"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, October 26, 2010

What is your "passion" in life?


Everybody needs a passion in life. I never really knew what mine was until recently.

My true passion today is clear to me now...Autism. I cannot get enough of articles about research, reading other family's blogs and experiences with their children on the spectrum, or sharing our stories about the battles and joys of the disorder. I thought I knew a lot before Brycen was diagnosed, but none of it prepared me for the firsthand experience of raising a child with it. I'd worked with adults and children of various ages that were affected on various areas of the spectrum for many years. I had attended trainings and read books about the disorder. That was nothing compared to the passion I have for it now. I walk, talk, breathe, read, write Autism. It is and will be my life, just as I would expect any parent to feel the same about anything that affects their child or themselves.

What is your passion in life? Do you think it has changed as the years have went by or what has made it more clear to you? Is it something you chose or something that was "dropped in your lap" like Autism was in mine?
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 31, 2010 at 11:45 PM

    Your passion for working with Brycen is very evident in your blogs. Seeing how well you do with him put a little tear to my eye Friday night wondering how you do it and thinking I don't know how I could. You are a great mother and father to Brycen and Aubree and they know it too. It was great to see you guys on Friday and see how far both have come.

    Paul

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  2. Timmer familyNovember 3, 2010 at 8:14 PM

    Thank you! A true parent does what they need to do...when you are dealt certain cards in life, we either make the choice to fold (and give up), take what we get and hope for the best outcome, or we trade in a few to try some new things to see if they will work. Friday was a good evening because he enjoys the train videos and that has become a part of his daily routine which is always the best thing for him. He has been surprising us lately with being able to stay calm with traveling as much as we have been the last few months and having some shifts in routine.

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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.