The Misunderstood Child

I have been trying to focus on the positive aspects of Elijah receiving his autism diagnosis. Besides the services that he can receive, I think one of the really important positives is that there is an explanation for certain behavior that previously could have come across to others as rude, defiant, or not taught proper social skills. When in reality, Elijah is a very sweet, kind person, he can come across as aloof, uninterested, and not caring about what someone else has to say. He actually does care, but his body language and response do not convey that he does. People who know him well know what a sweet, caring boy he is, but people who do not may never see that side of him and might assume the opposite. One time, we were in the checkout lane at the grocery store. The cashier tried to talk to him. He didn’t even turn his head in her direction at all. I think she thought he didn’t hear her, so then she tried again, but louder. This time, he looked, but shot her a rude...

Last night, we received the news that explains so much about Elijah. We have answers to why Elijah’s struggles with school have been so overwhelming. We have answers to why so many things that work for typical children, and even ADHD children, are not working for him. Not only does he have ADHD, but Elijah now also has a diagnosis of autism. I had to pause and just stare at that sentence for awhile after I typed it. The implications of that statement are huge, and so much to process. Through the whole evaluation process, I had suspected it was coming to this, but now, seeing it typed out by my own hands somehow makes it even more real to me. I am sure everyone is wondering how I feel about all of this. There was a time when I would have been in denial, and never wanted to accept the news. I would have explained away so many things that might have indicated this diagnosis. But, over the past year or so, seeing how profoundly being in school has affected my son’s entire life,...