On the day he was born everyone commented on how alert Josh was. In fact he never slept, even after going home. He cried loudly and often, hated every piece of baby gear we owned. When I mentioned it to the doctor he immediately smiled and said 'Babies cry'.
At 18 months we noticed he did not answer to his name and spent his days opening and closing cupboards while closely watching the hinges, lining up and counting things and running. We used to say he had 2 speeds, fast and faster.
Shortly after his 3rd birthday we realized he could read. We were mesmerized but his preschool teachers were concerned with his behavior. He screamed and flapped his hands at school, refused eye contact and banged his head on the tables. AT the age of 4 came the diagnosis. Autism Spectrum Disorder. I was filled with a sense of relief and fear. Soon after he started OT, Play therapy and group therapy and I pulled him out of school as he was miserable.
Josh is 6 now. We continue homeschooling and he is the happiest he has been in a long time. He is thriving academically and seems to do better in controlled social situations. His meltdowns are less frequent and his anxiety lower. He is a very passionate child, his interests include Doctor Who, science and Minecraft. His idols are Bill Nye and Vincent Van Gogh. If you need someone to explain DNA, electrical circuits or insects' life cycles he is your guy.
He knows he is different, in fact one time he said 'It's ok to be different. Vincent Van Gogh was different and he was the most brilliant painter of all times' and the quote stuck. We pray he will always be this accepting of himself.
Sprigfield, MI
