NWR...My almost 2 year old son Blake was diagnosed with Autism

Im so sorry

Im very sorry.

hey melanie...just wanted to offer hugs & prayers for u guys

just stay positive, motivated and strong! and i also HIGHLY reccomend the Jenny McCarthy book...she's amazing & has such great information. i'll be keeping u, ur hubby & ur little boy in my thoughts & prayers!

Oh Melanie.... I can only imagine the pain you're in. We were worried for a time that my niece had Cerebral Palsy and we were just devastated. I can only imagine.

I'm sure there's lots of wonderful advice and great words in this thread. And I'm sure many have said that they continue to learn more and more about autism and how to make life easier for children and their parents. One of my favorite students has autism so I have a very big spot in my heart for these children. I know that words can't heal....but you know time will. Just know we are here for you!!! You have every right to feel every kind of emotion in the book right now. Don't feel guilty for a second.

I'll be and thinking of you.

---

Posted by hayleyandsteve



Have you read the Welcome to Holland story?

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, 'Welcome to Holland.'

'Holland?!?' you say. 'What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.'

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say 'Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned.'

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.


I work and have worked with infants, children, and adults with Autism. I understand the struggles that you'll go through and the heartache - but please know that there is SO much love and life in your child! There are a ton of different services that your child can receive. We have some children with autism at the school where I'm working now and many of them are mainstreaming and have made such significant progress.

If you need to talk you can FM me! (I'm a speech-language pathologist btw)

---

oh Hayley...that story is so perfect. It totally made me.

We have such great girls on this board, don't we?

I wish I had something comforting to write, but I dont. I know with a lot of love, anything is possible. Don't give up!

I'm so sorry Mel!!! but gratefully you found out early and can get him the proper evaluation & classes he'll need. I've worked with 3 different people with autistic sons, and each of the 3 boys were different. as time goes on, you'll see how much this does or doesn't affect him, but at least he has two loving parents!! you guys are in my prayers!

I'm so sorry, this is something very close to my heart because my cousin has autism. It's amazing when you speak to people to find out how many people out there have been touched by this, and also how much support there is out there! I feel awful that yu have to go through this, but what I can say, is that out of all the scary things in this world, Autism has SO much research going on, and we're getting closer and closer and finding out more and more all the time.

Something that helped me to feel better when I got tested for the breast cancer gene (my mom has it so I had a 50/50 shot of having it and needing a mastectomy and my ovaries taken out by the age of 30)...... out of all the things out there, breast cancer has a whole month devoted to raising money and awareness for it! It's like that with Autism when you think about it... it's something that you constantly see research drives for and new schools opening up, and specials on tv... thank God it's something that the whole country is working extremely hard to figure out.

Let me know if you have any questions. My uncle is extremely involed in Autism Speaks, and I'll ask him anything you want.

oh sweetie,

I'm so sorry to hear that. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

I am so sorry. But think positively..and be strong. I know you are a strong woman...I know there is no cure at the moment but there are soo many resources that are avaliable to help ur son. dont lose hope

---

Posted by bettybcafe

I am so sorry. But think positively..and be strong. I know you are a strong woman...I know there is no cure at the moment but there are soo many resources that are avaliable to help ur son. dont lose hope

---

It's now 11:45 PM and my eyes look like a freakin bull frog.I'm just plain ole sad.I've gotten a bunch of FM's and to be honest, I don't know how to respond to the kindness that everyone has offered.My main focus right now is Blake. I didn't even eat. Thats the least of my worries. Darren and I have faith, as does our families. ( Those we told anyway ) All I ask is that you keep us in your prayers. I know it'll be a long road, but this soon shall pass. Hopefully. Thanks again for your support, advice and guidance.This is one h e l l of a forum for support., andI appreciate that .Newlywed or not. Thanks girls.

Melanie

Mel,

First off I LOVE what Hayley posted- that is the first thing that popped into my head when I saw your post.

As you know I teach Special Education and let me tell you that children with Autism are one of my favorite populations to work with. And the fact that you found out now - there are so many things you guys can do to help him.

Early intervention is KEY. I have a boy in my class who has autism and just last week at parent teacher conferences his dad said to me that at two years old he really thought his life would have gone down a 'different' path'. Now he is in third grade and my co-teacher had NO IDEA that he was on the spectrum. His parents found out early, and got him the interventions he needed to help him succeed. He is a GREAT kid.

There is so much advocacy for Autism now, so many tools to use. If you need any help please let me know.


for you, Darren, Lucas, and Blake!!!

Mel,
I am sorry to hear about your news!
I hope all is ok! There are so many support groups and ways to rehabilate kids with autism!
I wish you and your family the best!

Awww... Melanie... I am so sorry.... Everything will be ok... There is so much they can do now for children with Autism... Blake is a beautiful baby and he will be ok!!!