A. How does it feel to be the parent of your child?
When I first found out that my six year old son was diagnosed with autism, I was devastated. It took a while for me to come out of the denial/depression stage. Even though I knew my family was supportive, I still felt all alone and very sad. I alienated myself from the entire world. Eventually I came out of darkness and slowly started to open up to myself and the rest of the world. I am so thankful that I realized this was all about saving my son and he needed me more than ever before. I am so thankful for my choice of reaching out to others. I was saved by so many amazing people, such as other more experienced parents, therapists, doctors, and school officials. All of them play such an integral role in my son’s life and I can’t imagine a day without their tremendous amount of support and encouragement.
B. How is your child developmentally the same or different from other children at various ages?
Henry is a six year old boy who experiences delayed non-verbal behaviors, such as body expressions. He is not able to develop appropriate level peer friendships and usually chooses to not interact with his peers at school. Henry does attend a charter school called Wish Elementary. He is placed in a general classroom setting and is assisted by an aide. In the classroom setting, his language is delayed compared to others. He does not initiate or hold conversations as well. Overall, it is very hard for him to interact and learn in a general education classroom setting. Henry also takes gymnastics every Wednesday. The instructors do not feel that he is capable of being in a regular gymnastics class. Instead, he takes private lessons for 45 minutes. At gymnastics, he is exposed to a variety of exercises, such as jumping on the trampoline, walking on the low beam with assistance, and holding on to the bar with his legs raised. Henry's gymnastics teacher has told me that he does have trantums at least twice in the 45 minute session, and instead of answering questions, he tends to repeat what is spoken to him.
C. What professionals/agencies do you deal with? What services are available to you and your child?
I have recently joined an interactive autism network. I believe that networking is vital and through this interactive network I am able to collaborate with other families and professionals. I am able to stay informed and up to date. My voice also gets to be heard in a reliable and secure setting. My family and I also use a service called "Behavioral Education Designed for Children" with autism. It is an educational agency that offers early, intense, behavioral education. It mainly uses a team approach and aims to help children develop appropriate skills. Consultants are well trained and educated in order to meet Henry’s needs and challenges. In addition, according to the National Autism Association, other treatment services are available. Treatment options include early intervention, behavior modification, dietary intervention, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, music therapy, vision therapy, relationship development intervention, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
D. How did you find out about the above services?
I was informed of the various services and treatment options through my strong support team which consists of other parents, therapists, and teachers. I truly feel that if it was not for all their support day in and day out, I would not be as prepared and educated. My support team offered me encouraging and reliable information regarding the services I am currenly involved in.
E. What financial burden, if any, are you experiencing?
The therapy sessions and the behavioral education system that I incorporate into my son’s weekly schedule does get to be costly. I would not be able to afford the services I receive, if it was not for all of my families support and unrelenting desire for my son to overcome this challenge that he is faced with every day.
F. What other information do you want to share?
I believe that being educated is the number one ingredient in overcoming any special needs case. I highly encourage parents to continue to educate themselves in all areas of their child’s special needs. Networking with other more experienced individuals is essential. It is important for parents to be responsible and trust themselves. If there is any doubt in the direction their child is heading in, I encourage them to stop and take time to think and reflect before moving on. It is good to experiment with different options. According to the National Autism Association there are 5 steps that parents should begin immediately.
1. Find a doctor
2. Test for yeast and bacteria overgrowth
3. Implement a gluten free and casein free diet
4. Test for nutritional deficiencies
5. Test for heavy metals
As parents begin their plan, it is beneficial to keep a journal to record thoughts, strengths and weaknesses of the plan to benefit their child in the best way possible.
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