National Autism Day

I am so happy to hear that there are finally studies showing what I learned so long ago. When a child is speech delayed or autistic, a one to one study is the vehicle out of their despair. When my son was about two years old, he started saying a few words, and then suddenly it stopped. He started doing repetitive behavior, turning the lights on and off, or taking a pen and whirling it. I became worried. I wondered if he was autistic. With great fear and apprehension, I contacted the county for testing. When the testing was finished, the counselor said he was a year and a half speech delayed, but there were no signs of autism. I was so relieved. We were asked to take him to speech class twice a week, where we would be able to monitor the instruction from a one way mirror. There really wasn't much progress, and I felt I needed to act.

I put my career aside and started teaching my son at home. Before long, he knew shapes, he loved numbers, but no talking. After a year of county therapy, we had a final meeting and they advised me to put my son in the early school program for exceptional students. As a teacher I knew exactly what that meant. I tried to explain to the supervisor that he was able to understand, and I knew that he could learn. She quite coldly turned to me and said., "He can't talk". I picked up my papers and exited saying, "No thank you, and goodbye." I kept teaching my son, he loved numbers so much that with the few words he learned, he was doing excellent work. I started looking for the perfect daycare for him, that had instruction as well. I must have visited over twenty schools.

I found the perfect one. It was Baptist School with kind teachers, yet my son at three years old, had to be placed with the two year olds. He still wasn't potty trained, and after a year in this school, they would not advance him to his own age group until he was. His father wanted to send him to a psychologist. I said no. The following weekend, I put us both in the bathroom, and I read to him, and read to him, as he sat. We stayed there all weekend until he finally went. This little four year old boy cried tears of happiness. He knew he had done it. From that day on, he never went potty anywhere else.

Finally, it was time for him to enter the school system. I put him in Kindergarten; what a horrible experience for my son. He was picked on by the teacher because she saw his lack of immediate response as a discipline issue. Giving him smiley or sad faces in a book, depending on his behavior. I had enough. I pulled him out. I decided he would be home schooled. He excelled so quickly it was amazing. I was so proud. I didn't want to give up on letting him go to school, because I knew he needed socializing, so when he was ready for first grade, I put him back in school. He was still somewhat immature and delayed. What a difference a teacher makes! She knew something was "different" about him, so she asked if for 12 weeks, once a week, he could step out for observational therapy, I agreed. By the end of the session, the psychologist told me there was absolutely nothing wrong with my son, if anything  he was a delight.

For second and third grade, I decide to teach at a Catholic school, were I could take my son with me and monitor his progress. He flourished, by the fourth grade I put him back in the public school system, and in fourth grade he received the school's highest FCAT math score. He started learning Karate, playing soccer, learning the guitar, and making friends. He is still shy, but gets straight As in school. Once I was able to help, I let go, every and each grade he as earned from that point on, he has earned on his own, I don't even help him with his homework. He is a delight! He is my love! ..and he's doing just fine!

by Marilyn Daly