The thing with PDD-NOS is that it is easy to forget that my child has a disability. Then he does something and fixates on something so trivial or odd (to me, anyway) that I'm reminded that yes, he sees the world very differently than I do.
This morning we were doing homework before school. This morning's load was more than normal because he was kept home sick the last two days. Don't worry, I didn't overload him, it was just one more page than normal. When it was time to do his reading, he sat on the couch and pouted for five minutes. "I'm not going to school. My head hurts. I'm sick." The thing is, he's probably right, but he's not sick enough to stay home another day. Besides, he'll only be there for 2 1/2 hours before I check him out again for a routine doctor's appointment.
Anywaaaaay, it was time to do his daily reading. A very short book (he's only on a first grade level, so not very difficult). The problem this morning was that the character, a dog, has the name "Biscuit." Yesterday, when he knew he didn't have to go to school, he wasn't so grumpy and just sort of shrugged off the name, although he mentioned that "Biscuit" isn't the name of the dog, it's the name of a food. Can you see where this is going? Yeah, this morning, he couldn't get past the "Biscuit-is-a-food-not-a-dog" issue. I mean, really, he couldn't get past it. So, I couldn't get past it. I put the book down and finished getting him ready for school. Some days he just gets so fixated on a little thing that it gets in the way of the big things, and then we take a break. Does that happen to anyone else?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Light It Up Blue
This weekend I encourage you to support autism awareness by "Lighting it Up Blue." Tomorrow I'm going out to the store to find a blue light bulb to replace my porch light from yellow to blue. For the month of April, our house will be blue. Yep, we're going to be the COOL house on the block.
And go to this website for more information.
Light It Up Blue
And go to this website for more information.
Light It Up Blue
Monday, March 14, 2011
A House Full
Sometimes the best way to teach normal social behavior is to have a family with six children move into your house for three weeks! Okay, so that wasn't really planned, but it's amazing to see how J.R. has changed in some ways.
Of course, he does have his moments of being overwhelmed, but we try to keep his morning and evening routines as normal as possible. Keeping to his school schedule helps, but last week he didn't have school for three days. The key was to create a routine, and we sort of did. Each night we did the same things with the kids. Each morning, Jackson is up a lot earlier than the other kids, and that really helps. He and I are able to focus on what he needs to do each morning to get ready.
The best part of this is that my son loves other kids. He wants to play with them. He loves them, even though it's been tough to share everything, and yet I'm completely amazed at how well he's handled everything.
Of course, he does have his moments of being overwhelmed, but we try to keep his morning and evening routines as normal as possible. Keeping to his school schedule helps, but last week he didn't have school for three days. The key was to create a routine, and we sort of did. Each night we did the same things with the kids. Each morning, Jackson is up a lot earlier than the other kids, and that really helps. He and I are able to focus on what he needs to do each morning to get ready.
The best part of this is that my son loves other kids. He wants to play with them. He loves them, even though it's been tough to share everything, and yet I'm completely amazed at how well he's handled everything.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Trouble comes in twos.
by Natalie (yes I am still alive, kind of)
One would think that two children from the same family, same parents, same environment, same diagnosis would respond to the same discipline and reward systems. One would think wrong. I have blogged about how wonderful the school district and service providers are for our two sons and they are, not doubt about it. But what happens when they come home? While they have made vast improvements we still seem to function at a sub par. Mike and Ike are like night and day personality wise and Spectrum wise. Let me go into detail here.
Ike is a rule follower. We are talking the days of Moses rule follower. Do not walk more then 500 steps on Sunday, letter of the law, no exceptions! Don't get me wrong, he is a kind, sweet, sensitive boy, who enjoys other children. But if you do not follow the rules (his) or the scripts that he has been taught in school, watch out! He can turn nasty quicker than holiday shoppers at Walmart on Black Friday.This doesn't sound that outrageous. Every child goes through this phase. But he's 6 1/2. Most children are long past this stage at his age.
Now there is Mike. He is a very precocious child. Quick to laugh or try to make you laugh, goof off, and just plain get into trouble. He has very little impulse control and loves to be the center of attention. He is starting to use his wild imagination more and more and more importantly has learned how to annoy others. His lack of impulse control and attention seeking behaviors get him into a whole heep of trouble. Consequences mean nothing to him. This is my boy that laughs as I am punishing him. He responds inappropriately to situations and misses many social cues just like his brother. But what he lacks in understanding he makes up in improvisation.
