I have some mixed feelings about autism awareness month.
I WANT people to be aware. I WANT to spread facts and dispel myths. I WANT people to know tha the red flags that are promoted are not black and white. I WANT people to know that you could have a child ahead on all milestones until 18 months of age and they end up with an autism diagnosis. I WANT people to know that regressions happen. I WANT people to know that denial is a powerful thing and it can be hard to tell whether your child is looking at you or making eye contact, especially when you interpret so much of what they do. I WANT people to know that a child could be counting to 15 and know their alphabet, but still have a 50% language delay. I WANT people to know that autism and intelligence are not connected, and the diagnosis has nothing to do with how
So, what is the problem?
I don't want to constantly remind people that Liam is autistic; I want him viewed as normal as possible. My voice is so tied to his that when I talk ; I'd love to hear more people raising awareness that aren't fighting the daily battle of autsim. We had a stretch of amazing behavior from June until December of last year. Liam made amazing progress, caught up to age level in speech, and I was asked by professionals in the field whether I was sure Liam's diagnosis was accurate. Then January hit, and we have had a regression in behavior (while speech is getting more advanced everyday). Suddenly, I am up to my ears in meltdowns, progress reports of emotional outbursts, and talk about adding in transitions so that Liam stops being so rigid. In the last few weeks, Liam's sensory seeking behavior has increased so that he is crashing and seeking vestibular and tactile input almost non-stop. During one of his uncontrolled moments, he slapped me across the face and then gasped and looked confused (he received a time-out and ended up losing TV, juice, board games, and reading time for th duration of the day). I also wish that I could think about April like other families--focus on the current TDY and surviving it, think about my baby's 2nd birthday in less than a week, plan for my Dad's upcoming two week visit, and make Easter plans.
Right now, my heart just isn't in Autism Awareness as I plob through the everyday life of being a mom to a little boy who happens to have autism.
2 comments:
Such a well written post. I've struggled so hard with people who think that speech or (whatever) is associated with intelligence. Helloooo people, early talkers are NOT necessarily brilliant!
What are your thoughts on how late a regression can occur?
My pediatrician has said she has heard of 1 or 2 cases after the age of 3, but nothing later. I've read (though, with NO scientific back up) about 2 cases beyond the age of 6.
(((Hugs))) I have no words to say. When I think about Autism awareness...I usually do think of you. But you know what I don't usually think of Liam (or his intelligence level...because I already know he is one brilliant kiddo) I think of how hard you have fought for him even when people around you have not been so supportive. That inspires me to always fight for my girls even when the battle is not popular. So while I think it is great to be aware of all the signs and particulars of autism...and I also think we need to become more sensitive to those around us. I also see the ribbons and immediately think about my friend who is one tough cookie and her two brilliant boys who are blessed to grow up knowing that they have an amazing mom their corner.
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