John's Diagnosis

The motivation for writing this blog is my son, John. He will be 3 in November. Two months ago, he was diagnosed by Regional Center with an Autistic Disorder. His "at risk" behaviors has led them to recommending an early intervention program.

I took him in for an evaluation due to a speech delay. By 2 years old, he hadn't turned his baby babble into understandable words. He had only 2 words that were close to the correct pronunciation -- and those were not "mommy" and "daddy". He could say 'mulk' for "milk" and "butter"!!! Mommy was "baugh-in". He just couldn't move his mouth the right way to get words out. He had created his own language for things and couldn't figure out why we couldn't understand him. Temper tantrums came from frustration and life was very difficult for all of us.

John was a high maintenance baby. He is and always has been "on the go". He is in constant movement, rarely at rest, often irritable, had times when he cry inconsolably, and had poor sleep habits. From the time he was born, he was waking up 5-8 times a night. Every 45 minutes to an hour, he was usually waking up. I nursed him until ten months old and went straight to a sippy cup with milk, skipping the bottle. The milk became a security blanket for him. He'd ask for milk all the time, sometimes foregoing meals to drink milk. If he was tired, upset, or hungry, he wanted milk, and I gave it to him. By 2 years old, he was drinking between 24-36 ounces of milk a day! I had suspected milk allergies and was switching to lactose free and lowering his quantities daily. When he was tested at Regional Center and we were given the diagnosis of Autism, I decided to pull him off of milk completely. That night, we got our first full night of sleep! From that night on, he slept through the night. Life was about to change! His ability to function during the day increased with sleep. I got sleep, which helped me function better in the day!

Regional Center's findings surprised me at first, but I wanted to help John. My mind was all over the place. If I need to place a label on my child to get him help, then there will be a label on him. But, what other effects do labels have on our kids? At what point do we ask ourselves, “slightly autistic or typical boy behavior?” Is Autism the buzz word for the next 5 years? Are kids that don’t fit into a box labeled “autistic”? But, at the same time, we need to get our kids help if they need it. How do we tell if the clinical stuff is right?

The answer is simple. Be a mother. Be there for your child. Know your child. Be cautious, but listen. Fight your child’s battles. Fight for your child. Do everything you can do that helps your child. Not all advice is worth taking. Weed it out. Find out what works for your family and your child’s needs. Pray for your child. Pray with your child. I’m just starting this journey, but to ignore that journey would not benefit John. I'm going to be a pro-active parent and get John the help he needs.