When my twins, Ballerina and Music Man, were diagnosed with "Severe Autism" in August 2009 (30 months old), my entire world collapsed around me. "With that kind of diagnosis, how can they live full independent lives?". Then I realized that the future isn't written in stone. We did what was suggested. Ballerina began ABA, Music Man began PT, they both continued to take classes to help them, we worked with Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists.....and we hoped.
They are now 5 years old. They both talk. They are both potty trained. And in September, they will begin kindergarten. Both of them will be with their typical peers. Ballerina may even be in a typical classroom. And it's likely that Music Man will be joining her after a year or two.
If someone told me that we would be here in August, 2009, I wouldn't have believed them. I would have feared they were filling me with "false hope". But there is no such thing. And we are living proof that, even a seemingly-catastrophic diagnosis doesn't mean that it's over.
Just keep working!
Germantown, MD