Now to my problem. These two mix like oil and water. You are thinking to yourself, "well what siblings do get along"! When you have a rule follower and a free spirit cohabitating it makes for much frustration. To add insult to injury neither of them can control their reactions to each other. Talking to Ike about why Mike doesn't have to do something a certain way is like talking to a tree, it's glad your talking but wishes you talked treeish! He just doesn't understand. This is how (his) the world works, why is Mike allowed to do it differently?
Mike on the other hand loves to push Ike's buttons. He gets attention, doesn't matter that it is bad attention, it's attention. He will provoke and provoke and when you try to discipline or get him to understand why we don't poke sleeping bulls he just looks at you like, "why would you make me stop something that is so fun?!" Hence the laughing while I am punishing.
It is a never ending cycle. How do I try to have a peaceful life without turning my home into an extended school time. Do I seperate them until they are 40 so we can have a little peace? The tools the teachers give me for each of them are so time consuming I can't be doing both for each of the boys at the same time. It is always about consistency, but how can I be consistent with both at the same time? It is tiring and I find myself yelling, "I AM GOING TO MY ROOM, WHERE NO ONE WILL BOTHER ME, AND IF THEY BOTHER ME, THE WORLD WILL SHAKE WITH MY WRATH!!!!!" while they think it is funny and it sometimes stops the fits it is not the best discipline method.
So the question is...... I can't remember. "I AM GOING TO MY ROOM, WHERE NO ONE WILL BOTHER ME, AND IF THEY BOTHER ME, THEY WILL SHAKE WITH MY WRATH!"
or something like that.
One would think that two children from the same family, same parents, same environment, same diagnosis would respond to the same discipline and reward systems. One would think wrong. I have blogged about how wonderful the school district and service providers are for our two sons and they are, not doubt about it. But what happens when they come home? While they have made vast improvements we still seem to function at a sub par. Mike and Ike are like night and day personality wise and Spectrum wise. Let me go into detail here.
Ike is a rule follower. We are talking the days of Moses rule follower. Do not walk more then 500 steps on Sunday, letter of the law, no exceptions! Don't get me wrong, he is a kind, sweet, sensitive boy, who enjoys other children. But if you do not follow the rules (his) or the scripts that he has been taught in school, watch out! He can turn nasty quicker than holiday shoppers at Walmart on Black Friday.This doesn't sound that outrageous. Every child goes through this phase. But he's 6 1/2. Most children are long past this stage at his age.
Now there is Mike. He is a very precocious child. Quick to laugh or try to make you laugh, goof off, and just plain get into trouble. He has very little impulse control and loves to be the center of attention. He is starting to use his wild imagination more and more and more importantly has learned how to annoy others. His lack of impulse control and attention seeking behaviors get him into a whole heep of trouble. Consequences mean nothing to him. This is my boy that laughs as I am punishing him. He responds inappropriately to situations and misses many social cues just like his brother. But what he lacks in understanding he makes up in improvisation.
Now to my problem. These two mix like oil and water. You are thinking to yourself, "well what siblings do get along"! When you have a rule follower and a free spirit cohabitating it makes for much frustration. To add insult to injury neither of them can control their reactions to each other. Talking to Ike about why Mike doesn't have to do something a certain way is like talking to a tree, it's glad your talking but wishes you talked treeish! He just doesn't understand. This is how (his) the world works, why is Mike allowed to do it differently?
Mike on the other hand loves to push Ike's buttons. He gets attention, doesn't matter that it is bad attention, it's attention. He will provoke and provoke and when you try to discipline or get him to understand why we don't poke sleeping bulls he just looks at you like, "why would you make me stop something that is so fun?!" Hence the laughing while I am punishing.
It is a never ending cycle. How do I try to have a peaceful life without turning my home into an extended school time. Do I seperate them until they are 40 so we can have a little peace? The tools the teachers give me for each of them are so time consuming I can't be doing both for each of the boys at the same time. It is always about consistency, but how can I be consistent with both at the same time? It is tiring and I find myself yelling, "I AM GOING TO MY ROOM, WHERE NO ONE WILL BOTHER ME, AND IF THEY BOTHER ME, THE WORLD WILL SHAKE WITH MY WRATH!!!!!" while they think it is funny and it sometimes stops the fits it is not the best discipline method.
So the question is...... I can't remember. "I AM GOING TO MY ROOM, WHERE NO ONE WILL BOTHER ME, AND IF THEY BOTHER ME, THEY WILL SHAKE WITH MY WRATH!"
or something like that.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Teachers and Moms: what they need most
There is a huge difference between a teacher who doesn't have children and a teacher who does.
