Developmental Leaps

We're nearing the end of yet another school year. Once again, I find myself lamenting the passage of time. When my son was first diagnosed with autism (and every day since), I desperately wished I could stop time. I wanted to find the perfect combination of interventions that would alleviate his symptoms and then send him on his way through childhood. Despite my fervent wishing, he has continued to grow while I stumbled through research and countless trials (and errors). With each passing year, I am reminded that the older he gets, the impact of interventions will be lessened. In other words, if I haven't recovered him yet...it's not ever going to happen.

And yet, I still have hope. I hope he will continue to improve. I hope he will grow out of some of the symptoms. I hope he will have friends. I hope I am making the right choices for him. I hope...I just hope.

This year, as I began my annual struggle to push away the negative thoughts and focus on hope, my son experienced a big developmental leap. Talk about perfect timing!

Here's a list of the new developments...all of them happened in one week:

-He lied to me. TWICE! Most parents would be upset at this particular turn of events, but autism moms know it's a sign of improvement. This will certainly make it more difficult to determine which of my kids actually started the fight, but I welcome the challenge. Of course, now I have to teach him that it's wrong to lie. I much prefer this particular lesson over last year's 'let's not crap in our pants anymore'.

-He finally learned to use the pedals on his bike! My husband has worked on this with him for years to no avail. My son simply couldn't manage the pedals at all. It was very frustrating for us because we so desperately wanted him to have the experience of riding a bike. All of a sudden, it clicked for him. He can pedal forward. He can stop. He can ride around the block!

-He started nodding his head to indicate 'yes' and shrugging his shoulders for 'I don't know'. My son is very verbal, so these non-verbal expressions are not essential for communication. But, it's still great to see him pick up on these things and then utilize them. Here's the kicker though...I caught him standing in front of the mirror on several occasions 'practicing' the nod and the shrug! Not only did he pick up something new, he wants to make sure he is doing it right! Love, love, love it!

I don't know if it is common in autism to suddenly have several things click all at once, but I do know that's how my kid works. These developmental leaps help keep me motivated. And this particular one couldn't have come at a better time!

A Call To Action!

Today, the Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy held a press conference to announce the findings of their investigation into the prevalence of autism among the children who received compensation through the vaccine court. The takeaway from the conference is this:

"the federal government has publicly denied a vaccine-autism link, while at the same time its Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has been awarding damages for vaccine injury to children with brain damage, seizures and autism."

It was mentioned on Fox News today that families who have received compensation are afraid of losing their annuity if they speak out. The families involved in today's press conference are extraordinarily brave. The link below shows the press conference in case you missed it:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/14611371

So what do we do now?

Our government has already regurgitated reissued their usual statement declaring no connection between autism and vaccines. Do not expect this press conference to automatically change anything with regard to autism. Warrior Moms and Dads, you have to take action! Here are a few steps I recommend taking right away:

1. Thank Fox News (especially Alisyn Camerota) for their ongoing coverage of this important topic.

2. Fill out this form to give your contact info to Ginger Taylor at Adventures in Autism. We can move mountains if we work together. Ginger is a trusted source of information and I am looking forward to her future calls to action.

3. Send the link of the press conference to your local media outlets. Urge them to cover the story.

4. Write to your congressional representatives and urge them to investigate the connection between autism and vaccines. Let them know of the challenges you face as a result of the autism diagnosis. And, tell them all about the families who have already been compensated by and the families that were turned away from the vaccine court.

Today was a big day for Autism. It's important for all of us to stay informed and take action. I will continue posting news on the SpectrumHope.com Facebook page...hope to see you there!