Our son Myles, is amazing and when i watch him smile now at age 9, all the hurdles seem like they happened a million years ago. He was diagnosed at two years old with Moderate Autism, which had come as sort of a relief to me. Being a stay at home mom and seeing red flags that no one else was seeing, i thought i was going crazy. But when the words came from the panel of doctors "Your son has autism", i began to cry in relief that now we could help him. No one prepares you for the journey that is Autism. No two children are the same, though they may share similar qualities. We went through everything it seemed like,being non-verbal, lining things up, echoing, elopement, etc. It all seemed so repetitive, every day a different therapy over and over again. Until the first time he made eye contact with me briefly and said "I love you mama". That moment was as precious to me as the moment i had given birth to him.
Now, years after it all began, after years of intensive therapies and battles he is doing so well. In the back of my mind i always fear the what if's but i take it day by day and love every little moment. He is in the 3rd grade now and has been mainstreamed since kindergarten. We have our moments where the struggle is long and sometimes we get defeated by life, but having a child with autism is something that has taught me how to love, to live, to thrive in difficult times. He is my inspiration!
Lake Elsinore, CA