gahana108]

Wonderful video. Thanks for showing us Nathans progress over the years. Recovery=Love and Acceptance.

Yes, making the therapy fun for the child and parents are also key. And love also means doing whatever it takes to get through. Thanks for sharing. Blessings.

[firef0xy]

This is a great video, congratulations on all your success. Nathan seems to be doing great!

[Seriouslygood]

I still love watching this video. It gives us a family of an autistic boy such hope for the future.

[webmurph]

I just happened to run across your video of Nathan when I was watching my own slide show of my twin girls that I had posted. What an inspiration Nathan is! Thank you. I have twin girls that are five. Only one has been recently diagnosed with Autism. Please keep us all up to date and continue to give us hope.

Nellie

[lisawab123]

Good luck on continuing progress! Thank you for sharing.

[1210donna]

I'd add sunshine, tickles, silliness, silliness, silliness, art, dance, swimming, circus skills, music, music, did I mention music? and sculptures, small ones, big ones, still silent sculptures to learn people by proxy, deiscovery learning in a community that recognises its role in the lives of developmentally disabled kids (ultiply that one by 100).... ah, the cost free therapies abound.

... Donna Williams

ever the artie autie.

[milcraig]

Donna you are so right. We have always encouraged Nathan with music, he loves the drums & piano & we have always taken with us on all sorts of outings.Nathan has also taken part in normal playgroups & kinder.He loves watching adverts on the TV, it has taught him so much.You are right to about the silliness & tickles, our our house is a scream most nights as we play our come & get me game, "RUN RUN", Nathan's favourite game. Because when I catch him he gets a big twirl & a tickle.

[1210donna]

Animals and younger siblings can have on a warm hearted child with autism. I'm post treatment for gut/immune and metabolic disorders, have lenses for visual perceptual problems, use gestural signing for a language processing problem, benefited from cranio, patterning and an adjusted environment, but the free of cost things were just as powerful in my own transition as a person with autism who is now a semi-independent adult.

Donna Williams,

autistic artist and author

[milcraig]

Hi Donna. What an honour to have you leave a comment. You are an inspiration to any parent and more importantly to any child who has Autism, that there is hope. I liked your statement about your post treatment. Nathan has been treated for leaky gut syndrome,he's had patterning, cranio, etc... We have a Web site where we are trying to help other parents with the best known therapies available. All the best & regards Michael Craig founder of ARI.

[mepangle]

I have a brother who is both totally blind and diagnosed with low-functioning autism. He is currently involved in an ABA therapy program. This program has done wonders for him. I would suggest ABA to anyone with a child who has autism.

[milcraig]

Hi WOW! It is harder enough to have a child who is Autistic but to a have a child (your brother), who is Autistic and also totally blind would be even a bigger challange. You and your parents are an inspiration to us all. We wish you and your family all the best. I am really pleased ABA is working for your brother and he will benefit so much with this wonderful therapy.

Regards, Michael Craig. Founder of 'ARI'

[cdeleon70]

Thank you, this gives me so much hope for my son.

[chiqnstu]

THnk you for your video, I have an son who is diagnosed within mildly autistic spectrum (hasnt talked and he is 3 and comprehension delay),he is so similiar to nathan to some extent about the things they love (wiggles, thomas, the drums). we started early intervention school on feb and so far has seen a lot of progress. good job nathan, good job for mum and dad too.

[Seriouslygood]

Great Video. It gives us such hope that there is help out there for our Autistic child. I will certainly be checking out your Web site. Once again, thank you!

[sultana01]

Nathan is amazing. Congrats on his progress. We spend all our money for therapy on our boys. I hate that our insurance tries to screw us about of therapy when my husband proudly served his nation in the military for 23 years and was injured in the line of duty.I am going to school this fall to become an OT. Your great parents. I'm so glad you son has made so much progress.

[cinderella4pcharming]

congratulations on your progress and for thinking outside of the box and doing what was best for your son despite the difficulty..HE IS A CUTIE

[liengsouryavong]

thank you so much for this video. we are parents of a boy who has been diagnosed with autism, and watching this reminds us of Andrew. who, like Nathan, is a beautiful child. Andrew is also expecting a little sister. I must coomend you on your strength and dedication. You both seem like beautiful people. Nathan looks great. he seems like alot of fun.