Yesterday our grandson was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  It is a relief to have a diagnosis, but I am so overwhelmed right now that the only thing I know to do is keep praying that God will guide all of us on this journey and that he will know how much he is loved.  At 26 months, he is nonverbal for the most part and it has been a concern for some time now. I am upset with myself that when we asked his doctor at 12 months and again at 18 months that our concerns were dismissed and that we didn’t have enough foresight to ask for a second opinion.

Would it have made any difference? I really can’t say.  I know that early intervention is key. He has been undergoing speech therapy for over 6 months now, and seems to lose words faster than he gains them.

He has his own way of communicating with us and for the most part we know what he wants or is trying to ask for, but I can’t imagine how difficult it is for him. It’s sad. I know there are many people that have ASD that function very well in the world. I know there are other’s that struggle too.

The developmental staff of doctors and psychologists and nurse practitioners have been awesome and I am glad they are part of his team. They loaded us with so much information yesterday and warned us not to try and read it all in several days. Take time.

 

We know this will be a lifelong journey, with bumps along the way. The one thing I read that “struck me funny” was:

If you’ve met one person with autism, you met one person with autism.

The information went on to say that every person that has this disorder is usually totally different from another person that has it and that’s why you can’t group them into a typical set of rules. What works for one, may not work for another.

I am looking forward to learning more and empowering myself with knowledge about this disorder. Finding other parents/grandparents to get together with and talk to.  As we continue to support our daughter in raising her son as a single parent, we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that he thrives in every way possible.

Thanks for “listening”.  Much love to all of you over the weekend coming up and many blessings for next week.

Remember Jesus Loves You,

Carlene