We all hear people tell us that we should not compare our children, but we all do it. At 1 year old, my oldest son had a vocabulary of over 100 words. So when Ben wasn't talking more than just a handfull of words by the time he was 2 yeas old, we knew there was a problem. We were finally aboe to get him evaluated and our suspisions were true. He has Autism. We were devestated. We sondered if our son would ever be able to speak, run, play with other kids, live on his own. We immediately got him into ST, OT and PT. Eventually we got him into ABA Therapy. All of these services were key in his development.
When he started Pre-School, the teachers were getting him out from under the table throughout the day. In first grade, he was still very skittish, but the days of hiding under the table were done, but the days of dealing with meltdowns from fire drills began. By the end of second grade, he had taught himself how to multiply and was reading the same books his 11 year old brother was reading. And in the summer, he played on the football team, making his first touchdown. Now he is the top reader in his grade and the only one in his class that has completed all of the timed math tests and gotten 100 percent.
We NEVER thought these days would come! Yes, there are still meltdowns and daily struggles with social skills, but what incredibel milestones he had made!
Coupeville, WA
