Autism: A mother's voice / Interview with Dana and Tameeka part 1
Dana (Left) / Tameeka (Right)
A friend suggested a follow up article on Autism. After thinking about it, from a mother's point of view was the best way to do it. Even after attending a few benefits, I still know very little about Autism. I want to thank Dana and Tameeka for their courage and strength in doing this interview. Thanks to Dana for providing this link if you would like more information:
http://www.sam-inc.org/
http://www.sam-inc.org/
Dana and Tamika
First question, I hate to use this term. What, exactly, is the medical condition known as Autism?
Tameeka: I think the easiest way to explain it is a communication disorder. Also, it is different for every person. You could have a classroom full of Autistic kids and each one will be different. It is very hard to pinpoint symptoms. Early on, there may be similar traits. As kids grow up, they are very different. They will do different things. For instance, my son is non-verbal. He understands, but he can not speak. That may change later on, for right now, that is where we are.
Dana: My son is very verbal. He doesn't stop talking.
Dana to Tameeka: Your son is 6 years old? Tamika: Yes. Dana: Garrett wasn't very verbal at that age either.
Dana: As time goes on, with therapy, they can become very verbal.
(Autism) is something that changes as the child matures? It is not something that stays the same?
Dana and Tameeka: Correct.
Tameeka: It depends because a lot of times there are underlying things. My son is autistic, he also has ADHD. He also has learning disabilities. Sometimes, it's not just Autism. There are other things you are dealing with on top of the Autism that makes it difficult to progress.
You can progress, sometimes, but it is a slow process. It will not happen overnight. It took years to get to where we are now.
Dana: Some people believe you can grow out of Autism. I don't think that is true at all. I think you are born with it. It's how you deal with it and the therapy that is provided that helps you deal with certain things.
This is pretty much, you will be dealing with it for the rest of your life?
Dana and Tameeka: Absolutely correct.
Tameeka: Early intervention is also very important.
There are a lot of people who don't know the signs of Autism. Knowing the signs is half the battle. The signs are there very early on. If you don't know what to look for, you will not know (it may be Autism). I knew.
Dana: For me, when Garrett was 2, Autism was not even spoken of. It was maybe 1 in every 800. Now, it's down to maybe 1 in 55 or something like that?
In the 80's and 90's you didn't really hear anything about it. Now, it is in the forefront. Here, in the Lehigh Valley, there are several benefits year round.
Dana: For me, when Garrett was little, I knew there was something different about him. From a young age, I babysat, so I have been around kids all my life. I never read articles. When you read articles, they vary. I picked up Parenting magazine and read an article about Autism. I was like, Oh My God, this is Garrett.
He had a fascination with ceiling fans. His diet was mostly carbs. Very particular about what he ate. He was very clingy to me. Eye contact was (hesitant) ok, but not great. Any one of those things, by themselves, is normal. But, when you put them all together, that is the sign. It's scary, so I started to have him tested when he was around 2.
Tameeka: It is sort of the same thing with me, with Gavin. He also would be fixated with ceiling fans. He had a couple of words, then he lost them. He didn't say anything. When he started to walk, I noticed he was a toe walker, walking on his tippy toes.
Dana: That was another thing, toe walker.
Tameeka: He flapped his arms like a bird. That is a telltale sign. Like Dana said, when you have all those things combined, those are red flags. I kept saying: "I think he's autistic." People were like: "no, no, boys sometimes develop later than girls." He is my 3rd child, I have 2 daughters.
Dana: That was my other thing. People said: "He is a boy, they talk later than girls." He is a second child. The first always talks before the second.
Part of the human condition is we don't anything is wrong with us, especially our children. It is not something to worry about. Unfortunately, it is the society we live in.
Tameeka: After I kept saying: "Listen, I really think he is autistic." We finally took him to a neurologist. At first, the issue was he was not talking. He should be saying more words than just like "no" at 2. When we went to the neurologist, he said: "I don't want you to think your son has a speech delay. He is autistic." I was very surprised and "OH MY GOD!" Luckily, because of what I do for a living, I knew what to do. I work with adults with developmental disabilities.
I immediately got him into early intervention and that really helped. He was in early intervention until he turned 3. Then, he went right to school a little earlier than other kids. He was given speech, cognitive and behavioral therapy classes. He still gets those things today.
Dana: Garrett received 24 hours of in-home therapy when he was that age. It was a lot of therapy.
Could detecting Autism be easily missed by most doctors? Like you said, if they are looking at specific things vs. the combination.
