Stories of Hope

My struggle with Autism

My son Dominic is 6 years old we knew something was wrong when he didn't sleep for 8 days when he was 18 months old .Also he wasn't hitting the milstones like he 7 year old brother was. We took him to university of Michigan and he was diagnosed with servere autism. So I took it to are early on specialist and they fought with me that it was wrong diagnosis and that is pretty much how the last 4 years have been with him no matter what paper or diagnosis I have the special services in my area say that its something else. It has been a constant fight to get any services for him I have ended up paying for speech therapy out of my own pocket. But now he is talking in an normal kindergarten with an aide . We still have are struggles we always will but he can tell me what's wrong now. He has showed me patience be on what I thought I had. I love him and wouldn't change him for nothing. Just remember if you won't fight for your child no one else will!!

heather
gladwin, MI

My special son with autism

My very special son with autism. My son is almost 20 years old, in his second year at college studying sports journalism. He was diagnosed at 3 years old and we were told to institutionalize him. Do not listen this this. With much love, patience and dedication your child can become very productive and independent in life. Do not settle for anything less. We as parents are the experts, living it 24/7. He has overcome many very difficult obstacles. He was on the spell bowl team his 4 years of high school and was co-captain his senior year. He has won many awards for his tremendous spelling ability. Please meet my very special son Matt. I wish all parents and children struggling with autism the best of luck in life. Yes, anything is possible despite all the difficultly.

Trisha
Mishawaka, IN

Szandor Is My Hero

My perfect beautiful son was born March 21, 2006 and coming up on his 6th birthday, I thought it was a perfect time to share his story. He developed typically meeting all his milestones until around 14 months old and then he completely regressed. It was a traumatic time for our family. He started speech therapy first and the therapist told us he was spoiled not autistic. My husband and I kept pushing in spite of all the obstacles we ran into and finally got our son involved in early intervention services and got our diagnosis. And from there on out Szandor has done all the hard work and is constantly showing our family that he is a true hero in every sense of the word. This once silent child is using new words every day which blow my mind regularly but Szandor had never shown any sign of recognizing letters or numbers until the Sunday before last when we sat down to do homework. I was dreading it because homework can be a trial but Szandor in his usual way did something truly spectacular! This precious boy was able to recognize letters and numbers to complete his work with minimal help and then wrote his own name! As I cried tears of joy and thanked God for another beautiful miracle, Szandor just looked at me and smiled like Mom didn't you know. My first blessing and a true hero.

Tasha Bennett
Lebanon, TN

my meredith.

Meredith is a 4 year old "super Star." It wasn't to long ago that she wasn't talking and to get her to look at you and not and not though you seemed like only a dream. She started VPK this year in with the best kids and her teacher has changed her life. She is not talking and inter acting with others. i must say for so long i was scared for her but once i seen her growing and i looked into other kids i realized that these kids can do so much more. And once the fear is gone and you embrace their ability to do things you will realize that our kids could change the world.

audrey
sarasota, FL

My Sweet Angels

I have the privilege to be with six of the most amazing students each day. The students I work with give so much more to me than I could ever think I give to them. I look so forward to going to school each day. I LOVE my job. I do not want to be anywhere else! I know without a shadow of a doubt that God placed me in the lives of those precious angels. I LOVE each one as if they were my own!

Michelle
Brandon, MS

poem about the feelings your going through in the mist of autism

watching you drown in the deep blue sea. your drowning as i watch deeper in the sea. i fight to save you but the forces of the waves wont let me. drowing hopelesly deeper in the blue sea. the waves take you in and far away from me. looking back at me. screaming how can the onley person that gave life to me. watch me take my last breat.h but you watch me slowly drowing in the deep blue sea. but i know that you will always love me mommy. dillons weary eyes spoke to me.
this is about a mother that is trying to help her autistic child with day to day life and finds her self creating her owen world of liveing in her child autism. she would just fight all day and night to help him. she got 10 books just on the subject to read. i think she was reading to find a cure or something to help him despertly she ended up in theray due too oever obbsesion with the subject autism and it got to be un healthy for her and her familey realizing that she needed help was one thing. so she seeked something greater then autism she actuelly was able to transform her mind and body and soul into his mind of thoughts. it was amazing to find the talent and the answers where right in side of her the whole time. she thanks god and wouldent change a thing if she could. claims that she found her self threw her sons autism.

natalie
westmifflin, PA

From "Severe" to "High-Functioning": Grey's story (so far)

My son Grey is turning 7. I will not sugarcoat the feelings of helplessness, loss, confusion, and depression I initially felt, I cannot say I don't still have days that try my patience and leave me in tears. But, those days are becoming fewer and fewer. I knew something was different about him from birth, when he was 18 months old or so, we noticed not only he was not talking, but was lining things up, wandering in circles, tantruming constantly, and repetitively squeezing his hands together and biting them. Then it got worse, anytime we took him out in public, he would have a fight or flight reaction. Thankfully, we have a very supportive extended family who could babysit or I don't know how I would have gone grocery shopping or to work. He was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism when he was 3, but had already started OT, ST, and hippotherapy. I had to fight to get appropriate services, even the ped. didn't take my concerns seriously at first and the school system wanted to stick him in a class for mentally retarded children. I took him to a Naturopathic Dr. and started him on supplements. I read books to him everyday. He started having a speech explosion at 3.5 yrs old that started as echolalia and then became templated speech. My advice is to use echolalia as a tool. He attended a special ed preschool for 2 years and started public Kindergarten this year in a high-functioning autism class. He goes to 3 regular classes per day with support. He is reading at a 2nd grade level and his communication is 100% age-appropriate! He loves animals, church, his brother, running, and cuddling! I have learned to accept limitations while guiding him to reach HIS potential.

