We've known our son Krisjon was exceptional since he was about 18 months old. He had many interesting quirks. One thing that stood out was he had no desire to connect with anyone outside our home, including aunts, uncles, and even grandma. Because his twin brother was a social butterfly, this had family members perceiving him as the "mean twin" or the one that "doesn't like anybody".
As the boys grew, their personalities couldn't be more distinctive. My roots as an early childhood professional have always encouraged me to embrace individualism, so I wasn't concerned that one son enjoyed traditional toys and the other preferred manipulative items such as empty bottles, string, tape, etc. I viewed it as unique and creative!
What did pique my interest was the social aspect. Krisjon did not seem to understand personal boundaries. If I held him he would slap my cheeks with both hands or headbutt me in the stomach, not comprehending how much it hurt. At age three, he was still reserved about interacting with others, was often frustrated with fine motor activities, and was extremely active (running back and forth through the house, spinning, jumping off beds, etc).
Our initial suspicion was he may have ADHD - it runs in the family. After learning a little about ASD, my partner and I discussed this as a possibility as well. We voiced our developmental concerns to our pediatrician around Krisjon's third birthday. At age four, he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
It has been a little over a month since our official diagnosis. Though it took a few weeks to get in order, he will begin ABA therapy next week. We are still on the waiting list for OT. At home we are working with him on aggression towards others and connecting with individuals outside of our home. We are also focusing on handwriting and other milestones relevant to starting school.
Our family is just embarking on our autism journey. Though we are uncertain of the challenges we may face, the one thing that is certain is we will face them together.
Hampton, VA