Dana and Tameeka: I think not now, no. It is so prevalent now.
Tamika: They would be able to see the red flags immediately.
That wraps up part 1. Part 2 will deal with as a child gets older and adjusting in school.
Again, a serious thank you to Dana and Tameeika for their time, courage and strength in doing this interview.
Tameeka: I think the easiest way to explain it is a communication disorder. Also, it is different for every person. You could have a classroom full of Autistic kids and each one will be different. It is very hard to pinpoint symptoms. Early on, there may be similar traits. As kids grow up, they are very different. They will do different things. For instance, my son is non-verbal. He understands, but he can not speak. That may change later on, for right now, that is where we are.
Dana: My son is very verbal. He doesn't stop talking.
Dana to Tameeka: Your son is 6 years old? Tamika: Yes. Dana: Garrett wasn't very verbal at that age either.
Dana: As time goes on, with therapy, they can become very verbal.
(Autism) is something that changes as the child matures? It is not something that stays the same?
Dana and Tameeka: Correct.
Tameeka: It depends because a lot of times there are underlying things. My son is autistic, he also has ADHD. He also has learning disabilities. Sometimes, it's not just Autism. There are other things you are dealing with on top of the Autism that makes it difficult to progress.
You can progress, sometimes, but it is a slow process. It will not happen overnight. It took years to get to where we are now.
Dana: Some people believe you can grow out of Autism. I don't think that is true at all. I think you are born with it. It's how you deal with it and the therapy that is provided that helps you deal with certain things.
This is pretty much, you will be dealing with it for the rest of your life?
Dana and Tameeka: Absolutely correct.
Tameeka: Early intervention is also very important.
There are a lot of people who don't know the signs of Autism. Knowing the signs is half the battle. The signs are there very early on. If you don't know what to look for, you will not know (it may be Autism). I knew.
Dana: For me, when Garrett was 2, Autism was not even spoken of. It was maybe 1 in every 800. Now, it's down to maybe 1 in 55 or something like that?
In the 80's and 90's you didn't really hear anything about it. Now, it is in the forefront. Here, in the Lehigh Valley, there are several benefits year round.
Dana: For me, when Garrett was little, I knew there was something different about him. From a young age, I babysat, so I have been around kids all my life. I never read articles. When you read articles, they vary. I picked up Parenting magazine and read an article about Autism. I was like, Oh My God, this is Garrett.
He had a fascination with ceiling fans. His diet was mostly carbs. Very particular about what he ate. He was very clingy to me. Eye contact was (hesitant) ok, but not great. Any one of those things, by themselves, is normal. But, when you put them all together, that is the sign. It's scary, so I started to have him tested when he was around 2.
Tameeka: It is sort of the same thing with me, with Gavin. He also would be fixated with ceiling fans. He had a couple of words, then he lost them. He didn't say anything. When he started to walk, I noticed he was a toe walker, walking on his tippy toes.
Dana: That was another thing, toe walker.
Tameeka: He flapped his arms like a bird. That is a telltale sign. Like Dana said, when you have all those things combined, those are red flags. I kept saying: "I think he's autistic." People were like: "no, no, boys sometimes develop later than girls." He is my 3rd child, I have 2 daughters.
Dana: That was my other thing. People said: "He is a boy, they talk later than girls." He is a second child. The first always talks before the second.
Part of the human condition is we don't anything is wrong with us, especially our children. It is not something to worry about. Unfortunately, it is the society we live in.
Tameeka: After I kept saying: "Listen, I really think he is autistic." We finally took him to a neurologist. At first, the issue was he was not talking. He should be saying more words than just like "no" at 2. When we went to the neurologist, he said: "I don't want you to think your son has a speech delay. He is autistic." I was very surprised and "OH MY GOD!" Luckily, because of what I do for a living, I knew what to do. I work with adults with developmental disabilities.
I immediately got him into early intervention and that really helped. He was in early intervention until he turned 3. Then, he went right to school a little earlier than other kids. He was given speech, cognitive and behavioral therapy classes. He still gets those things today.
Dana: Garrett received 24 hours of in-home therapy when he was that age. It was a lot of therapy.
Could detecting Autism be easily missed by most doctors? Like you said, if they are looking at specific things vs. the combination.
Dana and Tameeka: I think not now, no. It is so prevalent now.
Tamika: They would be able to see the red flags immediately.
That wraps up part 1. Part 2 will deal with as a child gets older and adjusting in school.
Again, a serious thank you to Dana and Tameeika for their time, courage and strength in doing this interview.
