My first son received a diagnosis of autism shortly before turning two. The news left us fearful as I was one month and a half away from the birth of our second son. Nothing could have prepared us to receive such a diagnosis with so little understanding in the late 90’s. My second son showed normal milestone developments, yet atypical behavioral traits started to become more pronounced with age receiving an Aspergers diagnosis by the age of eleven. A course action for autism was poorly explained and demonstrated. Treatments were expensive and insurance coverage for such a diagnosis was denied.  

Because autism showed itself in such an erratic and a take-hold way, I became unwilling to cave into autism and its pursuit to develop a set of behavioral traits that would determine when and how my child could be. I wanted to become an interference to autism.

The answer to how it all went wrong was never going to be found, yet that did not stop me from consulting the best doctors I could find. I was able to learn from a variety of good specialists about the undoing effects autism had on a child, but I was never told what the nature of autism was to become. Rightfully so, no one had a crystal ball. 

I thank God that I was given the opportunity to sit side by side with my children daily for 20 years to track the development of both milestones and autism as they do coincide in direct competition with each other.

How you decide to shape your child’s autism is entirely up to you. With all I have experienced, my hope is that I can bring some answers or ideas for you to consider on making a difference in your own child’s life as I did with mine.   

Terry