There is a difference between a teacher who has children and a teacher who has children who have struggled or still do (most parents have at least one) and are still raising them or they haven't been gone from home for too long. There just is. Personally, I prefer the latter, to the nth degree!
I have been a teacher without children. I was a child who did not struggle in school academically. Sure, I was a little socially awkward, but I had friends. I could read social cues. Sure, I had my disciplinary moments, but I never remember crying over homework until I was in at least middle school or high school, and even then, it was minor.
I have a college degree in elementary education. I feel that I got a really good education from a really reputable, good university. I taught for three years, and by the end of the three years, I felt like I was finally starting to get a hang of it all. I was in my element. My abilities to teach the curriculum were improving, and my empathy for my students were growing. It was hard to quit teaching because I felt myself improving and progressing so much, but I didn't realize that I was missing some very important qualities and skills -- the skills that are the difference in a good teacher and an excellent teacher.
Let me be honest and say that no matter how much you've worked with kids, if you are not a parent of one who has struggled, you're missing something in your teaching vision (unless you just have this skill, which I know of some who do). You just are. I speak from experience. I did not know what I lacked until the past two years.
I call it "vision" because until you've lived with it and seen it every day, you don't see what parents see. Try as you might, you don't have that empathy. How do I know? I didn't have it. I wanted to have it. I had sympathy and felt bad, but I still didn't get it. I think back on specific children that I taught that I wish I'd had the vision then. I wish I could feel what the parents were feeling.
J.R. has had some fabulous teachers and therapists, but I can tell you who obviously didn't get it and who did. His current teacher GETS IT. He is safe, secure and loved in her classroom. I feel that he is safe, secure, and loved in her classroom. She listens to me. I don't have to plead my son's case very hard. She's willing to try new things -- anything to help him succeed and feel successful. I feel like we are a team, and this is what moms need most: teammates. Not a boss; not a know-it-all; not a professor, A TEAM.
I never feel like she is the teacher taking control, telling me what works best because she has the degree: because she is the teacher. I KNOW I did that several times. I never hear, "but LeMira . . ." unless it's "but he's doing so well, and I just think the world of him."
For example, in recent weeks, I had been informed of a study* done a few years ago about the effectiveness of exercise balls replacing chairs in classrooms, especially for children with ADD, ADHD, and an ASD (autism spectrum disorder). At the parent/teacher conference last week, I mentioned it to J.R.'s teacher, and asked how she felt about me bringing one in for him. Not even hesitating she responded, "Absolutely. Let's try it." After one day of it, she wanted one for every student in her classroom. J.R. takes the ball with him to math and to his special ed classroom. Mrs. D. has the vision, and I love her for it.
Another teacher at my son's school who gets it is the librarian. She and I hit it off when we discovered that her oldest son struggled with the same things that J.R. has been struggling. Her son is twelve years older, but she has done so much. When I vented to her about homework and trying to figure out something that works, she immediately volunteered her services. For the last week, J.R. and I go to the library after school while she helps him with his homework. He won't fight with her like he does with me (because I'm the mom), and he does better for her. I help her daughter who is the same age as J.R. stay focused and answer her homework questions. It's sort of a trade-off, although I think I'm getting a better deal (I think I need to make her some cookies or take her to lunch. . . hmm. . .). This teacher has the vision.
I thank the Lord that He guided me to put my son in this charter school with teachers who get it. One day, if I ever go back to be a classroom teacher, I know that my vision will be different. I only hope that I will "get it," too.
*Here's a USA Today article written about one example: No Chairs, Students get the "Wiggles Out" on Exercise Balls. (If you want a copy of one of the research papers done on it, I can email it in PDF format to you, just let me know.)
There is a difference between a teacher who has children and a teacher who has children who have struggled or still do (most parents have at least one) and are still raising them or they haven't been gone from home for too long. There just is. Personally, I prefer the latter, to the nth degree!
I have been a teacher without children. I was a child who did not struggle in school academically. Sure, I was a little socially awkward, but I had friends. I could read social cues. Sure, I had my disciplinary moments, but I never remember crying over homework until I was in at least middle school or high school, and even then, it was minor.
I have a college degree in elementary education. I feel that I got a really good education from a really reputable, good university. I taught for three years, and by the end of the three years, I felt like I was finally starting to get a hang of it all. I was in my element. My abilities to teach the curriculum were improving, and my empathy for my students were growing. It was hard to quit teaching because I felt myself improving and progressing so much, but I didn't realize that I was missing some very important qualities and skills -- the skills that are the difference in a good teacher and an excellent teacher.
