The Beginning...continued

By the time he was two, I was frustrated. HE was frustrated. Carter could say "no" and something that resembled "mommy" and that was it. We COULD NOT communicate with each other. Not knowing what the real problem was, I just saw an ornery little boy who cried and whined constantly. And I punished him constantly. Why couldn't he just stop? Calm down? Just PLAY? At his two year check up, the doctor suggested we call the "Up to 3" program for help in figuring out what was causing his speech delay. I did. I learned SO much in that first visit. They sent out a couple of specialists to the house, a speech pathologist and a family counselor, I think. While they were there, completing paperwork and asking me questions, Carter was throwing a fit as usual. He was over by the door, tearing coats off of their hooks, kicking and screaming. One of the ladies calmly observed him for a minute and then said quietly, "Do you want to go outside?" Carter stopped and looked at her with big eyes. Yes, he did want to go outside. My heart stopped as I realized that he wasn't just throwing a fit, he was trying to tell me something. That day they taught me how to slow down, observe his body language, and offer help and suggestions. Our relationship changed immediately. My frustration vanished. Yes, life was still hard, but there was a reason why now. My little boy was no longer a tantrum throwing brat. He was a sweet, challenged little soul desperately seeking for help to understand his world. I was determined to get him that help. I am still. I will fight for his help for the rest of my life. They asked me that first day if autism ran in my family, and I realized upon reflection that it does. On both sides. The possibility that Carter could be autistic was presented to me that day. I didn't know what autism was, or what it would mean for my family. I just knew I had found my little boy again, and we were getting help. ....to be continued again....