Last week we were invited to several different autism sites. I was very excited to look at the other sites and see what people are doing. I was very disappointed to see the way that the women in the sides reacted to each other. We are all in the same game, we all want what is best for our children and some of the comments and replies on these websites were terrible. I think the one thing that we can agree on is to disagree and that is sad not only for our children, but for ourselves, we need to do a better job of supporting each other .

We also need to be doing a better job of encouraging each other to get our children help at an earlier age. Aristotle said give me a child until they are seven and I will show you the man. This is very true with all children. So often I go into an IEP meeting where the child is between the ages of 12 and 15 and there has been no early intervention. There are a lot of different reasons sometime a dad doesn’t want to admit their child has autism, sometimes it’s a single mom and she’s had to move to her three times and change school systems , sometimes it’s a grandparent who is overwhelmed by the fact that they are raising a grandchild much less a special needs grandchild.

Regardless of the reason, this has got to stop. You cannot start teaching a child or disciplining a child at the age of 12 by then the patterns in their brain are set. Children not just autistic. Children will take every inch that you give them and turn it into a 1 mile dragstrip of bad behavior I know sometimes as the mom of an autistic child it is hard to determine. Is this autism or are they in the terrible twos? Testing begins now as early as age 2 there is no excuse to not have your child tested if you are a teacher suspect autism.

I know it is hard to face the fact that your child may have a developmental disability however, it will be much harder to face that fact when that child is 12 years old and has never had any kind of help. Testing is fairly simple for autism and is definitely painless. If your child is in rolled in daycare, they usually have the resources to have them tested on site then begin to work with them as often as you can. Kids minds are like sponges, and they will absorb every good thing around.

Please get your child, tested and get them all the help that’s available wherever you may be. It takes a village to raise a child, and if the child doesn’t feel the warmth of that village, it will burn that village to the ground. We need to start forming these villages.  Justin was diagnosed at age 4. Since the first day of diagnosis we have exhausted every Avenue of help we could find. If we can help you in anyway, please do not hesitate to send a private message or an email. 

Donna Richards