Friday, January 17, 2014

Early Signs of ASD

I just watched this video, shared by some wonderful ASD mums that I feel blessed to know.

This video is brilliant, it shows signs of ASD in children as young as 14 months old, and it brings back painful memories.  I can see all the signs now, when Hads was a bub.  They were right there from the start, only we did not even know about ASD and we certainly did not know what Aspergers' was.

I wish I had known more when he was younger.  I wish the staff at his Kindy knew more, I wish we could have helped him cope with things sooner.  I wish teachers and early educators were trained more to recognise and help children on the Spectrum.  I remember being told, that Hadley had "tantrums" at Kindy, so he was punished.  He was actually having meltdowns from anxiety, but we did not know this.

I guess most of all, this video makes me feel sad.  I don't know why it does, but it does.  I guess to me it just highlights the differences.  This sadness is my own making, my son is happy with who he is.  Perhaps it reminds me of the struggles, of his younger days which should have been filled with more laughter and happiness.

I am so glad though, that now at the age of almost 9, his days are filled with joy, with happiness, laughter and enjoyment of life.  I feel so blessed to be able to give him the most happiest childhood he can have.  Homeschool have been a life saver for us!  We have the happy boy he should have always been, his smile tells me all I need to know.

Early Signs of ASD in Childhood