A Beautiful Mind

http://lifewithgreyson.blogspot.com/

Big fan of this blog now- thanks to a friend sharing on instagram- I cried and laughed as I read current and past posts.

Autism has been apart of our life journey for two years.  Many people ask me all the time how I found out about Jack.  So here's the story of discovering Jack's super powers.

I was told at his 2 year old check up by another DR- his usual was out that day- that he had autism because he wasn't talking or responding to her calling his name.... I left the appt. very upset, rightfully so, at the DR's quick assumption and tacky comments.  I switched to another DR for a second opinion. She told me it was worth checking out but never should have been said the way it was.  No momma wants that thrown out flippantly.  I took Jack to the ENT to make sure his hearing was alright, then to private speech therapy.  It was pricey and he wasn't really getting anything out of it.  I heard about ECI and decided to check it out.  They did an observation then  came to the house twice a week for therapy.   I just loved his therapists and they became like family to us.  (One of them had a daughter who babysat Jack during our wedding)  When Jack turned 3 he exited the ECI program and they referred him to Lawson Early Childhood.  They accepted him and he is in a PPCD class with 5 other little boys with autism.  Their team of psychologists diagnosed Jack soon after he entered the program.  He is communicating more, requesting, saying our names, putting on and taking off clothes, following simple directions, and currently doing awesome at potty training!  He has come so far in two years.  I have cried more than ever, laughed more than ever, had to trust God more than ever, and leaned on family and friends more than ever.

And now...... I have a husband who lets me cry on his shoulder, encourages me to be brave, and who tries everyday to connect with Jack.  Blended families are very difficult, but adding autism is even trickier.  With autism change is hard (or for anyone!) and we certainly changed up everything Jack was used to.  I also became a step-momma when I married Jon to a beautiful little girl named Ellie.  She has a sweet, gentle spirit and is incredibly patient and kind to Jack.  He does not interact socially so it's amazing to see him hug her, tell her he loves her, and ask where she is.  I also inherited a wonderful second family from Jon who all love Jack and work hard to connect and make him feel loved.

That's the story of how we discovered Jack's super powers- no idea why he has them but I work hard everyday to understand them and help him be successful and happy.  Every day presents new challenges leaving us exhausted and frustrated at times, and there are many things that we can't or don't do like other families, but this is the reality of life for us and I am thankful for the little guy who has a huge piece of my heart.