Drum Roll Please.......

As a parent you don't want to believe that anything is wrong with your child. For me, I've been in a little state of denial and it's been really hard to admit that our Chunky Monkey is AUTISTIC! Yes, we did get the official diagnosis last Thursday.

I have been procrastinating writing/updating Kyle's blog because I still don't want to put it in black-n-white.....although we have been telling a few close family and friends.....writing it makes it even more real to me. (It may have been more real to me had I been able to be at the informing session instead of via conference call.) And yet we were given a 9 page report by one of his specialists, along with a packet of resources and information on autism...still unreal.

Now, don't get me wrong - I've been in a "sort of" reality mode and have known in the back of my mind that Kyle is autistic. BUT you hold out for that ever so slight chance that there's not enough to support the diagnosis and it is just something minor. I guess my very attitude toward dealing with the reality of our situation (and other parents in the same boat) is why they also include information on behavioral assistance for all of the family members...to help them cope.

On a positive note though, we are already doing most of their recommendations to assist Kyle in becoming more communicative.........
1. speech therapy at school
2. early intervention pre-school class
3. will resume private speech therapy at Spartanburg Regional Hospital
when another therapist returns from family leave
4. occupational therapy at Spartanburg Regional Hospital
5. learning sign language at school, therapy and soon at home

Now, we still have to contact some local and state agencies for further assistance, but we are on the right track.

Kyle is starting to respond to the various treatments.....though he may not be happy to participate all the time. He shocked me a couple of weeks ago by telling/signing "I LOVE YOU"! (I'll try to get some pictures of him signing this weekend.) And the look of pure joy on his face when I very excitedly responded verbally "I Love You TOO"!!!! He also verbally answered his occupational therapist on Monday with "more" and "no" -- slurred of course, but audible/understandable.

Sometimes I feel like we are being cheated by Kyle not doing and saying the typical things that 4 year olds do, but then we get that cute little smile or laugh and you forget about it. I know that we are blessed with a very special Chunky Monkey though!!!! And once we give him the tools (pointing, sign language, words, etc.) to more effectively communicate to us what he wants or needs, then his frustration level will decrease making him an even more funny, loving, smart, tease than he is today. He may not talk, but he sure is cute....and he's mine!