It’s been a little over a year since the one thing I dreaded most as a young mom, entered our lives. I remember when my oldest son, Asher, was just a wee babe, praying for him in so many ways, and for whatever reason, one of the biggest fears I prayed against, was Autism.
I feel pretty ashamed writing that now, 18 months after he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, I just didn’t know better. I really knew very little and had very limited experience with children on the spectrum. At the time, I only saw the negative outcomes. Now, a 18 months since officially knowing my son is on the spectrum, I see the positive. It’s more than just positive, it’s beautiful.
We gave our our son the name Asher, which in Hebrew means happy. We chose it, not realizing what joy and happiness he would exude and bring us. Asher finds joy in almost everything this world has to offer, in part because of the incredible things Autism creates in his brain. Sounds are amplified, colors are brighter, and he craves physical touch like no other. All of these amplifications bring pain and difficulty at times too, but for the most part just joy.
Since last April, Asher has been a part of a year long program that incorporates Applied Behavior Analysis into his daily life. He has a provider that comes to our home and his school almost every day and works on various social/behavioral goals with him. Her name is Jessica, and she is amazing and now a part of our family. He also receives weekly OT and Speech with therapists as well. He constantly surpasses all his goals and the coordinators of his program have said he is the perfect example of what happens when everything works as it should. I’m in awe of my son and the hard work he and his therapists have done to get him here. His dad and I helped some, but without them, we wouldn’t have the tools necessary.
A year ago, I hoped for my son. That he would have friends, he would have a relatively normal life, that he would be successful in school and life in general. Now, I can see those hopes realized. He is one of the most popular kids in his class…mostly because he likes to be the center of attention. He goes to church, school and sports with neurotypical peers who have seemingly loved him just as he is. In school, he struggles with things that a lot of 4 year olds struggle. He’s still working on writing his name correctly, but does well with counting, shapes, and spelling. I owe so much of this to the early intervention we started with him and God’s hand upon everything, which has basically been perfect.
So, I write this to inspire hope. A diagnosis of autism or any other developmental delay, doesn’t equal failure, hopelessness, and especially not bad parenting. It is HARD. No matter where your child falls. Having to navigate life through seemingly innocuous stimuli on a daily basis because it makes your child either overexcited or miserable is often exhausting. I don’t want to paint this picture of sunshine and roses 24/7. However, there is hope, even in the times where it seems there is none. Our family is a shining example of that.
April is Autism Awareness month. Our family participated in lighting it up Blue the whole month of April. You can help raise awareness and Light it Up Blue on your porch this month too. Also wear Blue in support for Autism awareness on April 2nd! Find more information about early intervention in AZ, Autism, and our journey here.
