Author Q&A, Part 2

Could It Be Autism?: A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps
by Nancy Wiseman

(Page 4 of 4)

The most important way to monitor the healthy growth and development of a child is through an active partnership between parents and physicians. The pediatrician's role is to observe, listen, screen, and refer when a concern is raised. Later, after the child has been diagnosed, the pediatrician should make sure that the family is receiving the proper services, that there is follow up, if the child needs referrals for insurance that it is facilitated, to ask how the family is coping, and to offer resources when appropriate.

Why is it so important to get early intervention?

The child who is missing the core developmental milestones for social relating, communicating, and thinking is missing the building blocks for broader learning. The long-term effects can be devastating. And they go far beyond delayed speech or play skills. The mind and brain grow very rapidly during the first three years of life. This is a very critical time for developing these skills. The older a child gets, the harder it is to learn these skills. But once you understand what core milestones a child may be missing, you know where to intervene. We have a much better understanding of how the brain works. Early on, the brain can adapt and find new pathways when the usual ones are blocked. Later on, it becomes more difficult to create these new pathways.

Studies have shown that children with autism who receive intense, early help enter their school years with higher IQs and less need for special education. Some can make remarkable progress and learn to socialize, communicate, and think creatively, with none of the differences that would otherwise set them apart from their peers.

Tell me about your experience after your daughter was diagnosed?

Immediately following the diagnosis, I went into mission mode to understand the disorder and how to treat it. But I soon discovered hundreds of possible treatments and no one to help me navigate the process. I searched for the best developmental and biomedical specialists and asked them to join my daughter's team. We developed a very comprehensive home-based program using the framework of the DIR/Floortime model, which consisted of 6-8 Floortime sessions each day lasting 20-30- minutes apiece. Our program also included speech/language therapy, play therapy, and occupational therapy 3-4 times per week, as well as many play dates with typical peer models. I enrolled Sarah in a full-time specialized school program with lots of structure and opportunities to explore and interact. Her biomedical treatment included dietary and nutritional interventions, as well as medication. Like many other children with autism, my daughter was later diagnosed with other co-morbid or overlapping disorders, including Colitis, Childhood bipolar, ADHD, and PANDAS. This is not an easy path for parents to walk. But, my daughter has made profound progress over the years, thanks to early identification and intensive intervention.

You talk about "embracing the diagnosis" in your book. How did you do that?

I was perplexed, numb, and devastated at the beginning, but I knew instinctively that I had to do something fast, partly for Sarah's future and partly for my own survival. I wasn't going to let anyone take my daughter away from me, as autism was beginning to do. I knew then that I had to accept and embrace the diagnosis.

No matter how difficult the news may be, most parents are relieved, because deep down, they know something is wrong with their child. Yet, some parents may still be in denial. That is a natural way to protect oneself. But once you have the diagnosis, you must begin to move on. You need to begin processing the diagnosis and coming to terms with what that may mean. Your dreams, hopes, and plans are not really over; they are just going to be different. Your child is still going to be special.

What is the most important thing you have learned from the road you have traveled?

Autism has changed my life in the most profound ways. Initially, it turned everything upside down and inside out. It tested me in ways that I never imagined. But my perspective and priorities changed quickly. As I embraced the diagnosis and accepted that it would change the course of my life forever, I knew this was the path in life I was meant to walk. Autism has not defined my daughter, nor has it changed her personality. Could It Be Autism? will help other families get the early help they need to reach the best possible outcome for their children and families.

Copyright © 2006 by Nancy Wiseman

About the Author

Nancy Wiseman is the founder and president of First Signs, Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to educating parents and pediatric professionals about the early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders. First Signs provides professionals with tools and training and parents with education and support to help young children stay on a healthy developmental path. Nancy is the mother of Sarah, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Today - at age nine - Sarah stands as a powerful and positive example of the impact that early identification and intensive intervention can have on young children with developmental delays and disorders. This little girl, once so profoundly delayed, has made remarkable progress, much like the organization she inspired seven years ago.