Aaron

I never imagined I would be able to raise a child with special needs, until the day I learned my son was autistic. The day Aaron was born I held him in my arms; his tiny face, hands and feet were so beautiful. I envisioned his childhood as whimsical and happy, filled with laughter and love. He didn’t then, nor has he ever looked less than perfect to me.

            When he was about 18 months old, I noticed a change in behavior. My once bouncy, bubbly, chatty boy seemed to slip into his own world. I contributed that to the fact that all children are different, and thought he would come around. It would be a few years later, when he started school that I would learn my sweet boy was very much different from everyone else.

            It is difficult to describe how it feels when you first come to realize this. Oddly, I felt some relief knowing that someone would tell me exactly what was going on and how to get help. I also felt some guilt and wondered if I should have known sooner or if I could have prevented it. It seems like my mind raced for weeks while we went through the diagnosis process. The result would be OCD and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I listened closely as the doctor explained the diagnosis and treatment options. “OCD is like a brain hiccup” the doctor told me. He went on to explain what he meant by that, but my thoughts and sight had shifted to my four year old playing on the carpet. He chimed in again saying “Speech and behavior therapy are very effective, as well as pharmacological treatment” He explained.    

I remember feeling so overwhelmed with all the medical terminology and the thought of all the appointments, medications, and trials, my son and our family were about to endure. Over the next four years our family has tried a variety of these options. Some have proven to be very effective and others have not. I think every parent has to decide what is best for their individual child. After all, every child is different weather they have special needs or not.

Overall the most important thing we can do for our children is love them. My son has so much love to give and so many people around him who care and push for the best treatment. He has made significant improvements over the years. He is incredibly smart, funny, attentive, enthusiastic, and talented. Not only have I realized I can be the mother my son needs, but he has changed me in so many positive ways. I know God entrusted me with him, therefore we must be exactly what each other needed in this world.