Some people have asked how we ended up with getting a diagnosis of Autism for Ryan at such a young age and so we thought we would share our experience.
It is interesting to reflect back and think about when we first suspected something because honestly I can’t remember exactly. I do know that there were multiple behaviours that were concerning and I remember Googling some but coming up with many possible causes for each. One day in the summer of 2011 when things he would do or not do were really bothering me I finally just Googled Autism and I really can’t say why I did other than the fact that I knew it was something that affected many kids and wasn’t sure what it really was and when I finished reading the search results there was a nagging feeling that it was what Ryan indeed had. I remember I didn’t say anything to anyone about what I read at first, that I had to be overreacting, anyone that knows me can attest I have a little bit of hypochondria in me. As the next few weeks went on I remember watching Ryan more closely. I remember during this time Ryan was also having frequent ear infections so we were in and out of our pediatrician’s office quite regularly. I mentioned some of his behaviour to his and other pediatricians and they all brushed it off as things some kids do at his age, how boys are slower, or they had no answer. I guess before I go on I should mention some of the behaviors we were noticing.
1. Lack of eye contact  – It seemed as if he would not really look at people but look past them.
2. He really didn’t want to play with his sister, or take any interest in what was going on around him.
3. Ryan did have some words, I remember telling the pediatrician what they were at a check up but then as time went on the words were never said again and new ones were not emerging.
4. You could yell his name as loud as you could and he wouldn’t flinch, but you move his favorite car that would make the slightest little noise and he would come running for it.
5. Transitioning from one activity to another resulted in a complete tantrum for him.
6. He did not appear to know how to play with certain toys other children his age could.
7. Could not verbally request or request with gestures or pointing. We never knew what he wanted.
8. Mouthed and licked everything!
9. Would bang his head and sometimes bite himself.
Looking back, when taken separately, maybe a pediatrician wouldn’t be concerned and could come up with the excuses we were given including boys are slower to develop, he has had many ear infections maybe his hearing is not quite right, maybe he is teething. It wasn’t till I saw a nurse practitioner and was right to the point and said “Should I be concerned that Ryan will sit and lick the gate between the kitchen and the living room, sometimes even the wall, sometimes me, or that sometimes I will call his name and he won’t respond, like I could go right up to him and scream his name and he won’t turn around, and that sometimes he is so upset that we change what we are doing that he ends up just screaming and yelling and crying?”  I could see the concern in her face but even she couldn’t say what I needed her to say. She told me to just keep an eye on these things. I pushed her and was like well what am I looking for, what could it be, wanting to ask is it Autism but the words couldn’t come out. She just said to keep an eye and if still concerned to bring it up at his 15 month visit with his pediatrician.
At his 15 month visit we did and some things were explained away to teething, some to boys being slower, some to the frequent ear infections. I mentioned the speech, how he would say things and then never say them again, how some words he was using were no longer being used. She told us to give it till he turned 2.
The next day I self-referred Ryan to an Early Intervention program. Basically I wanted him evaluated to see if there were any issues or delays in any areas. We had to wait a month for the evaluation which was over the course of two in home visits that were about 3 hours each. At the end of the second visit they determined he did have a speech delay.

To be Continued…..