"When one door of happiness closes, another opens;
but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
Helen Keller

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

10 Reasons I Vow to Keep Fighting Autism




1. Brycen didn't ask for this, nor did we as parents do something horrible to cause this, therefore we need to advocate for his and our needs so we can function together as a family.


2. God chose me to be his mother (and Mike to be his father) for a special reason only he will know...and I can guarantee that is on my list of top 5 questions to ask God when I see him after death.
3. To educate those who don't understand what Autism really is and how it really affects the family...because more likely than not, they may find themselves in mine or a close family member's shoes someday (see #4).
4. 1 in 110 children (1 in 70 boys) is the current statistic for children that are being diagnosed with an ASD. Compare that to the 1 in 150 rate just a couple years ago...do the math!

5. There is nothing more important than my child, my flesh and blood, and giving him every single chance in this world to be a typically functioning child that can do anything and everything he desires.

6. So I can continue to take pride in every single accomplishment that Brycen achieves and know that we had a part in him achieving it because development does not allow him to accomplish most things on his own anymore.

7. He has taught me that a mother's love (and father's too) is unconditional and can stand above all...and for those people that say they "couldn't do it", ANYONE can do it if they are put in the situation and love their child more than anything in the world! I just hope you don't have to:)

8. I get to witness miracles and will never, ever take one word or positive attempt at communication for granted like many other parents of typical 3 year olds do every single day (you will never find me complaining about how Brycen won't stop talking or won't stop asking questions).

9. I don't want any other parent to go through watching their child "lose" skills and be trapped in their "own little world" because it is a horrible feeling of helplessness that no one deserves to feel.

10. Have you seen my son's smile and heard his giggle?! It's contagious and full of life...this is one thing that proves the myth wrong that children with Autism do not have emotions or express their feelings...just spend a few minutes with my son and though he may not smile back at you when you smile at him, he will eventually smile/giggle because something made him happy. We may never know what that was, but who cares as long as he is happy!
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  1. AnonymousApril 27, 2010 at 8:52 PM

    Melissa,
    This is so beautiful!! Gave me goose bumps! I could feel your whole heart coming through your words. xo Nancy

    ReplyDelete

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Autism and Our Family

"Autism"----It's one word that can change the life of a child and family in so many ways. Autism Spectrum Disorders are being diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 68 children currently. If you do not already know someone that has been diagnosed, the statistics say it won't be long before you do.

Our son developed typically until around the time he turned 2 years old. We heard words...we saw him play with other kids...we watched as he played with his toys appropriately...we made eye contact with him...overall we understood his wants and needs. In a matter of a few months, that was all taken away from him. He began lining up toys, lost all of his words and signs except for one word "ball", ignored other kids, could not sleep through the night, lost eye contact and the ability to follow directions, and he had no way of letting us know what he wanted or how he felt. It was heartbreaking to see something happening to our child that we couldn't stop!

Brycen began receiving home therapy 1-2 times per month for about 6 months before we realized it wasn't just developmental delays. We knew it was Autism...we just didn't want to say it outloud to anyone. He was officially diagnosed with Autism (classic form and regressive), as well as Mental Retardation in August 2009 by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

We continue to learn as we make our way through this journey with Brycen and we will continue to share this journey with you on this blog! The blog has been a great therapy for us to be able to vent our frustrations and struggles with accepting that we have a child with special needs, while sharing how blessed we are to have a child teach us what life truly means. It has also been a great way to inform others of his progress and changes over the last couple of years.

Thank you for your support of Brycen and our family! We hope you are able to learn something through this blog no matter if you are a parent of a child with special needs or a neurotypical child, a teacher or therapist, a family member, or just someone that is interested in the journey that a family goes on as they learn their child is battling a life-long disorder.