I am the mother of a beautiful 4yr. old named Piper. Piper was only born 4 weeks early, but had major issues at birth. She did not cry til she was 5 weeks old. Had weak trunk muscles, heart issues and would not eat. After overcoming her initial medical problems. all seemed well. I mentioned to the Dr. a few times that she cried a lot and we could not seem to soothe her no matter what we did. She ignored our questions. I was hooked up with Early Intervention Program. She received SP, PT, and OT. She walked/talked at 18 months. Her behavior would get really bad, to the point no one wanted to keep her, not even the most loving members of our family. When it came time for pre-school screenings, the psychologist asked me if she could do a test for Autism Spectrum . She tested 10 out of 10. Everything we were experiencing now made sense. We found a wonderful daycare that has embraced her differences and works well with her. But her behavior gets worse as time passes and we worry how long she will be able to stay. Getting her dressed can be a daily struggle depending on her mood for the day. Routine task can take three times as long to complete. Our insurance will cover Autism starting in January. This is a blessing for our family as we want to get her in a clinic that just started recently. We are currently trying a sugar free diet, which is helping some. I think the most important thing for anyone to know about my child is that she needs to be Loved. Just as all kids with Autism do. The most important thing that we parents need to learn is the best way to deal in a loving manner that creates an environment where they do not feel so different than everyone else. Giving up on her, is never an option. AS hard as it can be, I will Love her and fight for a way to help her.

lisa falwell
altavista, VA