Labels open doors

It’s tough having a label on your child; parents want their child to be seen for ALL they are not seen simply as a diagnosis. But that diagnosis, that label is the key that opens doors. When Lindsey was diagnosed I was not shocked, I knew something was “off”, but I was concerned. I was worried about what that meant as a prognosis, how would her development be impacted and what changes we should make to our expectations.  

I found that I became a stronger mom once she was diagnosed, I have always been head strong and this new challenge brought my competitive side out. If Autism was going to try its best to steal my daughter, I was going to fight back- and knowing what I was fighting was the first step.  Knowing and studying Autism allowed us to find a plan of action, but most importantly it allowed us access to the right therapies, schools, IEPs, scholarships, insurance coverage's and more.

These tools, these necessities are accessible and affordable if you go thru the right channels. First – let it help guide an IEP, see what therapies and support you can gain thru your child’s school. This will do 2 things, it will help them developmentally (At school - Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical therapy etc.) and it will allow them to have more opportunities to learn inside their classroom. Then move on to your insurance company, contact them and discover what insurance covered therapies are available. With these two pieces in place you are setting the stage to be eligible for scholarships that require public school experience and IEP’s. In the state of Florida the most popular is the McKay Scholarship, once a child with a disability is approved they determine an amount of money that you as a parent can apply to private school, whatever private school you believe will best suit your child’s needs. Several plans like this support the Autism community in helping our children thrive.

With this information and diagnosis it becomes the parents responsibility to research and find the best solutions for that child and for that family. The good news is there are many options and many paths to recovery or paths to help that child become their best. It is often overwhelming, it is often frustrating and emotionally exhausting- BUT it is also the most rewarding experience I have ever encountered. I would do it over and over again if it meant enjoying the victories time and time again. No one will ever say it was easy, but being a parent isn’t supposed to be easy. Being a parent is hard work- children often come first, you support, guide and help them become the people of society you hope they can represent. Our children are our gifts to the world.    

Ultimately the best thing that happened to us- happened when Lindsey was 3 years old. On a day that could be marked for some as the most devastating day of her life, I choose to look at it as the most fantastic opportunity to help her recover. Without that terrible moment of knowing this was real and that a real fight would be imminent, I would not have known how to prepare for it and ultimately we will defeat it.

If you are holding off on getting a formal diagnosis out of fear of a label or concern of what others may think- PLEASE DON’T.