I began graduate work in the field of special education at California State University, but gave birth to my son in 2003, and never quite found my way back to school.
From the time my son was born, my husband and I knew we had our hands full. He cried all of the time. He wanted to be held all of the time, but only by us. He didn't take well to other people, not even those he saw on a regular basis. Washing his hair was a nightmare, resulting in terrible tantrums. He hated having diapers changed. He also slept terribly. I will never forget our seemingly nightly midnight drives up the 5 freeway. It was the only way to get him to stop crying and go to sleep only to have him wake up and start all over again the minute we got home.
I thought something must be wrong but my concerns were dismissed by the pediatrician who said "some babies cry a lot, that's what they do." We put my son in daycare at 11 months but he never seemed to take to the other children, instead clinging to the adults. After 6 months I left my job and stayed home with him once again. My concerns grew as time passed and his social skills did not seem to be developing typically.

One day I took him to the mall for story time. We sat down with several other children who were anxiously awaiting the story. My son, who was just under 2 at the time, was clearly uncomfortable, squirming and crying. The sweet woman who worked at the store came up to us and gently touched my son's arm, trying to comfort him. He began screaming and crying. Feeling embarrassed and frustrated, we left and went into the children's play area. There he was timid, not wanting to leave my side to play. He finally worked up the courage and as he began to make his way toward a piece of equipment, another child touched his hand. This simple act led my son into an inconsolable hyperventilating meltdown. That is the day I called the Regional Center and began the process of getting services for my son.

He is four years old now, and after receiving social skills training as well as occupational therapy, which included sensory integration therapy, he has made huge strides. I have noticed that his progress and regressions come in waves. I often feel that his progress is two steps forward, one step back. And even though that may be true, he is still moving forward. He was recently diagnosed with high functioning autism. His autism is accompanied by sensory processing disorder. Although there are times when the diagnosis is difficult, he is the same sweet, sensitive, articulate, intelligent boy I've know and loved for the last four years.

I hope you will find the additional information on the website helpful. When you feel frustrated and overwhelmed that something just isn't "right" with your child, remember you are not alone. If your pediatrician is dismissive, call your local regional center or school district. There are resources out there to help your child. Remember, you are your child's biggest advocate. You need to support your child and speak on his/her behalf. If you don't, who will?