Jen Wilson, M.S.
Gainesville, GA

Preston

I still remember the day I was told Preston has autism.At that time the only thing that I knew about autism was the name.I didn't know what it was,if anything caused it,or what it was going to mean for my son's future. I already had an older child who hit his milestones pretty quickly,except for talking,my oldest son had hearing trouble and needed tubes,then everything was ok and he went to talking and hasn't stoped since.Preston was born a happy and healthy baby,but he was late doing everything,crawling,walking,and talking. I took him to the dr and found out that he had severe ear infections,but he showed no symptoms,never acted like he was in pain. He had tubes put in his ears,and i thought that he would be like my oldest and bounce back and just start talking.It wasn't until I started doing some research on my own that I started wondering if something else could be wrong.I had an appointment for Preston in a week for an evaluation.The day finally arrived for the evaluation and by the end of the day I got what I thought was the worst news in the world,Preston has autism.I still remember that day like it was yesterday,and I still find myself crying sometimes.Preston is now 5 he has been in a special school for children with autism,he has been there for almost three years now and the change in him is almost a miracle. Preston is getting everything he could possibly need.He gets PT,OT,group,sensory all sorts of other things. Preston has come out of his shell. I remember that at age 4 he looked at me and finally said "mom". I cried, I had waited for 4 years to hear that word.Now he is getting ready for public school, things couldn't be better now.

Kylie Gafnea
Northport, AL

Caitie's Smile

"Caitlyn has autism."
Those 3 little words didn't come as a surprise, but still hit me like a punch to the gut.
Our 3 year-old daughter, Caitlyn, was diagnosed with autism and SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) last year. I knew from the time she was born that something wasn't quite "right," but no one seemed to believe me, until Caitie started missing all her developmental milestones. I was a Nursery school teacher and Preschool teacher for many years (and had experience working with children on the autism spectrum) and as painful as it was to admit, I knew what we were dealing with long before the diagnosis.
From birth, Caitie didn't want to bond with me unless it was to eat. I fed her all the time, just to feel close to her! She hated being held, rocked, sung to, or read to, and cried all the time. She slept horribly, and had no interest in toys (except to line them up or examine them,) made little eye contact and rarely smiled. All the things parents experience with their babies (and I'd taken for granted with my firstborn daughter,) I didn't get to experience- and I was heartbroken. But DETERMINED to find answers and get my baby the help she needed.
At 15 months, her Pediatrician referred us to Early Intervention. What a Godsend! Caitlyn receives Speech Therapy, OT, and PT, and has made wonderful progress. She started walking, talking, and playing with other kids at school- and is learning pretend play! She's come so far it's amazing! So far, in fact, that most people wouldn't know she's autistic.

We experience struggles and challenges every single day, but autism has made our family stronger in so many ways. And seeing Caitie's smile is the best feeling in the world!!

Eva
Coos Bay, OR

Jeremiah beating Asperger's Syndrome

Our son was our first child. He was ours and honestly looking back, he was born with Asperger's Syndrome. It all did not come together until he was in 3rd grade.

Jeremiah never liked anyone in his personal space. He cried in the grocery store. He didn't talk much. He had speech therapy and occupational therapy because he didn't like getting his hands dirty. By age 3, after speech therapy was started, he was reading....everything! By 1st grade, he knew the multiplication table. He excelled at anything academic. Put him in art or gym and he failed. He'd cry under the table in art. He had meltdown after meltdown. The school tested him and it came back Asperger's Syndrome tendencies. He was teetering between normal and not. We left it. Having a straight diagnosis didn't change the fact that he was our child. We knew how to handle him. We taught teachers how to handle him.

Until his freshman year in high school, when he started suffering from fatigue, dizzy spells and headaches. He went through a sleep study. When we got the results, the doctor told us he had Asperger's Syndrome. Jeremiah and I looked at each other and laughed. Nothing new to us but thanks for confirming it. He's a whiz at math, loves learning but not reading the book "The Joy Luck Club". He has an amazing sense of humor!!! He still isn't social.

Today, he's about to end his junior year of high school. His senior year, he will be dual enrolled at a local college. He's planning his future. I am beside myself thinking about the world eating him up. We've devised a plan. He must conform to the world on certain things but not on most things. Laugh often. Don't sweat the small stuff!

Melissa H.
Midland, MI