Let me be honest and say that no matter how much you've worked with kids, if you are not a parent of one who has struggled, you're missing something in your teaching vision (unless you just have this skill, which I know of some who do). You just are. I speak from experience. I did not know what I lacked until the past two years.
I call it "vision" because until you've lived with it and seen it every day, you don't see what parents see. Try as you might, you don't have that empathy. How do I know? I didn't have it. I wanted to have it. I had sympathy and felt bad, but I still didn't get it. I think back on specific children that I taught that I wish I'd had the vision then. I wish I could feel what the parents were feeling.
J.R. has had some fabulous teachers and therapists, but I can tell you who obviously didn't get it and who did. His current teacher GETS IT. He is safe, secure and loved in her classroom. I feel that he is safe, secure, and loved in her classroom. She listens to me. I don't have to plead my son's case very hard. She's willing to try new things -- anything to help him succeed and feel successful. I feel like we are a team, and this is what moms need most: teammates. Not a boss; not a know-it-all; not a professor, A TEAM.
I never feel like she is the teacher taking control, telling me what works best because she has the degree: because she is the teacher. I KNOW I did that several times. I never hear, "but LeMira . . ." unless it's "but he's doing so well, and I just think the world of him."
For example, in recent weeks, I had been informed of a study* done a few years ago about the effectiveness of exercise balls replacing chairs in classrooms, especially for children with ADD, ADHD, and an ASD (autism spectrum disorder). At the parent/teacher conference last week, I mentioned it to J.R.'s teacher, and asked how she felt about me bringing one in for him. Not even hesitating she responded, "Absolutely. Let's try it." After one day of it, she wanted one for every student in her classroom. J.R. takes the ball with him to math and to his special ed classroom. Mrs. D. has the vision, and I love her for it.
Another teacher at my son's school who gets it is the librarian. She and I hit it off when we discovered that her oldest son struggled with the same things that J.R. has been struggling. Her son is twelve years older, but she has done so much. When I vented to her about homework and trying to figure out something that works, she immediately volunteered her services. For the last week, J.R. and I go to the library after school while she helps him with his homework. He won't fight with her like he does with me (because I'm the mom), and he does better for her. I help her daughter who is the same age as J.R. stay focused and answer her homework questions. It's sort of a trade-off, although I think I'm getting a better deal (I think I need to make her some cookies or take her to lunch. . . hmm. . .). This teacher has the vision.
I thank the Lord that He guided me to put my son in this charter school with teachers who get it. One day, if I ever go back to be a classroom teacher, I know that my vision will be different. I only hope that I will "get it," too.
*Here's a USA Today article written about one example: No Chairs, Students get the "Wiggles Out" on Exercise Balls. (If you want a copy of one of the research papers done on it, I can email it in PDF format to you, just let me know.)
Monday, February 7, 2011
On the Flip Side
by LeMira
I have spent so much time talking about the struggles that my son and I deal with lately that I realized that I haven't shared with you the amazing things he does. This post is dedicated to my very talented son.
Did you know that my son is a walking calendar? He remembers dates better than anyone. He can remember what day last year we got our trampoline (April 24), and I'm certain he could remember what day of the week that was. He'll remember your birthday better than you will. I'll never be able to lie about my age with him around, ever. I should just post my entire extended family birthday dates and see how quickly he can memorize it.
Did you know that my son can remember music very well? While he struggles with singing in groups, he doesn't forget the music. He can even make sound effects very well with his throat. Maybe one day he'll be in an a cappella group. He also knows the entire Pledge of Allegiance (known it since he was 3 1/2) and can sing the National Anthem all the way through.
Did you know that my kid can make just about anyone smile? He loves to tell jokes and share stories. He wants to be your friend, and it bothers him when he's hurt a person's feelings.
Did you know that my son has been able to count beyond one hundred for over a year and a half? Did you know that he can tell time down to the minute, and he's only in Kindergarten/first grade?!!
In the video below is another example of what "autism" can do. While it can be very difficult to live and deal with, it brings some amazing abilities. The key is to recognize and enhance them.
I have spent so much time talking about the struggles that my son and I deal with lately that I realized that I haven't shared with you the amazing things he does. This post is dedicated to my very talented son.
