How I Discovered that my Son is Mildly Autistic

After finding out I was pregnant I was immediately begin to eat healthy foods. I exercised lightly and when I needed to take a break and relax, that is exactly what I did. I went to all of my prenatal appointments and I took my prenatal vitamins and iron tablets on a daily basis. My pregnancy with Caleb was pretty normal up until the sixth month. During my sixth month of pregnancy I went into preterm labor. I was given terbutaline and magnesium sulfate. They also gave me two shots of steroids to help his lungs mature. The doctor and nurse were able to stop my labor and sent me home a few days later. Afterward I was put on strict bed rest, which I did obey. At 33 weeks Caleb decided it was time for him to make his appearance into the world. My doctor tried to stop the labor again, but he did not agree with her. The labor went by smoothly with no complications. He was born on March 6, 2008 at 4:10 pm on a Sunday afternoon, weighing 5 pounds and 8 ounces. Most premature babies have a long stay in the NICU, but Caleb came home after 5 days. He is my first born so the first couple of days were a bit shaky, but me and his dad got the hang of everything really quick.

Caleb's first year was pretty typical for a preemie. He was a bit slower in the development department, but he caught up rather quickly. A few months before his 1st birthday I began to notice a few things that weren't quite right. He did not babble much and he was a bit withdrawn. The doctors, as well as family members, reminded me that he was a preemie and that was normal for most premature babies.

After his first birthday I was a bit concerned about his development and was positive that there was something truly wrong with my son. I went to his doctor and she told me that he was to young to be evaluated and diagnosed with anything. Therefore I waited until my son was two years old. By then his development seemed to compare to a 1 year old's development pattern. I took him to another doctor; this doctor was not concerned with autism, but more concerned with his lack of speech. Caleb spoke words such as "Bye", "Mama", and "Dada;" he had a very short vocabulary for a two year old. The doctor referred me to a speech therapist where he was diagnosed with two speech disorders. Although I knew he had a speech delay, I did not believe that was the only thing wrong with my son.

When I took Caleb out with me I always noticed how he would play with objects or toys and line them up in straight lines and get really upset if someone messed up the pattern. He had the ability to remember things in his head that a normal three year old would forget in an instance. When he started school he always preferred to play alone and was bothered by the company of other children. When the children in his class were singing along with the teacher, Caleb was in his own world spinning in circles in the middle of the class. After a while the teachers began to notice Caleb needed to be evaluated. Some of the things they suggested to me I did not agree with, such as him having a behavior problem. Although he does not seem to listen to instructions; it is just that he does not understand or comprehend the way the other children might. Though Caleb was a student in the classroom; he was not learning anything because he needed one on one time with a special education teacher on a daily basis.

At home he also showed signs of development problems. I noticed that when Caleb heard loud noises he would cover his ears and sometimes scream. He was constantly repeating words over and over. He only wanted to eat certain foods everyday, which became difficult when we were trying to get him to eat three full healthy meals on a daily basis. He also had a hard time learning certain things such as his name and age. After I figured out that he learned through memory I was able to teach him his name, age, and birth date, which I was able to teach in 5 minutes compared to the 2 years that Ive been trying to teach him this information.

After Caleb was evaluated he was diagnosed with a mild autism called Pervasive Development Disorder, which affects the social interaction, communication, and behaviors of a child in addition to his two speech disorders. Although I was not thrilled to hear that my son had an autism spectrum disorder, I was relieved to finally know what was wrong with my child. After getting a diagnosis I was able to put Caleb into a special therapy program where he receives the help he needs. He is now thriving and has a much better vocabulary than before. He is now a big brother and although he isn't into much affection he is setting a great example for his sister.

This article was written to help bring Autism Awareness. There are several types of autism that exisist today. If you feel your child has Autism take him to get evaluated. If your doctor does not seem to take you serious, find another doctor who specializes in autism. Doctors are only human and often make big mistakes just like everyone else. Getting your child the help he needs at an early time can really help him later in life. Also, although your friends and family mean well they can make mistakes as well. Remember, mothers know their child(ren) more than anyone else does. Autism is out there is it is up to everyone to raise awareness, you can help make a difference in a child's life.