It was this time 12 months ago we were handed the piece of paper with the autistic diagnosis - our son bailey was just about to turn 3. He was non verbal, showed no emotion, no imagination and severe self harming behaviour - the psychologist report indicated he was developmentally a 1 year old. This was the day that broke my heart, I went through depression, denial, anger and came out the other side ready to fight for my son. Our 12 month journey has not be easy we have weekly occupational therapy, psychology, speech therapy and bailey attends ECDP plus kindy 2 days a week. On top I run son rise based therapy from home. We have significantly changed our diet.
Today my son is verbal - he can put sentences together, he plays with toys how they are intended, he is fully toilet trained, his niche is numbers and letters, he shows emotion and starting to understand empathy, his fine and gross motor is all age equalivent, his sensory processing disorder no longer an issue and all round he is just a happy boy and I am considered the paranoid mum because no one knows he has special needs.
I often think back to those days that were so challenging 5 + severe self harm meltdowns - skin ripped from my arms, hair pulled out of my head, his head banging and hospital visits, the scream that goes straight through your body. Looking at him in the revision mirror exhausted because it took my 45 minutes just to get him in his seat and he is still screaming, gouging at his eyes and face, ripping chunks of hair out from his head and I was completely helpless.
Today I am his helper - when he feels himself going he calls me and says help me my mummy squeeze me.
Hardest job in the world but hands down the most rewarding one!!! Love you Bailey x
Queensland, Australia