Noah was born on January 11, 1999. He completed our family. Two parents, a girl and now our boy. We couldn't have been happier. Noah cried so much as a baby. I could do nothing to console him. He would cry for hours on end. The pediatritian said he had colic. The first couple of months were tough. Crying for no apparent reason is a sign of autism but of course back then I didn't know that.
Now when Baylee was 18 months, we could have a full blown conversation with her. So when Noah wasn't really talking by 2, I brought my concerns to the doctor. We were told that since he had an older sibling, she was talking for him and he had no need to speak. We were told not to worry so we didn't worry.
At 4, Noah still was not speaking like I thought he should have been. I came across an article on autism and I really thought that Noah fit the description. Alan didn't agree so we didn't pursue it any further. We started Noah in preschool and at the first conference they said that he was really withdrawn and didn't play with the other children. They also thought that something was wrong with his hearing because he didn't respond much of the time. We took him to the doctor and his hearing was perfectly fine. I was able to get my dream job that fall, stay at home mom. We ended up taking him out of preschool and I got to spend that year with him.
He went to kindergarten the next fall and everything seemed good. The teacher just would say that he was very shy. First grade seemed good too until the end of the year. His teacher called me with concerns because he wasn't doing as well academically as he had been. She also said that he seemed to be obsessive/compulsive. So that summer we took him back to the doctor and she suggested Asberger's syndrome. I had never heard of it in my life. When I got home to research it, I was not happy with what I found. The doctor referred us to a specialist but we couldn't get in for quite some time.
We decided to have him tested through our school system. So from September of his 2nd grade year to December, they did a battery of tests with many professionals. They sat us down and gave us the diagnosis of PDD-NOS or Pervasive Developmental Delay-Not Otherwise Specified. It was on the autism spectum in between Asbergers and autism. I was actually relieved to get a diagnosis and be able to get him the help that he needed. 2nd grade went really well and he had a terrific teacher who followed his IEP.
3rd grade was a different story. The teacher didn't follow the IEP stating that is was only a guide and that she didn't have the time to give him individual attention. So through much prayer, we withdrew him from school and I have homeschooled ever since. Not the easiest thing I have ever done, but worth every minute.
The summer between 3rd and 4th grade, we took him to Riley's Childrens Hospital in Indianapolis to get a second opinion. Again many different professionals worked with him. When we were waiting for the results, I kept praying that maybe the school system was wrong and that Noah was just like any other kid. They came back and said that Noah had high functioning autism. My heart really did sink.
Sometimes I wonder why God gave me this responsibility to raise this special child ,when truth be told, I stink at it. But with His help, I know I can do it.
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