Those of you who know me, know that my son was diagnosed in 2006 with Autism Spectrum Disorders. He was
6 at the time. Very late diagnosis meant that he missed the oportunity to receive essential early intervention that could
have helped him. I had been taking him since he was 2 1/2 yrs old for testing, evaluation and assessments. Each time I heard
the same thing, "your son has a 25% developmental delay in speech, in gross and fine motor skills and in interpersonal
relathionships." As a mother that left me asking what next. And each time I would hear, "with a 25% delay we offer
you assistance, help to get your son back on board. BUT, let's retest in 6 months." Six months came and went, 4 times
over! By this time he was ready for kindergarten. Finally I just took him outside of my doctors scope and had him tested on
my own. It was on that date, at that appointment, which lasted almost 6 hours that he was given a diagnosis of High Functioning
Autism, Aspergers Syndrome, PDD-NOS, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Encopresiosis... I felt as if I had been punched in
the stomach.
I quit working (I had been working as the "house trainer" at a local
gym, teaching Yoga and Pilates, it was my Dream Job) to devote time and attention to Michale's needs. I ran around town
and beyond trying to get him his medical benifits, get him in an appropriate behavior program, learn as much as I could about
what I could do to help him. After I learned that his functioning was high, so high that most programs were below his functionality
- causing more regression, I took it upon my self to do what needed to be done - I became his nutritionist, his occupational
therapist, his speech therapist. He is MY SON it was with love that I gave what I needed to and he needed of me to address
his needs.
My husband and I poured through dozens of books, we changed all food coming into
the house and going into our son, we thought differently about all sensory stimulation surrounding him, and guess what???
Nine months later when our son had another evaluation the Dr told me, "this boy is not Autistic!" He did, however,
leave him with a diagnosis of "provisional" Aspergers. That was it.... just that..... after only a few months of
intensive work we (myself, my husband and our immediate family) made such significant changes in our son's life that his
diagnosis has completely changed!!