Aiden was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder called Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD). Its been a couple of months since we got the diagnosis and I think we're all doing much better dealing with it now.
At first I was pretty upset because as a parent you don't want to have anything be wrong with your baby. But after a little time I got over it because after all it wasn't a great shock. We all knew there were issues and quirks that needed to be explained/addressed.
Now he is going to a fantastic preschool that is offering him PT/OT/Speech on a regular basis. He is coming along really well with his gross motor delay. He got a mini-trampoline for his birthday and it has been a huge success. He can now jump with both feet off the ground at the same time! His language is beautiful and the conversation piece is starting to fill in more. His favorite new thing is counting in Spanish.
He still hyperfocuses on things for a long time. His new thing is They Might Be Giants, Here Come the 123's. He has the CD/DVD. He wants to watch it all the time. Its the first thing he asks for every morning. He wants to listen to it in the car every time we are in the car. He sings the songs constantly. I know its not good to allow him to stay too focused to the point that he doesn't take an interest in anything else but it is very difficult to decipher what is and isn't normal limits.
I've been getting really touchy about things I've been reading recently. I don't know why it bothers me but it seems that I see it more and more than before. Parents writing about issues their child has but they don't seek further treatment. I can't get behind the whole "they'll catch up" mentality. I think you do your child a disservice not to help them when they're behind.
One blog I've been reading recently really reminds me of where I was about a year ago. The parent in this instance has been getting their child a lot of help for issues. Just like with Aiden the child is doing really well and responding quickly to therapy. But also, just like I was, the parent is in this euphoric place that everything is well now. Because my child is doing so good its all hunky dory. The therapists are all giving me glowing reports about my child because that is their job but no one is going to tell you that there is still more to do. Your child is not yet caught up to their peers.
The thing with Early Intervention is that they don't/can't tell you when your child should be seen for further evaluation - specifically sensory/autism issues. The coordinator cannot say to you hey, I think your kid is showing signs of this, maybe you should look into it further. Which is BS that they aren't legally allowed to do that. They're the professionals! How unfair to these children who have a chance on not getting proper treatment because of this stupid policy. They leave it up to the parents, who are in this state of euphoria because look at how well my child is progressing, to recognize that there is still more to do. I hope this parent eventually sees what I see in her child. A beautiful, smart, adorable child who just seems a little bit off in some ways, just like Aiden did (he really reminds me of Aiden in so many ways!).
**Please note that just because my child has PDD does not mean that I'm trying to find comfort in projecting it on other kids as a way to make me feel better/less alone in this/whatever**
At first I was pretty upset because as a parent you don't want to have anything be wrong with your baby. But after a little time I got over it because after all it wasn't a great shock. We all knew there were issues and quirks that needed to be explained/addressed.
Now he is going to a fantastic preschool that is offering him PT/OT/Speech on a regular basis. He is coming along really well with his gross motor delay. He got a mini-trampoline for his birthday and it has been a huge success. He can now jump with both feet off the ground at the same time! His language is beautiful and the conversation piece is starting to fill in more. His favorite new thing is counting in Spanish.
He still hyperfocuses on things for a long time. His new thing is They Might Be Giants, Here Come the 123's. He has the CD/DVD. He wants to watch it all the time. Its the first thing he asks for every morning. He wants to listen to it in the car every time we are in the car. He sings the songs constantly. I know its not good to allow him to stay too focused to the point that he doesn't take an interest in anything else but it is very difficult to decipher what is and isn't normal limits.
I've been getting really touchy about things I've been reading recently. I don't know why it bothers me but it seems that I see it more and more than before. Parents writing about issues their child has but they don't seek further treatment. I can't get behind the whole "they'll catch up" mentality. I think you do your child a disservice not to help them when they're behind.
One blog I've been reading recently really reminds me of where I was about a year ago. The parent in this instance has been getting their child a lot of help for issues. Just like with Aiden the child is doing really well and responding quickly to therapy. But also, just like I was, the parent is in this euphoric place that everything is well now. Because my child is doing so good its all hunky dory. The therapists are all giving me glowing reports about my child because that is their job but no one is going to tell you that there is still more to do. Your child is not yet caught up to their peers.
The thing with Early Intervention is that they don't/can't tell you when your child should be seen for further evaluation - specifically sensory/autism issues. The coordinator cannot say to you hey, I think your kid is showing signs of this, maybe you should look into it further. Which is BS that they aren't legally allowed to do that. They're the professionals! How unfair to these children who have a chance on not getting proper treatment because of this stupid policy. They leave it up to the parents, who are in this state of euphoria because look at how well my child is progressing, to recognize that there is still more to do. I hope this parent eventually sees what I see in her child. A beautiful, smart, adorable child who just seems a little bit off in some ways, just like Aiden did (he really reminds me of Aiden in so many ways!).
**Please note that just because my child has PDD does not mean that I'm trying to find comfort in projecting it on other kids as a way to make me feel better/less alone in this/whatever**
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