Did you know that my son is a walking calendar? He remembers dates better than anyone. He can remember what day last year we got our trampoline (April 24), and I'm certain he could remember what day of the week that was. He'll remember your birthday better than you will. I'll never be able to lie about my age with him around, ever. I should just post my entire extended family birthday dates and see how quickly he can memorize it.
Did you know that my son can remember music very well? While he struggles with singing in groups, he doesn't forget the music. He can even make sound effects very well with his throat. Maybe one day he'll be in an a cappella group. He also knows the entire Pledge of Allegiance (known it since he was 3 1/2) and can sing the National Anthem all the way through.
Did you know that my kid can make just about anyone smile? He loves to tell jokes and share stories. He wants to be your friend, and it bothers him when he's hurt a person's feelings.
Did you know that my son has been able to count beyond one hundred for over a year and a half? Did you know that he can tell time down to the minute, and he's only in Kindergarten/first grade?!!
In the video below is another example of what "autism" can do. While it can be very difficult to live and deal with, it brings some amazing abilities. The key is to recognize and enhance them.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
I Saw The Signs
Post by LeMira
The signs were there from the beginning, but I just assumed they were quirks.
When he was a baby, he never looked at lights. I was a little confused why he was not so memorized with lights like so many other babies. Then, I found out he had cataracts due to being born prematurely. This problem warranted surgery, but I still found it odd that he would stare at his mobile and "yell" and "talk" at it. After he had surgery, he began to notice lights more, but never like others. Instead, he was mesmerized by the fan, but that wasn't so unusual, a lot of babies, if not most, are intrigued by a ceiling fan.
What was odd, though, was that he was mesmerized by all things spinning. He would stare at our stroller and the wheels. If something would spin, he would spin it. If he could spin in it, he would, and he never seemed to get dizzy.
Another quirk was that he began to bang his head or inflict pain on himself by biting his hands. I remember disciplining him and getting upset and trying to teach him not to do those things when he was only nine months old. Sometimes I felt like I was yelling at him trying to get him to stop. I figured the head banging was due to teething pain. It wasn't.
Numbers. Anything with numbers: clocks, CD players, timers, calculators, thermometers, calendars. It has numbers, he's there. This obsession began at age two when we bought him his first CD player. He would blast the volume, but most of all, he would open the lid, spin the disc, and then continuously change the track number. Songs were named not by title or turn, but by track number.
Rocking and/or swinging. When he first came home from the hospital, he loathed the swing. I originally thought it was because the nurses used it all the time to calm him during his stay, however, I now realize that the type of swing I had (a take-along) with all of it's lights, annoying music and fish swinging in the face were too much for him to handle. When he discovered our glider ottoman, he would glide and listen to music for a long time. He used it until it broke when he was five or six. Then he discovered swings. At the park, that's where he would stay the entire time. I've since learned that the rocking/swinging seems to be his stimming, and it is a good way to help him relax and wind down. Too bad his tree swing broke over the holiday break.
Music and buttons. If a toy has music, it's his favorite. He's always responded to music, and he loves to make up his own songs. He's distinguished between beat and rhythm since was at least 18 months old.
Someone, I believe it was Natalie, first mentioned the "a" word (autism) when I mentioned how entranced my son was with spinning things, and she told me that it reminded her of a child she new with autism. I quickly dismissed this as my son definitely loved social contact and people.
When he was tested for preschool, the examiner was a former colleague of mine when I worked as an elementary school teacher. When I told him about some of the "quirky" things that my son did, he mentioned "autistic tendencies." I immediately spouted off why my son did not have autism, and I again dismissed the suggestion.
It was a family trip to Disneyland that I started to get really worried. My husband's dear aunt introduced us to Sensory Processing Disorder and the book the Out of Sync Child. Many of the symptoms seemed to fit my son, but as he progressed to transitional Kindergarten and did not qualify for Occupational Therapy, I knew that there must be more. I wondered about ADD.
That's when Natalie began teaching me about PDD-NOS.
It took me until my son was six years old to get him diagnosed and with services. It really is better to get services started before age five, or so I've heard (I can't give an exact source on this at the moment). However, we were lucky. Since my son was born severely premature, he had all the advantages of therapy from the very beginning. Once he came home, he had speech, vision, and occupational therapy. When he turned three, he was tested for preschool; and when he was five, he moved into transitional kindergarten -- all due to "developmental delay due to prematurity." He's had services from the very beginning. We are lucky for that, for the therapy he's received has helped him more.
