What is Autism?

First, let's make it clear that Autism is not a disease. Autism is defined as a complex developmental disability where signs of this disorder appear anywhere between birth and three years of age. In my personal experience with Autism, my son who is now seven years old was developing quite well for his age until he was about two years old. We started seeing a decline in my son's development that mostly affected his ability to communicate and interact with his family on a daily basis.

When you are a new mom, you tend to just brush these symptoms off as a child developing slower than usual and assume that he or she will catch up later. The danger in this type of thinking is, if you wait to get your child screened the services and resources available to you become limited. As a mom it is important to trust your instinct and have your little one seen by a Pediatrician if you suspect your child has Autism.
It is important to also know that Autism is not a mental disability. It is very easy for people in our society to see a child on the Autism Spectrum and give them a diagnosis of mental instability or retardation. Mental retardation is mostly connected to an inability to learn or develop. Autism is about communication and social behaviors. A child with Autism can learn but often times are not able to convey what they have learned or even understood. In most cases, children with Autism learn and need to be taught in a different way altogether.

I have had many conversations with my children's teachers and explained one simple fact, Autistic children learn in a different way. Meaning, these little ones have trouble connecting the dots and learning in a traditional classroom is often very difficult. With that said, it is important that you work with your local school district to plan a IEP (Individualized Education Plan) that speaks to what your child needs in order to be successful.

Last but not least, Autism is not a life sentence. You've just received a diagnoses and it's devastating I know. I've been there but it is not the end of the story. There are many treatments available to your child such as speech, occupational and applied behavior therapies that are available to you. When intervention starts early your child has a remarkable chance to succeed in society.

It's important to gather information so you know what your options are especially in your state. I would start by researching information on Autism via the internet and checking out websites such as http://www.autismspeaks.org and http://www.autism-society.org.

These websites both have a lot of information that will be helpful to you. As mentioned earlier, if you suspect your child has Autism make an appointment with your Pediatrician so your child can be evaluation as soon as possible. Don't Wait!

A good next step would be to contact your local school district to find out when and where they are conducting screenings if you suspect a delay in communication, social or physical skills in your child. Furthermore, make inquiries with your family. Use your internal network of friends and ask questions. You would be surprised how many families are affected by Autism and their stories can be of much more value when it is personal and coming from the heart. Finally, do plenty of research and go on a fact finding mission. There are plenty of books and resources available for your family that will help you cope and deal with Autism.