Well I decided when Jaysin started school my husband and I decided that an online public school option was best for him. Well each year we have an IEP meeting to update his goals.
Today we decided that holding him back in the fourth grade would be best. We have known for years that he had autism. Today they said since he was now ten they can give a final diagnosis. Before all his papers said severe developmental delays with suspected autism. On Thursday they will be changing that to moderate autism. Just hearing that was like a punch in the stomach all over again. Maybe now we can start looking into the future.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Yearly IEP meeting
Monday, March 23, 2015
The begining of my life long story
Well today I decided to start telling my families story. Included will be our triumphs and struggles as a family touched by Autism. What started it all was 10 years ago on March 1, 2005. On that day My husband, daughter age 4 at the time, and I welcomed our son Jaysin into our family. He completed our family from the moment he was born. He had a rough start in this world. He didn't breathe on his own for almost 7 minutes. Some people would say that is no big deal but it really was for our family. He ended up becoming our little miracle. Jaysin showed us that even though he had such a scary start he was a fighter. We thought once he was breathing and eating everything was over but it wasn't. By three months old he was diagnosed with asthma and GERD. At that time we tried all kinds of medicine to make him comfortable but nothing helped. At 5 months old he had an upper GI and the radiologists were stumped because he didn't reflux like he should have for a child with GERD. For those who don't know what GERD is it is the abbreviation for acid reflux. After a head radiologist looked at the films they realized the sphincter muscle in the base of his stomach did not open properly. That meant a special formula and special bland diet so not to burn his esophagus.
Fast forward a year I noticed over the months he was not progressing as he should. His weight slowly moved and he was not meeting milestones. His pediatric doctor kept telling me he will do things when he is ready. By 18 months I knew in my heart something just wasn't right. He wasn't yet walking or talking. All he said was Dada and occasionally Mom. All this was affecting my husband and I relationship and my daughter luckily was a pretty independent kid but I knew and could see she felt left out because all my time was to him cause he was like having a newborn at times. I had to get answers and if my sons doctor wasn't going to help me get them I would get them myself. Finally after months of research and sleepless nights everything pointed to Autism. I found a doctor to test him and the results, even though we knew, it shook my world. I went back to the psychologist and she told me my son was MR (mentally retarded, I hate the r word) with textbook autism. I was completely stunned how easily she could tell someone their son is different. I couldn't speak or focus so as my daughter, son and I left I sat in my car in absolute disbelieving and on top of it all my father had collapsed at work a couple of days earlier and was found to have a large tumor on his brain. He was in the ICU at the hospital in a drug induced coma.
As many parents know when you have a child you have dreams and hopes for our child. When given this diagnoses its like someone throws a brick through that picture window of your life. You actually grieve as though your child has died even though they are right in front of you. I knew that as a family we kinda had to grieve this and begin new as a different road was placed in front of us. I always wondered what did I do for my child to have to fight in his own world too. Over time I realized this wasn't a punishment it was a gift. My son opened my eyes to the fact God only gives the largest battles to his strongest soldiers. God wanted me to open up and share our story and if only reach one parent and help them to understand and help them through their own struggle then I feel I have done something good. Talk to you later.
Fast forward a year I noticed over the months he was not progressing as he should. His weight slowly moved and he was not meeting milestones. His pediatric doctor kept telling me he will do things when he is ready. By 18 months I knew in my heart something just wasn't right. He wasn't yet walking or talking. All he said was Dada and occasionally Mom. All this was affecting my husband and I relationship and my daughter luckily was a pretty independent kid but I knew and could see she felt left out because all my time was to him cause he was like having a newborn at times. I had to get answers and if my sons doctor wasn't going to help me get them I would get them myself. Finally after months of research and sleepless nights everything pointed to Autism. I found a doctor to test him and the results, even though we knew, it shook my world. I went back to the psychologist and she told me my son was MR (mentally retarded, I hate the r word) with textbook autism. I was completely stunned how easily she could tell someone their son is different. I couldn't speak or focus so as my daughter, son and I left I sat in my car in absolute disbelieving and on top of it all my father had collapsed at work a couple of days earlier and was found to have a large tumor on his brain. He was in the ICU at the hospital in a drug induced coma.
As many parents know when you have a child you have dreams and hopes for our child. When given this diagnoses its like someone throws a brick through that picture window of your life. You actually grieve as though your child has died even though they are right in front of you. I knew that as a family we kinda had to grieve this and begin new as a different road was placed in front of us. I always wondered what did I do for my child to have to fight in his own world too. Over time I realized this wasn't a punishment it was a gift. My son opened my eyes to the fact God only gives the largest battles to his strongest soldiers. God wanted me to open up and share our story and if only reach one parent and help them to understand and help them through their own struggle then I feel I have done something good. Talk to you later.
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