We knew very early that Brandon was different. He was our third baby so my husband and I felt pretty confident in our assessment. At 5-6 months when starting on cereal he wouldn't let you put the spoon in his mouth. He would eat the cereal off the spoon. Then the rocking started and the hand flapping. Pretty soon Brandon started showing other classic signs of Autism. Thus we began our battle. He started therapy at 2. Brandon was non-verbal until 3 yrs. old. He would make a throat clearing sound when he wanted to eat, other than that there was no communication. Then one morning, I said my usual cheery "Good Morning, Brandon!" He looked right in my eye and said in the very same tone "Good Morning, Brandon!" I was stunned. I started to cry. I'd waited 3 years to hear my last baby's first words. After that he started echoing everything he heard! After that he started to use appropriate responses and now at 12 yrs. old can have a pretty decent short conversation with people. He still echo's different phrases he hears but much less now. A new battle started this year, Middle School. We tried keeping him in gen. ed. but it was over-whelming for him and his academics suffered. He is much happier in the self-contained class. The academic work is much more appropriate also. One thing that never changes is everybody can't help but love Brandon! After being silent for so long now you never know what he's going to say!

Racheal Murphy
Avoca, MI