Beginning of Our Autism Journey

Twelve years ago this month, my son was diagnosed with Autism. Two months ago, my six-year-old daughter was also diagnosed Autistic and ADHD. Our journey has been one filled with ups and downs, but no matter what we keep going.

It has not been the easiest life, but the rewards are so worth it. When my son was diagnosed, I was raising my now ex-husbands twins who were ADHD and Oppositional Defiant plus my older son who was ADD. My life was filled with doctor appointments, therapists, and school calls. Some times I wanted to hide under a rock and never come out.

My son had to have occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy daily. When I had to take him for his kindergarten assessment, I let them know right away that he was Autistic and was receiving therapies. I was told not to worry that he would be tested ASAP and we would get his IEP set up. That did not happen until April as the principal said that it had to be oked by her and she did not do so. Needless to say he had to repeat kindergarten due to the principals error in judgement.

Once he was on the right track and getting his therapies at school, things seemed to settle down with him. He loved going to school (because he loved his teacher) and was happy. Then, we moved and some of the implemented help in his IEP was taken away. This just meant the old school was giving him more of a crutch to lean on and less of him actually trying to learn. Today, he is in tenth grade on a third grade reading level.

Once you get a diagnosis, your journey is just beginning. Make sure you stay on top of the teachers, principal, and are advocating for your child and their needs. Obviously, my son (and daughter for that matter) fell through the cracks and is having a hard time with school. You are your child's voice! Advocate, advocate, advocate. No one is going to care more about your child than you do. It is up to you to make sure that they have everything they need to live life to the fullest.

Sometimes you have to let the little things go. We can't be with our children twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Let them be kids at school. Let them have experiences and try to become themselves. This journey is so hard, but we have been chosen to walk this path in life. Therefore, we are strong and can handle anything sent our way.