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Diagnosing Autism - The First Year Posted By: RebeccaG
Posted On: 04/03/2008
It was October 2005, just a few days after our final child was born on Sept 28th, that we came home from the hospital. Our “his, mine, and ours” household had received the last of 8 children and we were happy. Everyone took their turn playing and holding the new baby while I rested from the C-section. I was glad for the rest as I knew once everyone went back to their daily tasks, every responsibility would lie back on my and Shawn’s shoulders. A new baby is always a joy and the hugs, kisses, and “I love you’s” were abundant.



As the days passed, I became restless with our new son. It wasn’t like I was inexperienced as a parent and I couldn’t understand why his behaviors were so different from anything I had experienced. So, I began to ask around. I joined Parents as Teachers and started asking questions. I asked questions of Jesse’s Pediatrician. I asked other parents. The only answers I received were that he was young enough that I just had to give it some time.



Every two hours, he was awake. Not necessarily to eat, but just awake. He could not sleep with his light off. He had to be wrapped tightly in his blanket or squeezed before he became comfortable. He hated strangers. He hated being introduced to baby food. He spit out everything we gave him, but took to regular table food very quickly. Jesse screamed every time we changed his diaper. Any loud noise caused him to scream uncontrollably for hours. Trips to the store became unbearable while having a screaming baby in tow.



Once Jesse was old enough to crawl, he discovered the art of beating his head about the walls and the floor. So much so that we continually took him to the doctor to find out what was wrong and to be sure he didn’t damage his brain. If we hadn’t had some friends staying with us to testify that we weren’t abusing him, we would probably be in jail for child abuse. That’s when we discovered that Jesse didn’t feel pain.



After 6 months of no sleep, Shawn and I became agitated. I demanded that my doctor tell me what was wrong with my baby. Still nothing. My husband, Shawn, has a friend with a little boy who is autistic and that he thought Jesse displayed those same signs. He tried to push me to get him tested, but I resisted. MY son is NOT Autistic!!!! I was in denial.



March 8, 2007 is a date that I will never forget. I succumbed to my husband’s constant prodding and made an appointment with a developmental pediatrician to have Jesse tested. I thought I was going to prove him wrong. I was still in denial. Once those words rolled from the doctor’s tongue, I broke down right there in the office!! I began crying while my son had crawled under the exam table sitting and rocking back and forth while spinning the wheels on his favorite car we brought with us. Jesse was only 17 months old once this diagnosis was written down. Jesse’s pediatrician re-reviewed his records and decided that they could have probably diagnosed him around 9 months because of his behaviors.



I still have Jesse’s diagnosis papers. I used to cry when I read them. His papers say, “closes doors, upset if prevented, hits head when frustrated, spins wheels, dislikes loud noises, static radio – screams, doesn’t know how to play, sorts toys, 3-4 words, understands no, doing last 6mo. Throws a fit, never points, eye contact ok, peers – stays away from, no pretend play, spins self, closes doors, sorting, no responses to name.



Within a week of this diagnosis, we had a whirlwind of information, therapists, and coordinators come our way. I was so overwhelmed from the diagnosis, the extra people and information was simply information overload and I think I was close to a nervous breakdown. I even went to work crying while my co-workers side-stepped me just wanting to stay out of the line of fire. Once in awhile, they would refer me to an article or something to do with autism, and I would just break down. My boss was such an understanding lady and just wanted to know more about it. She hadn’t even heard of autism until Jesse was diagnosed. So, we would sit for an hour or so after work once in awhile and just talk about it. She’s a great lady.



So, with the unknown road ahead of us, we accepted any help that was thrown our way. I was constantly searching for families who were dealing with the same things, researching the disease and trying to find more information. I felt that educating myself would help me deal with our new life to come.



Well, much has changed. With April being Autism Awareness month, I’ll continue my story throughout the month. Everyone who is touched by Autism should know they are not alone. I felt very alone in the first couple of months from diagnosis, but now know that I am only one among many who have spoken out about Autism and how it affects our lives. Autism isn’t contagious nor is Autism a disease. Autism is a different way of life. Much like a rose needs their thorns for protection, my son needs me to be his guidance. Jesse is my soft petals that show me how sweet the rain truly is.
Tags:  autism,  pdd,  baby,  daignosis
       
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