Micah has Autism

For over 3 years I have been watching my son. I watch him like a mother watches her first born with awe and wonder. I also have watched him like a scientist observes his subject.

When Micah was about 8 months old I realized something important. The "dancing" he was doing was not dancing. It was flapping.

Flapping is a stimming behavior. Stimming is a self stimulatory behavior that people use to...well...stimulate themselves. It is a lot more common that we realize. Any repetitive motion that has no real benefit is a stimming behavior. People who like to chew straws, tap their foot, or spin their wedding ring are participating in stimming behaviors.

Micah flaps, rocks, and sometimes makes this grimacing face. These stimming behaviors are not in any way harmful to him, but they are not considered socially acceptable behaviors. We work with him to help slow them down, but also make sure to not make him feel like something is wrong with him.

So...I realized that Micah was stimming. I knew stimming is a sign of Autism. At this time, I simply filed the information away. I was in school to be a teacher and decided to just watch him.

When Micah hit 18 months old I scheduled an appointment with his doctor. At this stage Micah was flapping more, he had picked up a fascination with spinning, he wasn't talking, and he was not walking. We talked about how to get him some help and I made an appointment with ECI. (Early Childhood Intervention)

I cried. A lot. I know that the ECI people were doing their job when they were trying to explain to me what their test showed, but I felt like a failure.

Micah was behind on EVERYTHING. They were really surprised that Micah didn't know what a dog or cat said. He didn't walk, only used a small amount of sign language, and he was behind on motor skills.

My theory on teaching Micah was that he needed to simply PLAY. I didn't teach him what a dog or a cat said because we don't have dogs or cats. He didn't know how to open a door because I didn't WANT him to learn how. (easier to keep this kiddo inside if he can't work the doors)

Let's rewind a bit. When Micah was 15-16 months old, I was drawing with him. Working with Micah was getting frustrating because he wouldn't talk. He didn't call me Mama. He didn't call my husband Daddy. He didn't say baba. He would mimic sounds, but none of the sounds had meaning. So, I was drawing with him. I picked up the pen, drew a circle, and said, "Micah. That is a circle." He looked down at it, picked up the pen, drew a perfect circle, and said, "Circle." That moment changed everything.

I realized 2 things.
1. Letters were the only thing Micah had ever wanted to say. He had foam letters that he would show me. I would tell him the name of the letter and he would repeat it over and over again.
2. Not only did Micah say circle, but he could identify circles ALL over the place. Circle was Micah's first word.

By this time I was out of school. (By golly, one day I will finish a bachelor's degree, but not right now.) I had a lot more time on my hands and a mission. I knew from my education classes that even if Micah was diagnosed with Autism, with therapy, he could work to overcome some of the behaviors associated with Autism. Because Autism is a spectrum disorder and I felt like Micah was barely on that spectrum, I decided to proceed with the belief I could radically change the course he was on.

I can't tell the entire story in one post, so I'll stop here. I will say that Micah will be 4 this March. He is still considered delayed in verbal communication and is working on social skills, but he is one of the most amazing and intelligent children you'll meet. He reads very well for a 3 year old, writes, spells, is starting math skills, he knows his colors, shapes, planets, months, days of the week, he counts by 1s, 2s, & 10s, and he has a love for learning that I have never seen before. The more he learns the more he grows out of his shell. He loves and respects books. He loves technology. We were told that 2 is too young for a child to have a DS, but he figured out how to use it on his own. Camera, videos, drawing, ect. He attends PPCD and loves school. He gets to visit the kindergarten class every day to give him a bit more of the academics he craves.

I should be getting reports about the testing next week and we have an ARD scheduled next week as well.

We still face challenges. Micah's stimming behaviors have gotten worse. I think that he will be diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. His eating habits can be interesting at times. He is not potty trained. (although I read that is normal for little boys) There are times it is like he is deaf because he will not acknowledge that I am speaking to him.(normal as well) He has had 2 seizures and takes medicine every day to keep him from having more.

BUT...he is amazing. Just the journey from that first time I wondered if Micah could be Autistic to  (almost) diagnosis has been...well...fun. That may sound so odd, but every child is different and figuring Micah out in order to help him has been like a science experiment or a game. It allows me to be creative in a very rewarding way. Learning how to help him grow and learn has made me learn and grow. It has been a fantastic experience and it is all just starting.

I hope that I by having this blog, I can help others learn about Autism, give some ideas to other parents, and have a place to share.

Thanks!
jozlin