Why We Celebrated An ASD Diagnosis

No, there were no balloons or cake. There wasn't a special dinner or even a small party.

What there was, was a sigh of relief.

Yes, there were tears but there was hope.

HOPE.

Now as we enter a new year, people are thinking of their resolutions. They are preparing to leave the past behind, to wish away the old and welcome in the new.

I will never forgot 2016 because it was actually a great year. A year of answers.

A year of HOPE.

It started out rough. Or a better word would be catastrophic.

We had emergency room visits, self harming threats, running away, leaves of absence from work, pulling A out of school, bullying, tantrums, and so much more.

HOWEVER......we had a diagnosis. An answer. A plan.

HOPE.

We then focused on IEP plans, therapy, medication, 1:1 aids, learning and advocating. We started to understand the world of A.

So while I look forward to 2017, to new therapies, new treatments and more advocating, I can appreciate 2016.

Sometimes a diagnosis can be negative.........A's diagnosis saved him.

Surviving The Holidays

The cooking. The decorations. Gift giving. Holiday movies and hot cocoa.

I have always loved holidays. The sense of family and togetherness. The beautiful lights and delicious foods. Christmas trees and pumpkin pies. Curling up on the couch and watching Rudolph. The feeling of warmth and family.

Before A's diagnosis, we would pack our bags and visit multiple family members. It had always resulted in a very cranky A and very cranky parents. Some would think he was rude when exclaiming "this is not what I asked for from Santa" or that every single food prepared was not what he liked. And the puking. Oh the puking. Sensory overload!!!! And I always thought he was just being difficult. Little did I (we) know......

Lights.

Music.

Long lines.

For an autistic child (and parent), Christmas isn't always as magical as those lead you to believe. A is beyond excited that his elves, Sal and Spinner, have returned. The thought of new toys has him beaming ear to ear. But there is so much more to deal with during the holiday season.

"Want to tell Santa what you want for Christmas"?

"No mom, I'll send him a note" (not just an autism thing).

Now let's throw in 10 days off from school. There goes his routine.

Holiday pictures? Not for the kid that can't bear to wear anything other then sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Pizza for Christmas? Of course!!! This is the only thing he eats lately (well, add corn dogs, pizza rolls and pizza bagels to the list).

Now we are going to visit family and everyone wants a hug and a kiss. Well A doesn't hug or kiss anyone but mom and dad.

Oh and my favorite.....A is honest about everything and will blurt it out. Give him a gift he doesn't like. He's going to tell you. I can feel my cheeks getting red just thinking about it.

To keep the magic alive, please don't be offended by our holiday pictures with the kids in sweats. If I show up at your house with a frozen pizza, don't be insulted. We won't have a picture to post of us with Santa and A may not give you a hug (a high five you can count on though).

Our magic may not be the same as everyone else's but it's our magic and we love it!

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Festivus!