Part 2- Are They Failing our Children

In continuation of my previous submission in November of last year, I want to update you on the progression of my child’s story. At the end of November, my child was supposed to start services provided by the DOE. However, those services didn’t commence until January of this year after I called multiple providers, practically begging them to assist me. Unfortunately, there was no help from the team assigned to my child’s case. Nonetheless, I have not given up, and as any parent in my situation would, I never will!

I am so grateful for my tenacity and belief that I knew my child needed help and something was off. When we finally went to the developmental pediatrician, she told me after doing a standard evaluation, “Your child is not Autistic. Actually, I don’t see 5 or 6-year-olds with that intelligence.” To which I responded, totally upset, “Sometimes I feel I should just wish for my child not to be so intelligent so that people will take my concerns more seriously!” The pediatrician then said, “Again, I believe your child is fine and all your concerns are valid, but I really think they are just your child’s personality. I will start the schedule for the ADOS-2 (a standardized assessment tool that helps providers diagnose autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children and adults), but as soon as one of the evaluators agrees with my findings, we will not continue.”  In December, my child was diagnosed with Autism. We all know autism is a spectrum and really not what most people think it is. Here is the wheel I use when learning to understand my child’s areas of difficulty.

So the moral of my story is if you feel something is not right, you have every right as the parent to ask and seek the information that will give you peace. If I had listened to everyone who told me my child was perfect or it was just in my head, I wouldn’t be able to help or understand my baby. Now I can seek out tools and have the patience in knowing that indeed my child is perfect; they just need a little bit more help to thrive. That, in itself, fills me with peace. It has not gotten easier because there is so much to learn, but knowing there is a reason for certain behaviors gives me a sense of clarity and purpose, motivating me to delve deeper into understanding my child’s struggles.

Here is a therapist who specializes in Autism & ADHD, she has alot of valuable information.  Take a look at her blog, it will help make sense of some things you might have been wondering about