Yes, I've had the "what-ifs," but I'm happy that we are where we are. My advice, if you have a question, ask. If you wonder, research. If you have the nagging feeling that something is "off," listen to it. It's okay. It's not your fault. It just is. Parental Instinct, especially Mother's Instinct, is right more often than not. Trust it. Remember a diagnosis doesn't define you, it explains some things, but most importantly, it's meant to get your child and you the help you both need.
My son has come a long way, and so have I. Sometimes it seems like these quirks are too much and too much like road-blocks, but to be honest, they are a huge part of who my son is, and I wouldn't trade him for the world.
The signs were there from the beginning, but I just assumed they were quirks.
When he was a baby, he never looked at lights. I was a little confused why he was not so memorized with lights like so many other babies. Then, I found out he had cataracts due to being born prematurely. This problem warranted surgery, but I still found it odd that he would stare at his mobile and "yell" and "talk" at it. After he had surgery, he began to notice lights more, but never like others. Instead, he was mesmerized by the fan, but that wasn't so unusual, a lot of babies, if not most, are intrigued by a ceiling fan.
What was odd, though, was that he was mesmerized by all things spinning. He would stare at our stroller and the wheels. If something would spin, he would spin it. If he could spin in it, he would, and he never seemed to get dizzy.
Another quirk was that he began to bang his head or inflict pain on himself by biting his hands. I remember disciplining him and getting upset and trying to teach him not to do those things when he was only nine months old. Sometimes I felt like I was yelling at him trying to get him to stop. I figured the head banging was due to teething pain. It wasn't.
Numbers. Anything with numbers: clocks, CD players, timers, calculators, thermometers, calendars. It has numbers, he's there. This obsession began at age two when we bought him his first CD player. He would blast the volume, but most of all, he would open the lid, spin the disc, and then continuously change the track number. Songs were named not by title or turn, but by track number.
Rocking and/or swinging. When he first came home from the hospital, he loathed the swing. I originally thought it was because the nurses used it all the time to calm him during his stay, however, I now realize that the type of swing I had (a take-along) with all of it's lights, annoying music and fish swinging in the face were too much for him to handle. When he discovered our glider ottoman, he would glide and listen to music for a long time. He used it until it broke when he was five or six. Then he discovered swings. At the park, that's where he would stay the entire time. I've since learned that the rocking/swinging seems to be his stimming, and it is a good way to help him relax and wind down. Too bad his tree swing broke over the holiday break.
Music and buttons. If a toy has music, it's his favorite. He's always responded to music, and he loves to make up his own songs. He's distinguished between beat and rhythm since was at least 18 months old.
Someone, I believe it was Natalie, first mentioned the "a" word (autism) when I mentioned how entranced my son was with spinning things, and she told me that it reminded her of a child she new with autism. I quickly dismissed this as my son definitely loved social contact and people.
When he was tested for preschool, the examiner was a former colleague of mine when I worked as an elementary school teacher. When I told him about some of the "quirky" things that my son did, he mentioned "autistic tendencies." I immediately spouted off why my son did not have autism, and I again dismissed the suggestion.
It was a family trip to Disneyland that I started to get really worried. My husband's dear aunt introduced us to Sensory Processing Disorder and the book the Out of Sync Child. Many of the symptoms seemed to fit my son, but as he progressed to transitional Kindergarten and did not qualify for Occupational Therapy, I knew that there must be more. I wondered about ADD.
That's when Natalie began teaching me about PDD-NOS.
It took me until my son was six years old to get him diagnosed and with services. It really is better to get services started before age five, or so I've heard (I can't give an exact source on this at the moment). However, we were lucky. Since my son was born severely premature, he had all the advantages of therapy from the very beginning. Once he came home, he had speech, vision, and occupational therapy. When he turned three, he was tested for preschool; and when he was five, he moved into transitional kindergarten -- all due to "developmental delay due to prematurity." He's had services from the very beginning. We are lucky for that, for the therapy he's received has helped him more.
Yes, I've had the "what-ifs," but I'm happy that we are where we are. My advice, if you have a question, ask. If you wonder, research. If you have the nagging feeling that something is "off," listen to it. It's okay. It's not your fault. It just is. Parental Instinct, especially Mother's Instinct, is right more often than not. Trust it. Remember a diagnosis doesn't define you, it explains some things, but most importantly, it's meant to get your child and you the help you both need.
My son has come a long way, and so have I. Sometimes it seems like these quirks are too much and too much like road-blocks, but to be honest, they are a huge part of who my son is, and I wouldn't trade him for the world.
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