Amazing Grace: Nothing is Impossible for those who Believe

Two years after my husband and I got married, God finally answered our prayers for a child. He gave us Joshua Rafael, our first-born. We were excited and had big dreams for our son. However, as he was growing, we noticed some “red flags” that prompted us to seek medical advice. I was four months heavy with our second child — it had been two years after Joshua’s birth —when we received his diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

(Related story: All About Autism Spectrum Disorder)

I was first exposed to autism when I enrolled in a SPED class as part of my MA requirement. I remember memorizing important information about autism and other developmental conditions. Everything I knew then was based on my professor's lectures, stories from classmates and observations of children with special needs. For my school report, I observed a number of children with autism, talked to their parents, and interviewed their teachers. I was given a tour of their classroom and therapy room, finished my report, and was happy to receive my final grade. 

Thus, I felt like I knew a lot about autism, until my very own son was diagnosed with it. This time though, autism was real! As a parent of a child with autism, I know that there is so much to be done with the little time I have. I never imagined that I could love another person as much as I love my son and my family, and that is all because of my son's diagnosis. 

 

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The moment we were out of the doctor’s clinic, we knew that something needed to be done urgently. I wanted to do many things while feeling anger, grief, and loneliness all at the same time, but I forced myself to stop grieving and start seeking ways to help my son. I wanted to focus on his needs. I finished the school year and resigned from my job, and it was the longest eight months of my life. I kept on telling myself that everything happens for a reason and that time, giving up something that was so close to my heart was much easier for I knew that I should be where I am needed most —at home with the people that matter most to me. 

We called up schools and therapy centers, and asked friends for recommendations. We scheduled assessments and committed ourselves to helping him. We also did our own research regarding his condition. I spent late nights reading books and journals and absorbed everything that my mind could hold. 

Intervention for Joshua started when he was 2 years and 3 months old. He started school and occupational therapy, then speech therapy the following year. He was non-verbal at three years old. We added ABA (Applied Behavior Therapy) before he turned four and at the same time we were introduced to other forms of intervention such as the GFCF (Gluten-Free Casein Free) Diet and Biomedical intervention for Autism.

Even if we knew so little about the condition and the different kinds of intervention at the beginning of our journey, we felt divine guidance along the way. We believe we were led to consider home therapy programs to supplement existing therapy goals. We saw our son progressing rapidly, maybe because we were able to do the activities and exercises on a regular basis and we were able to tailor-fit each activity according to his needs, compared to the usual once or twice a week therapy sessions. 

After two years in a SPED class, Joshua’s developmental pediatrician gave us the go-signal to put him in a regular class, so he was mainstreamed the following school year. It was near the end of the school year when we felt a calling to homeschool him. It was a tough decision to make since socialization was a major reason why we kept him in school. We exhausted all efforts to look for that "perfect" school for him but it seemed that all roads led to homeschooling. 

 

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So in the end, we prayed for guidance and just decided to obey. We have been homeschooling for four years now and it has been a wonderful experience for the entire family. We are just so happy with how things are turning out for Joshua and the whole family ever since we started on our homeschooling journey. We continue to feel God's presence in our lives, guiding, loving and leading us as to which path to take next.

If you are a special parent — a parent of a child with special needs — like me, don't lose hope. Let me share with you a few pointers I’ve picked up, based on our experience with Joshua:

• Learn about your child’s condition. 

• Research. 

• Never forget: You are your child's greatest advocate. 

• Love, love, love. It works wonders! • Expect miracles to happen each day. 

• Celebrate your child's achievements no matter how small. 

• Pray and pray unceasingly. 

Prayer is still our most powerful form of intervention. We continuously ask for prayers from family and friends and together we storm heaven with our thanksgiving and prayers for our son's recovery and healing. 

We believe that recovery from autism is possible! Even though doctors would say that autism is a lifelong condition, we continue to hang on to the Lord's promise, for nothing is impossible for those who believe.

Joshua is now eight years old. He continues to exhibit great progress, and I’d like to share a list of some of his accomplishments so far — things that may seem “normal” for other kids, but are great achievements for kids with autism:

• He learned how to put together the pieces of a puzzle even before he learned how to talk.

• Almost a year after his diagnosis, he began to talk.

• Six months after, he was talking in phrases, then in sentences. Now he talks non-stop!

• He loves to read. He read his first children's storybook when he was four.

• He was learning so fast and we were amazed with his progress.

• He was recommended to attend a regular preschool class, and was mainstreamed after two years in a SPED class.

• He was progressing so fast that he was discharged from occupational therapy services after three years.

• He learned how to swallow a (medicine) capsule when he was four. Now he swallows capsules of all shapes and sizes.

• He drinks his medicines on his own. He knows which medicine to take and when to take it. He actually knows his medicine schedule better than his dad.

• He bathes himself and dresses up on his own. He chooses his own clothes.

• He is learning how to cook.

• He sets the table and helps in household chores.

• He prays before eating.

• He eats on his own, carries his plate and cup to the sink, and volunteers to wash them.

• He is disciplined to eat only the food that we prepare for him or those that are inside his lunchbox.

• He knows how to use the computer.He remembers all passwords.

• He greets us good morning upon waking up and gives us a hug and a kiss.

• He knows how to make us laugh.

• He loves his sisters dearly and enjoys playing with them. 

• He packs away his toys and school materials.

• He knows how to say sorry when he does something that we do not approve of or when he has hurt anyone.

• He memorizes the words of a song after listening to it a few times.

• He remembers even the smallest detail in a magazine or newspaper ad.

• He loves to draw both on paper and on his Megasketcher.

• He is learning how to play the piano.

• He is now learning how to play basketball and soccer.

• He knows how to ride a bike with training wheels.

• Whenever we go to Mass, he behaves for the entire time and participates actively in singing the mass songs.

• He enjoys listening to Bo Sanchez preach each and every Sunday at The Feast, a prayer gathering we regularly attend. He raises his hands and sings songs of praise and worship.

• He knows how to write prayers for his own healing and recovery. He also prays for the of sick family members and friends. He prays the rosary and knows what mystery to pray for the day.

• He has joined various school programs, singing and dancing on stage.

The list gets longer and longer each day, but for me, the most important thing on this list that I treasure most was the first time Joshua called me “Mommy.” I knew then that the Lord has great plans for my son. It was also then when we realized that we should never stop dreaming for him.

 

Photo by Lance Neilson via flickr creative commons