The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine Issue 5 | Page 27

Inspired Bloggers Network
cess. You have to come to a place where you release
YOUR dreams and focus on the needs. And who God
intends for your child to be.

Can you share with us your child’s
diagnosis?
When Lira was 15 months old, we took her for a
check up at the pediatrician like all new moms faithfully do. The pediatrician asked me about a few milestones and I explained that she never babbled or pointed. The pediatrician flippantly replied, “She’s probably
autistic but we will deal with that when she is older,” as
she left the room.
My mother and I sat and stared at one another for
a few seconds. “Did she just say what I think she did,”
my lips quivered. “Yes,” my mother whispered.
For three days, I cried and then I gave myself a good
shake and went to work. I was not willing to wait “until
she is older.” I wanted answers now.
We brought Early Intervention into our home and
started basic therapies. The ladies kept reassuring me
that she did not appear to have Autism, but something
did not sit well with me. When Lira aged out of Early
Intervention, I still thought something was wrong. She
had finally learned to speak but still could not write
and would not point. She also ran back and forth,
slamming into furniture and would throw violent fits
that we referred to as manic episodes.
We changed pediatricians and were put in contact
with a local specialist who put Lira through a series of

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seven different tests. He checked her genetics, cognitive
ability, physical stamina, social responses, and more.
The result were taken to the board of doctors who had
accessed Lira and the response was that she was Autism
PDD-NOS. Her IQ was higher than most doctors but
her ability to communicate it was extremely hampered
and her thought processes were very literal.

When Autism Came to Our House is an article I wrote about our experience.

Is there anything that you would like
others to know about your child?
Lira has grown into a fully functioning child. While
she still has some of the same mannerisms, we rarely see
the things that triggered our concern. If she were tested
today, I am not sure she would qualify for the Autism
Spectrum.
While I cannot assume responsibility for the change
in her life – because we believe it is God who works
all things together for our good – I think our early attempts to train Lira brought us the most success. Even
when our insurance would not pay for occupational
and speech therapy, I used YouTube to train myself and
I became her therapist.

Do you have any new goals that you have
created for your child that you would
like them to meet in the New Year that
you would like to share with us?
Right now, we are really struggling with whether or
not to allow Lira to proceed into middle school and

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