Raising a Child with Autism: 7 Things Every Parent Should Know

When my son was first diagnosed with autism, I was depressed, confused, and completely overwhelmed. At first, all I could do was cry, yet I was in denial. I was convinced Ryan couldn’t have autism and prayed the doctor was wrong! I had never felt that kind of pain before. My child was incurably damaged, and broken. At the beginning of our autism nightmare, I had no hope and no clue what I should do next. The “experts” said someday Ryan would need to be institutionalized. But they were wrong. Ryan is now an engineer at a major aerospace company.

Eventually, I learned that an “autism” diagnosis doesn’t have to mean “game over.” My son’s recovery from autism was not miraculous, but the result of receiving proper medical care in conjunction with educational and behavioral therapy.

I want to save you time and give you hope. No one should ever have to helplessly stand by to watch their child slip away.

Although it has been over twenty years since Ryan was diagnosed, most doctors still don’t know that autism is medical. Our dedicated physicians never took “Autism 101” in medical school. It wasn’t offered. It still isn’t. Many of our pioneer doctors who know how to treat autism, got on-the-job training because they needed to help their own children.

Here are the seven things I wish I had known about autism when Ryan was first diagnosed:

The word autism along with the many other labels we use (like PANS, PANDAS, Lyme’s, ADHD, and more) simply try to define a collection of symptoms that look different in every kid. Ryan only began to make significant progress after we abandoned the idea that autism was a developmental disorder and started treating it medically. If a child’s health can be restored by treating hidden viruses and infections, recovery becomes possible.

Autism recovery requires a multi-pronged approach. The medical alone is not enough and only makes learning possible. Ryan had to be taught the things other kids knew or learned naturally. We had to catch him up on what he missed when he was too ill to learn. The common mistake many parents make is they do only-the-medical or only-the-behavioral interventions. Both are essential for recovery.

Autism is complicated. It is usually the result of multiple medical issues. Sometimes it takes more than one doctor to address all the problems our children have. If it were easy, more kids would recover. Please don’t give up too soon, like I almost did. For parents who want their kids better before lunch (like me) recovery can feel like forever.

Although there are experts to help us, parents are the ones ultimately responsible for the decisions affecting our children. Over time, I discovered that no one would do this for me. No one wanted my job.

We must trust our instincts and sometimes go against the advice of our doctors. We know our children best. With autism treatment, U-turns are allowed. I made many mistakes, but the one mistake I never made was to give up.

DREAM BIG! Ryan has accomplished so much more than I ever thought possible. Little successes turn into big ones, but it is not always an upwards climb. It is ten steps forward and three steps back. When my son was in middle school, my dream was that maybe someday he could hold down a job at McDonald’s and live independently. But I wasn’t even sure that was possible back then.

Parents must lead the team of doctors, behaviorists, and educators necessary for recovery. We are the only ones with the determination to continue no matter how tired or discouraged we feel. Each member of the team has an important piece of the puzzle.

Marcia Hinds wrote ‘I Know You’re In There: winning our war against autism’. This inspirational book is the story of her son’s recovery. Ryan is now an engineer at a major aerospace company. Marcia has degrees in sociology and psychology from UCLA and is a credentialed teacher. But Marcia’s most impressive credential for writing this book is that she is Ryan’s mother and their family survived the autism diagnosis.

Preview the book on Amazon or on her website.

All profits from Marcia’s book go to spread the word that AUTISM IS TREATABLE.

Marcia is available for speaking engagements, media appearances, and interviews.

Phone: 805 497-8202

Mobile: 805 796-8213

Email: marcia@autismandtreatment.com

Media Kit: http://www.autism-and-treatment.com/media-kit/