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3 yr. old Isaiah is a bright, beautiful little boy who loves to jump, run, and sing along with his favorite cartoon show, SpongeBob Squarepants. He is also Autistic. A devastating blow to an already weary mother of 4, with Isaiah being the baby of the family. He did not cuddle, and smile at me like the other children. He did not follow me around the room with his eyes, and seem to be oblivious to what was going on around him, even at 6 months where most babies long for their mothers touch, Isaiah did not, He arched his back when held and cried when I tried desperately to console him. Maybe it's his milk, maybe he's sick, a dirty diaper maybe, or is he too hot, too cold. Maybe I'm not a good mother, maybe if I love him more he will get better, just maybe. This is just a glimpse at the day to day struggle that I have faced and will continue to face when the diagnosis is finally.........known.
I have known since my daughter was 4 that she is severely autistic. She is now 10. It has been and will continue to be a long and difficult road for us as she seems to take a step back for every forward step she takes.
Unlike a lot of autistic people she is VERY affectionate, smiles a LOT and gives pretty good hugs. She also has a wicked sense of humor when she wants to.She's just real happy most of the time. Unfortunately she also has little impulse control, is still mostly non verbal and has no social awareness. She wears sound muffling ear muffs to help her deal with her sensitivities to sound. I bought her the kind that are worn at a shooting range.
When she was a baby she could not bear weight and sank like a stone when I tried to put her in a walker. She FINALLY crawled at fifteen months and walked at two years of age. She also has hypotonia. We worked with therapists and were told that it would take her "a while" to catch up since she was so late walking. She has been walking for several years now and we're still waiting!
Last edited by Floridamom1970; 06-24-2007 at 09:09 PM..
Hi there. My son has never been "normal" in the sense of social/developmental issues. He got kicked out of his first daycare at 16 months, if that's any indicator. I FINALLY got him accurately diagnosed at age 6 with PDD-NOS, which is an autism sprectrum disorder, and we have worked with that in mind, but you are right- the day-to-day stuff is all the same, diagnosis or not.
I don't know about your child, but mine is dangerously clever. At an early age, he would requisition chairs, boxes, anything- to push over to the counter in order to get up into the upper cupboards. I find that just trying to keep him safe from himself is the most tiring part of parenting- not only the "normal" child-proofing, but the secondary and tertiary thought processes of child proofing as well. It's getting better as he ages, though. Either that, or I am just getting worn down! I offered to build him a small workshop this summer- complete with real tools (hammers, wrenches, etc)- which could be complete disaster ending with a trip to the emergency room, or it may just be the best thing ever. We'll see.
I dont have any Autistic children but a good friend of mine has an autistic child. I just wanted to say that i understand it is very difficult for a parent to deal with, it dosent neccecarily get "easier" but can get more routine. I dont think I could have the energy to deal with what some of you have to describe, but I really respect your efforts.
Hugs to you. My little girl has autism. It sure has its ups and downs. We have little trimuphs only another parent of an autistic child would understand. I am going to PM you some great support groups I visit online.
My nephew is severely autistic and almost mirrors the OP's experience.
Blessings to all of you who deal with this daily...I can't imagine the stress of just trying to make things as normal as possible. Nephew is affectionate and a computer whiz at 8, but he just isn't in touch with the world, feels no pain, and speaks a language few understand. Thankfully, he is over his violent spells.....my heart goes out to all the moms and dads and teachers and therapists who deal daily with this very real heartbreaker. Incidentally, he is the oldest of 3 - I think it was harder for my sister and her husband to accept because you have such dreams for your oldest child. Her husband really only acknowledged this about two years ago. They make it and do well, but I'm sure it is a challenge every day.
3 yr. old Isaiah is a bright, beautiful little boy who loves to jump, run, and sing along with his favorite cartoon show, SpongeBob Squarepants. He is also Autistic. A devastating blow to an already weary mother of 4, with Isaiah being the baby of the family. He did not cuddle, and smile at me like the other children. He did not follow me around the room with his eyes, and seem to be oblivious to what was going on around him, even at 6 months where most babies long for their mothers touch, Isaiah did not, He arched his back when held and cried when I tried desperately to console him. Maybe it's his milk, maybe he's sick, a dirty diaper maybe, or is he too hot, too cold. Maybe I'm not a good mother, maybe if I love him more he will get better, just maybe. This is just a glimpse at the day to day struggle that I have faced and will continue to face when the diagnosis is finally.........known.
My heart goes out to you in your situation. Perhaps we can help as I am in the process of starting a Special Education School in Morris County. Please let me know if you would like some information about the Aurora School. AllWebCo Website Template
Sincerely,
Gordon
I've been helping to raise a 12 year old girl with PDD-NOS for the last 5 years and she is as precocious and intelligent as Deerisle smile describes her son.
Have you taken him for a Neuropsychological Evaluation yet? Start Speech and occupational therapy asap. This child was diagnosed at 4 but received no treatment or therapy until she was 8. She will likely deal with some speech issues forever because they were not rehabbed when she was younger.
Good luck and god bless. It's sure not easy. Autism Speaks is a phenemonal site. Also look for a great local child psychiatrist and some local support groups. Learn all you can about Individual Education Plans (IEPS) and prepare yourself to be his strongest advocate. Don't let the schools push you around or minimize ANYTHING concerning your son.
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I FINALLY got him accurately diagnosed at age 6 with PDD-NOS, which is an autism sprectrum disorder, and we have worked with that in mind, but you are right- the day-to-day stuff is all the same, diagnosis or not. 
Special Education School
