Autism

So I would like to touch a little on autism in this "episode".

I tend to think that this is one of those things that people hear about but never really think it can or will happen to their child. You hear the statistics of 1 in 91 children are affected by it and think to yourself "aww, how sad", proceed with your day without another thought of autism until you hear something about it on the news or hear about someone's child being diagnosed.

Then you get pregnant and spend your whole pregnancy planning all of the things you will say to your baby. And all of the things that you will teach him or her and all of the conversations you just cant wait to have. Planning. Dreaming. Wishing. Loving. No bad thought shall overtake or overshadow the jovial spirit you have when you think of the new life you are about to embark on.

Baby is born. Life is sweet. Nothing is comparable to the warmth you feel in your heart for this little person that is a perfect combination of you and your husband. You read and read and study all of the milestones that he is reaching and you are over the moon that one day soon he shall be saying "Momma! Momma! Momma!". You dream of days filled with hide and seek and read stories and listen to the things that his imagination sparks.

Somehow that day seems to be late. Almost like...the bus skipped your house and you missed your ride. You wait and wait thinking that surely it's gonna turn around and come back to get you. But deep down you know that it's not coming.

End scene. Enter real life.

This is my life. This is real. This is reality. And yes, autism can happen to your child. My son has yet to be formally diagnosed. But sometimes you dont need a doctor to tell you what you already know. Nonetheless, inshaAllah he will get in by the time he turns 6 in July so that we can have a diagnosis for "confirmation" purposes only.

I recognized that something was wrong. Something was amiss with my baby boy. Physically he was right on cue. Developmentally... not so much. So he was able to go to speech therapy and he was able to enter into a pre-k program offered at our public school. And has made leaps and bounds over the expectations I had. MashaAllah wa Alhamdulila.

Those games I wanted to play, we play. Just with a twist. Stories are read and conversations are a bit one-sided but they are there. I know he's listening. I know he can hear. Perhaps, he cant understand what I am saying. Perhaps he can. The main thing is that he is hugged and hugged and kissed many times a day. I know he knows that I love him. While he may not know what love is, he can feel it. He is active. He is wonderful. He is happy. He is my baby boy and I still feel the warmth when I look at him and realize he is the perfect combination of me and my husband.

He is Malik. He is 5. He is autism.

Be proactive. Pay attention to the signs. Get your child tested. While you may not want to hear the diagnosis, your child needs you to do it. Be strong. Be patient. Through these special beings are surely blessings from Allah.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/ http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=art_exhibit

Until next time.....