Today We received confirmation of something that I have known in my heart for quite some time.
JC has autism.
But before you say "I'm sorry", let me tell you why I am not. JC is a wonderfully sweet and affectionate, silly little boy who experiences the world full-force. He makes me laugh every day and I couldn't imagine a day without him. But, The world is difficult for JC. He doesn't seem to understand situational circumstances, social expectations and has difficulty communicating (which goes beyond the speech delay). This adds up to a challenging world. He goes though each day with such frustration from feeling misunderstood and attacked and I feel so helpless. Every day I feel like I am failing him because I can't make it all better. He is overwhelmed much of the time and seems held back by issues beyond his control. Now we know why. Now we know the reason behind the behavior, which at times seemed unexplainable. And now, we can help him navigate through this world which consumes him.
Don't get me wrong... It breaks my heart that he faces these challenges. As a mother, I want to remove these obstacles from his path. But I'm happy that we have received an early diagnosis and early intervention. And I feel validated in the decisions and sacrifices that we have made up to this point to focus on his development and to push for early evaluation. I truly expect that he will continue to respond well to therapy and will eventually learn to adapt to his world.
So while I wish things were different for him... I am not sorry that we have uncovered what lies at the root of his issues. I feel like we have reached the top of a mountain, only to realize there is an even larger mountain ahead of us. But we have seen mountains before, and we will conquer this one too.
(I will write more about the actual testing and results later. My brain is mush right now from processing everything. )
You have a wonderful attitude! I have two children with autism. Both on different areas of the spectrum and both very different in so many ways but the same in some areas as well. I must say that it is a daily on going journey. We have struggled, rejoiced, cried, over come and accepted in many areas at many times. They are who they are and are great kids. I love them dearly. My one son (16) with the most sensory issues has over come or learned to deal with most of them over time and therapy. And my son (11) with the most social/safety struggles has learned so many things as well and can blend in, so to speak, much of the time when out in public. Praying your journey is wonderful one. Blessings, susan
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