A path is shown

I had Aethan half way through acupuncture school. With all the amazing Chinese doctors and students around, I was in the best place I could possibly be. I delivered my nine pound little boy without the assistance of any drugs.. just Acupuncture and a room full of loving people.



He was a normal baby... sat up, crawled and ate solid foods just like the books said he should. Everyone was still telling me everything was fine when he didn't learn to walk until 18 months.



As he approached two, he learned a couple of words- duck, cat, sit. No Daddy or Mommy, but I thought it would come in time. As he reached two , more words didn't come and the words he was saying started to fade. He started to watch movies alot. Since Aethan was my first child I didn't realize that most kids don't watch entire movies.



I started to become hopeful when Aethan started talking a little bit. But he didn't ask me for things or tell me what he was interested in. He was copying the the dialogue from the movies he was watching. Word for word. Everyone around me thought it was cute, but I was getting concerned. Other things started to appear around me as well. He had four stuffed animals that he had to carry everywhere and screamed as though someone was hurting him whenever someone took one. He wouldn't allow anyone in his space and he would only eat 4 or five different foods- none of the on the same plate at the same time. He hadn't slept all the way through the night yet either.



I invited several kids of parents I knew to Aethan's 2nd birthday, but he didn't even seem to notice anyone was there. And as the day wore on, the people seemd to make him more and more agitated as he tried to escape in to his comfortable place all his own.



That was in January 2006. In March of that year I moved in to a new apartment. I was thrilled when I saw that our next door neighbors had a little girl just a month older than Aethan. Aethan finnally started sleeping all the way through the night. But he wouldn't get out of bed when he woke up. He just started babbling to himself and waited for me to come get him.



Throughout the next few months, Aethan learned to ask for his juice cup. It wasn't really in words, but he had done it enough times that I knew what he was saying. He also started to become really interested in trains. He built train tracks from room to room and played with them for hours. He wouldn't even let anyone touch them.



Aethan was such a pleasurable easy kid, it was hard to think anything might be wrong with him. I could take him anywhere. At restaurants he would spend the whole time taking sugar packets in and out of the container and in the car he would immitate the sounds from the vehicle and stare out the window. He was loving and innocent. no arguments, no intentional mean streaks, no "terrible twos." The only argument we ever had was letting go of his clan of stuffed toys so that he could make it down the 4 flights of stared unscarred.

The little girl across the street started speaking in full sentences and having full ocnversations. Aethan didn't. He still hadn't even said Mommy. He was now 2 1/2. I started to worry.

By now I had started my acupuncture practice and was really up to date on all the latest medical information. I new about the rising autism epidemic and quite a lot of what the symptoms were. As I sifted through information and checklists and tests on my computer, I tried to hide the tears streaming uncontrollably down my face. Aethan had 18 out of 20 signs of autism. Everything I had ever wanted for my son went in a hole in the back of my mind. Fear and heartbreak came over me like nothing I had ever experienced. It felt like someone had died. I spent the next few days until his pediatrician appointment holding on to him tight and laying in his bed crying. I couldn't see the silver lining. I couldn't see how anything good could come of this. I did everything right. I breastfed, fed him organic vegetables, never even gave him antibiotics. What could I have done?

The pediatrician right away suggested autism. She wasn't able to diagnose him, but she suggested some people and that it might be a good idea to get health insurance.

It took months for my insurance to go through. During that time,I took things in to my own hands. I took Aethan off of every food containing glutein or cassein, which isn't easy to do with a kid that only eats 6 things. I changed his yougurt to soy, his pasta to rice pasta and the rest fruits and vegetables. I had to take his food everywhere with me. He became obsessed with Thomas the train.

Aethan's vocabulary started to increase at lightning speed. Everything was a noun or a name. He didn't ask for things or tell you a story, but he could point out and say the name of every animal at the zoo.

Jaiden is Vince's 5 year old son and Aethan's hero. The more time Jaiden spends around Aethan, the more Aethan learns. He knows which ones are the bad guys now.

In March of this past year, we moved in to a house. As soon as we were settled, I decided it was time to take Aethan to the elementary school so that he can start pre-school. Also to the psychologist.

The school did a bunch of rating scale tests and observations. We drove several times an hour away to the developmental psychologist. After a few months and a bunch of paperwork, I found out officially what I already knew- Aethan was diagnosed with Autism in June at 3 1/2 years old.

He will start pre-school in August. He doesn't understand me when I tell him that, but when he sees a school bus he yells excitedely "school bus!"

He says "Hi Mommy" and "Bye Mommy." along with about 1000 other words, mostly nouns or names of things. He now asks for specific foods with one 2-3 word sentences like " I need broccolli." He tells crying babies "It's o.k" and tucks his stuffed animals (3 now) in to bed, telling them "good night."

He still will not answer any questions if you ask him and his family are really the only ones who understand most of his words. He's starting to throw "temper tantrums" when he doesn't want to eat his dinner or take his bath.

Everytime I look at him I remember the simple joy. All it takes for him is a quick drive over the train tracks and he is in heaven. He loves to laugh. He gives everyone kisses. He doesn't look at you when you are talking to him, but if you mention anything about trains, he will love you forever.