I think most people are like that, it may be even more true when you have a child with a disability or an illness. As parents we want to KNOW that our child will be OK. We want to know that we are doing the right thing, making the right choices, teaching the correct lessons, and helping in the right way.
For a long time I struggled to find the ONE thing that would help Landon reach his full potential. We did Applied Behavior Analysis with him, before that it was all the traditional therapies: speech, occupational and physical therapy. When we were no longer able to have the ABA done in our home, I had to rely solely on what the school was providing in the way of therapy and education. It wasn't enough and I saw him slipping away and regressing. He lost many of the skills the ABA therapist worked on teaching him and that he worked so hard to acquire.
Now, I know there is not just one thing that will help my son "be all he can be".
There is a popular comparison of Autism to a puzzle. I agree with that analogy. Each child is so different and the autism manifests itself in various different ways in each child, there are similarities, but no two children on the spectrum are exactly alike. I think that may be one reason why some children go undiagnosed, their symptoms don't fit into a neat little description and it can be to such varying degrees.
However, I also think that each child is in and of themselves a puzzle. You have to find all the right pieces to come together to have what is going to benefit the child most.
I wish I had known this sooner.
For my son, I know that having him on the GFCF diet is helping him, I also know that giving him supplements and weaning him off of his prescription medications will be of great benefit to him, it already has been. I can include that all the therapy he receives both outside of school and while in school is helping him in many ways. I also think that having him take piano lessons is increasing his fine motor skills and helping him visually as well. I believe that when I finally get him into it, that taking some kind of karate class will help him as well. These are all things that I can do for my son to help him learn, grow and make progress.
He also needs more intensive one on one therapy called Discrete Trial Training, which is utilized in ABA. That is the one thing that eludes me right now. He needs the DTT to help him learn, to get his education. He needs the ABA part of it for behavior modification, so he can learn social skills, learn to recognize emotions, learn positive behavior.
So, that is what is around the corner for us. I am going to have to come up with a way to provide that for my son. I do not know what comes after that, but at least I do know the very next step.
