My girl is three today. I am, admittedly, a bit of a disaster. Teetering on a tightrope between relief as she becomes older and more self-sufficient, and a deep sense of fear for what this next stage of life will throw at her. I felt guilty writing this. Like it was inappropriate, somehow, to not focus only on the positive milestones reached. But I'm just not in that headspace today. THREE is a big number in the autism world. It's the closing of the most influential early intervention window. It's when the conversation shifts from hopeful suppositions of "catching up" to a discussion of how to support a child with a disability long term. I don't know who will read...
How did you know? This has been the most common question I’ve gotten since opening up about Maggie’s recent autism diagnosis. And I’m so grateful for it, because it shows a genuine interest and desire to understand. Maggie’s relatively quick diagnosis can be attributed to some pretty glaring "red flags" and a vigilant pediatrician. And research supports early intervention for these kiddos to improve long term outcomes and quality of life, so we don’t intend to waste any of that window of opportunity. So, how did we know? The short answer is that we didn't all at once. Our understanding of how Maggie does life has and continues to come slowly. Maggie had a number of sensory and developmental issues...
I would say I'm neither the least nor the most open person on social media. I share snippets of our days on a regular basis, though I think I try to focus mostly on the positive. Nobody needs to see a video of my four-year-old throwing his tenth tantrum of the day, right? It's not about keeping up appearances, it's about putting out into the world that which you wish to manifest. Positivity breeds positivity. And while there are certainly things I choose not to share, I am relatively transparent when I feel an experience might be helpful or relatable to someone else. Especially with my fellow mamas. Another's openness can help us feel a little less alone in this...
