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April is National Autism Awareness month Hello members and friends. Chris and I have been asked by many of you about our son Chris II. He was diagnosed at the tender age of 25 months with Autism/PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder). Many of you have asked “how did you know?” But that’s the thing you don’t know. We can say that Chris changed at about 20 months. We noticed that he no longer said names, like mama, daddy, or his own household members. No more peek-a-boo or row your boat with his hands. Well, we thought he pulled his ears so maybe he was having trouble hearing, so off to see a specialist. “He’s fine," I was told “boys tend to be slower”. As the months went on some things seemed to be getting a bit more strange. He would flap his hands and began to make grunting and moaning noises. He liked to see things spin around in circles such as water going down the drain in the kitchen sink or toilet or even the scroll writing on TV.
So to sum this up, we went to doctor after doctor, test after test, pill after pill, but he’s still Autistic. There is no CURE but Chris has been taught to live somewhat of a normal life. We have worked with Chris to our fullest ability and it is still on going. We attend classes with researchers and doctors to try to stay updated on the knowledge of Autism. These classes can be very expensive (flights, hotels, registration fees, etc…) but we must do what we can for Chris. When this becomes apart of your family, you read some articles about how some treatments have worked for other children, but that doesn’t mean it’ll work for your child. As desperate parents we took that risk and it cost us about $20,000 for a drug that should have cured him, but failed. “Sorry,” is all we were told. Soon after this disappointing incident, I met another parent at an Autism Awareness group meeting and she told all of the frustrated parents that we all are chosen parents by GOD. He asked his angels to find parents for a special child and we were blessed to have one of the many special children in the world. You see, it takes more than love. It takes patience, understanding, and the willingness to accept the things you can’t change. At that moment the room didn’t have a dry face. So my world today is just a joy. Chris is a very bright young man at 14 years of age; he attends Elm Grove Middle School. He is an A & B student. Everyone knows and adores Chris. He has written poetry that has been published in Louisiana libraries. This achievement led to Chris winning the Young Authors Award as the most outstanding student at Meadowview Elementary. Listed below are the signs and symptoms fo Autism and web-sites with more information. You may also get help through our EAP Representative, Susie Lindsey. If my husband or I can answer any questions you can reach me on the care line first shift, or Chris Beaudion in chassis second shift. You may also contact James Ford in final line material. Web Sites Families Helping Families (help with understanding the rules and laws disabilities for children) Signs and Symptoms Social skills Langauge Behavior |
One day a friend came by to visit the family. She carefully watched Chris as we talked.
Then she asks me “Is your son Autistic?” “No, he just does weird things” I replied. She works with children with mental and physical disabilities. She went to the computer where she researched Autism
and the symptoms so that I could apply them to my son. My world seemed to have fallen apart at this point. She said get your child diagnosed FIRST, and we did just that.