April is officially Autism Acceptance Month. But for parents of a child on the Autism spectrum, every day provides ample Autism awareness.
According to Autism Speaks, an estimated 1 in 36 children in the United States have Autism, while 4 in every 100 boys and 1 in every 100 girls have Autism – boys being four times more likely to be diagnosed with Autism than girls. The average age of intervention and diagnosis for a child in the United States is age five – which means many parents or guardians are missing the golden window of intervention opportunity between 18 months and four years old.
Our oldest son was 12 months old when he stopped naturally achieving developmental milestones. He was toddling around, smiling, interested in his environment, but I was watching for what would organically come next — pointing, waving and talking. I’ve never been good at waiting.
When he was 15 months old, I spoke with our former pediatrician. He told me that boys often speak later than girls, and if my son didn’t have some words by 18 months, he would refer us to a speech therapist. He also told me, treating me like an idiot, that there was no correlation between the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine and Autism. When he told me he would not deviate from the CDC’s required vaccination schedule for our youngest son, I told him we would never be back.
Always being one to panic rather than wait (which served me well this one time), I spoke with my new friend Julie, a former speech pathologist, at church. Her opinion was spot on: Why wait? She didn’t love the choice of speech therapists they were considering sending us to see in three months, so she talked to her former supervisor at Children’s Hospital for us. Little did I know, Julie’s referral enabled us to see the premier speech pathologist in Alabama — who just happened to be on the Board of Directors for Mitchell’s Place, an Autism Intervention preschool.
Our son received an Autism diagnosis at 26 months old. He was able to receive a plethora of early interventions from private therapists and was enrolled at Mitchell’s Place at age three. No one Autism story is the same, but as we watch our oldest work through his challenges and flourish in community college, we know that early intervention played a big part in his current success.
We are now nearly 19 years down the road from that initial diagnosis. I believe God gives us trials and challenges for many reasons, one being the ability to share what we’ve learned and what has worked with people traveling the road behind us. So, if I could give young mamas any advice for tackling developmental delays, it would be the following.
First, do NOT take a “wait and see” approach. It is incredibly hard to admit that your child isn’t meeting developmental milestones. But you are not doing yourself or your child any favors by waiting around to see what happens. Many Autism intervention services are now covered by insurance, but if you need free services, the best place to begin is by contacting the Autism Society of Alabama. They can point you in the right direction for resources and support. With 1 in 36 children being diagnosed with Autism, you are quite literally not alone. Don’t go it alone. Reach out for support for you and your child.
Next, familiarize yourself with a woman named Temple Grandin. Dr. Grandin is the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award winner and has Autism. She has written books for parents of children with Autism that discuss early interventions, parenting insights, and examples of why children on the spectrum have sensory processing issues and language development delays. She explains what “stimming” is and how it is beneficial for autistic children during designated times. She was my lifeline during the early years, and I could never thank her enough for her unabashed willingness to share her story.
Finally, Birmingham has incredible resources for Autism and developmental delays. The following are some of the best organizations to contact if you need evaluations or learning services.
- Mitchell’s Place is an early learning center for children on the Autism spectrum. The specialists there focus on early learning for preschool-aged children. They provide diagnoses, treatment plans, academic and social instruction, and speech, occupational and physical therapies.
- Alabama Autism Assistance Program/The HANDS Program, run by director Courtney King, provides one-on-one and small-group behavioral therapy, as well as training and consultation services.
- Bridgeway Services of Alabama, run by Kerry Price, provides Autism consulting services, as well as school programs for adolescents diagnosed with high functioning Autism
- The Bell Center in Homewood is dedicated to maximizing the potential of children from birth to three years old who are at risk for developmental delays. Children work with speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and early childhood special education teachers on individual development goals.
- Glenwood offers more than 30 comprehensive therapy services for children as young as 18 months old and adults in their senior years. It provides evaluations and diagnoses, early intervention, education services, outpatient therapy, full-time residential care, in-home services, family training and support, and supported employment.
Neurodiversity is prominent now. One in 36 children developing Autism is an epidemic. While some of these children will turn out to be the next Elon Musk or Temple Grandin, a great many of them will struggle with being non-verbal. Many will be unable to hold jobs, consistently care for themselves, or lead independent lives. If anything comes out of U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure, I hope the root of Autism is determined. I hope they uncover what environmental insults are affecting a certain demographic of children – robbing them of their social and communicative viability.
From a spiritual standpoint, I implore every mother to always pray for your child. Lift your child before the Lord, and ask Him to work in and through them for their good and His glory. He loves our children. He still has plans for them. God’s purposes in their lives go far beyond any diagnosis.
Kristin Landers is a substitute teacher and freelance writer. Landers’ previous work includes serving as Communications Director for the Alabama Policy Institute and working for Citizens Against a Legalized Lottery (CALL) to defeat legalized gambling in the state of Alabama.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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