Why the Parents of Premies need to Visit Their Local Socttish Rite?

On a Saturday September  I got a chance to hang out with a friend at Congregate Beth Hallel where we attend. She is the grandmother of  5 kids on the Autistic Spectrum. She told me something I knew, but had not really considered autism effects each child differently and what works for one child will not work for antoher. Because the disorder effects different people with different modes of challenges.

It made me see that Autism is a disorder with many faces. One thing I have learned is that most pre-mature infants who spend tie in the Nursery Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will mostl ikey be somewhere on the autistic spectrum. This was interesting for me to find out; because I was born premature in 1965. I can see that at times I can fail to read social cues, sometimes I actively ignore them, but there are times when I fail to ecognize them at all. It has not hindered my life overall though. I tend to make friends easily, and my three closets frends I have had since my teens.

Autism is not a one size fits all disorder it has a spectrum. It might be a mild form like me who misses occasional social cues or servere like a child who has no visible sign of communication with the outside world. This is why I recommend that parents who have premies go to their local Scotish Rite Hospital and learn about the variou services in your city for autism. Many children do not begin to show signs of autism until about 12-18 months. However, as the saying goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Since we know premies are much more likely to suffer from the autistic spectrum getting the information, tips, and suggestions on working wiath a child to improve the outcomes of this possibility is imperative. You need to know the signs to look for and get help immediately. The sooner interventions are in place the better the outcome for your child.


The reason I recommend the Scotish Rite hospital is they they specialize in the care of children with special needs everything from with physical needs, to speach and language issues, and social/emotional challenges they deal with it all. It is a good place to start to seek out resources and find support. If your child was born premature it is essential that you find a high-quality center that uses the Ages and Stages Qustionnaire to do a yearly baseline on children's development. It is this instrument that is likely to show any issues in developmental lag. You can also use this instrument, however the professinals you are working with should also be using it to help you spot issues so intervention can be immediate.

If you are looking for a center which does great work in this area already check your local area for an Easter Seals child care center. Easter Seals does great work with young children who have all kinds of siabilities much like Scottish Rite Hospitals. They also provide parental and other family support services.

I know your sweet baby is precious to you and having been in the NICU was difficult and you just want your life to get back to normal. However, it is important for you to recognize that coming into the world early is going to effect and affect your child their whole lives. However, the more services and interventions you put in place while they are young; the better the outcome will be for them when they are older. There is support out there for you! Your best support are the professionals and other parents who have been there. Get help now so you can begin to know what to do. Overwhekm is mitigated by knowledge. Arm yourself now and you will be ready to face any challenge which might come later!

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