My son's diagnosis led to creating a school for autistic students

 As a parent of an autistic person, an advocate, and a governance board member of a charter school for students of all abilities, I believe autism is a way of life. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, here is the story of my experiences with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how it played a role in creating a specialized school in my community.

I will never forget the moment I realized my son had autism. I spent months questioning why he wasn’t talking as well as his peers, observing behaviors such as lining up toy cars in a perfectly formed row, and watching him avoid eye contact.

I researched online, and every symptom pointed to one thing: ASD. Still, I wasn’t sure.

Then one day, I had an idea. Because my son is the youngest of three boys, I decided to unearth old family home videos of my older children at the same age as their younger brother to see whether there was indeed a difference.

As I watched, it only took me minutes to realize my 3-year-old child was markedly behind in language and social skills. After communicating my concerns to his father, Gregg, we immediately sought a formal diagnosis.

The diagnostic process would prove to be more challenging than I had expected, and I had to advocate with great effort to obtain the referral needed to see a specialist for testing.

In June 2007, after finally getting an appointment and going through a day-long testing, my son received a diagnosis of autism. It validated what I already knew, and gave me the paperwork required to pursue the therapies he needed.

It is at the point of diagnosis that grief hits many parents and caregivers. Suddenly, aspirations they had for their loved one become shattered dreams. However, sadness is quickly replaced with an urgent need to put aside the “what-ifs” and focus on the task at hand — finding therapies that can help.

Like many other parents faced with this challenge, I spent the initial years after my son’s diagnosis coordinating in-home therapy, navigating school programs, and investigating and implementing alternative treatments, including specialized diets and supplements. I even started a support group for autism in our community.

A journey through the educational system

Educationally, our local school system did its best to provide what it could.

Because funding is limited, and the socio-emotional, academic, and sensory requirements of autistic students are so significant, many school districts in the United States struggle to accommodate the needs.

And my school district was not immune to these challenges.

Source: Medical News Today