Posts Tagged ‘autism in girls’
Will Getting A Diagnosis Be Harder Because She’s a Girl?
I have been watching my daughter over the past couple of months, as many of us who have multiple children do, after an autism diagnosis. It is evident at this point, that she has a significant speech delay in expressive language, the words she can speak, and her receptive language, the words she understands. I have been tallying…does she make eye contact, does she point? We cannot gauge her social interactions with children her age as she has been home since March. This second time around, I have been watching…
Read MoreThe Autism Bomb
Halloween brings back memories… A lesson in labeling our children with special needs. I believe this was just four years ago when peanut was eleven years old and her brother nine. This year it was just us four celebrating the holiday and the kids and I were trick or treating only a few houses down from where I am sitting as I write these words. I was not physically far from them, because I physically do not leave her side for very long, even back then. Always keeping an eye…
Read MoreMy Child is More Than a Diagnosis
Autism. Borderline Intellectual Functioning. Anxiety. Complex Medical Profile. Severe Speech Delay. Risk for ADHD. As I sit and read my five year old daughter’s recent neuropsych evaluation, I can’t help but feel helpless when I repeat these words in a continuous loop in my head. My daughter was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 (rare for a girl) and we have moved the moon and stars to give her what she needs to be successful and most importantly, happy. And she is. She’s come so far. The…
Read MoreWishing On Stars
I’m trying not to obsess over signs that my daughter, Evie, is on the way to finding her own words. Not scripting, echoing or repeating; I mean her own feelings, her own thoughts, expressed in her own words. She’ll be five in November, and despite being a chatter box of sorts, she’s considered nonverbal. She isn’t able to communicate verbally outside of our home, with people who don’t know her like we do. Evie told me she loved me the month before last. Can you imagine my shock? Part of…
Read MoreRemember, Your Sister Talks to Angels
Recently my daughter Sage who holds her feelings in like they never existed, who would rather use her fists to deal with hurt, broke. Her sky blue eyes welled up and her upper lip quivered as a stream of salty tears spilled down her cheeks. My dearest Sage, You have a job more important than other kids your age. Not only do you have to protect your littlest sister from dangerous situations, you must also protect her from hate and evil. Sage, there will always be mean people who spew hate. Yes…
Read MoreLearn to Bend
My daughter is about to be 12. In 19 short days she will be in her last preteen year. She is beautiful, smart, lives in her own world that we proudly insert ourselves in everyday and she also has autism. Severe, non-verbal, complicated autism. And this world we live in is not designed for her. We have to make constant alterations to the environment around us to make it tolerable for my girl and her needs. But unfortunately the environment and the people in it, don’t always want to bend.…
Read MoreThe Ebbs and Flows of Autism
Early this morning our daughter came into our room, hopped into bed next to me, and began working on her intricate mindfulness sticker book. I watched as she elaborately and precisely filled out each piece of the picture, quicker than I ever could. A beautiful sight. I said “good morning, sweetie”, but did not get a noticeable response. Craving interaction, I asked her what she was making a picture of in her book. Sadly, again there was no response. So, I re-asked, even more enthusiastically— still no response. Then I…
Read MoreA New Diagnosis
The doctor said it. She said what I knew in my heart was true. I had been waiting over a year for this appointment and she confirmed what I have suspected since Joelle was eighteen months old. But how can something you saw coming still hurt so much? I knew when my second daughter wasn’t meeting her developmental milestones. As a nurse, I saw the red flags. At her eighteen month well visit, I brought up my concerns. When her pediatrician wanted to take a wait and see approach, I…
Read MoreThree “Simple” Words
I love you. Three simple words. Most of us throw them around loosely. Take them for granted. We say them when we hang up the phone. When a loved one leaves the house. When we kiss our little ones good night. Sometimes out of habit. It’s something a mother hears a million times.. over a lifetime. That is unless your child is… NONVERBAL. Then you might never hear it. One of those things that most don’t even think about. I have told my daughter “I Love You” everyday, multiple times…
Read MoreThe Stories We Share
We are just a few weeks away from celebrating the 6th anniversary Henry’s autism diagnosis. We celebrate now, but back then it was a different story. Six years ago, I was nervous and confused. I can admit it now, but I knew nothing about autism before his diagnosis. It’s hard to believe because autism is now my life and my work. But yes, at that point, I knew nothing more about it besides a few characters in TV and movies. Henry had a lot of the textbook signs back then:…
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