I just received a letter from my daughter's neurologist diagnosing her with Autism. It wasn't a total surprise since we had discussed this during her last follow up and I was expecting it. However, talking about a diagnosis is one thing and seeing it in print is another. After all, this is my child who is being labeled. This is the little girl that I had built all my hopes and dreams on. The same baby that I had hoped one day would say words like: "I love you mommy". A child of my dreams who should have accomplished all the "given" childhood milestones by now just like all the other kids out there.
It is interesting that this diagnosis comes at such a time. Autism has become one of those disorders that are experiencing a huge rise of incidences. It seems that it appears everywhere we turn nowadays. New articles come out daily trying to answer the “Why’s” and the “how did this happen to my child?” questions. Various factors such as environment, nutrition, vaccines and such are being blamed to this increase. But maybe, the cases aren’t increasing at all; maybe, they are just “coming out of the closet”.
Even though an autistic diagnosis can be devastating to the entire family, it should still be embraced with a big heart. With that said, I found the most wonderful definition for the word “Autism” on the Internet. I want to share this term with all the special parents out there who are struggling with this invisible enemy that is stealing our kids.
Therefore, the new definition of “Autism” is a child who is:
A wesome
U ndaunted
T alented
I mmeasurable
S ensational
M agnificent
My daughter, Alex, is each and every one of the above terms.
So what is a label anyway? It is whatever you want your child to be…
©Copyright 2007.Najwa S. Hirn. All rights reserved.
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