ann

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/1/2004 9:28:20 PM Eastern Standard Time,

kenanngerb@... writes:

> oh, Benji gets his adenoids out and tubes in next

> week. Doc said he's hearing at (I think she said) 40%

> (because of the fluid in his ears). Maybe we will get

> some language back when he can hear better. He's

> doing so well.

Hi Ann,

Good luck to Benji on his surgery. Keep us posted.

Charlyne

Mom to Zeb 11 DS/OCD

[Guest guest]

mfroof@... wrote: Hi, Everyone.....Ann...thank you, thank you, thank

you.......!!! Bless you

for taking on the NDSC position and pushing the dual dx. It, too heard the

lines " your kid is just severely retarded. " Well.....a severely retarded kid

doesn't start reading in first grade and learning math, etc. Below is the

article 'Welcome to Beirut' instead of Welcome to Holland? Keep us posted

whenever you need letter writers. I have been doing my share of that here in

Pa. because of budgets cuts, etc. Take care, Everyone.

Margaret

WELCOME TO BEIRUT by F. Rzucidlo

(Beginner's Guide to Autism)

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with

autism---to try and help people who have not shared in that unique experience

to

understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this:

There you are, happy in your life, one or two little ones at your feet. Life

is complete and good. One of the children is a little different than the

other but of course, he's like your in-laws, and you did marry into the family.

It can't be all that bad.

One day someone comes up from behind you and throws a black bag over your

head. They start kicking you in the stomach and trying to tear your heart out.

You are terrified, kicking and screaming. You struggle to get away but

there are too many of them……they overpower you and stuff you into a trunk of

a

car. Bruised and dazed, you don't know where you are. What's going to happen

to you? Will you live through this? This is the day you get the diagnosis.

" YOUR CHILD HAS AUTISM " !

There you are in Beirut, dropped in the middle of a war. You don't know the

language and you don't know what is going on. Bombs are dropping " Life long

diagnosis " and " Neurologically impaired " . Bullets whiz by " refrigerator mother "

or " A good smack is all he needs to straighten up " . Your adrenaline races as

the clock ticks away your child's chances for " recovery " . You sure as heck

didn't sign up for this and want out NOW! God has over estimated your

abilities.

Unfortunately, there is no one to send your resignation to. You've done

everything right in your life. Well, you tried. Well, you weren't caught too

often. Hey! You've never even heard of autism before. You look around and

everything looks the same, but different. Your family is the same, your child

is the

same, but now he has a label and you have a case worker assigned to your

family. She'll call you soon. You feel like a lab rat dropped into a maze.

Just as you start to get the first one maze figured out (early intervention)

they drop you into a larger more complex one (school). Never to be out done,

there is always the medical intervention maze. That one is almost never

completed. There is always some new " miracle " drug out there. It helps some

kids,

will it help yours? You will find some if the greatest folks in the world

are doing the same maze you are, maybe on another level but a special-ed maze

just the same.

Tapping into those folks is a great life line to help you get through the

day. This really sucks, but hey, there are still good times to be had. WARNING!

You do develop an odd sense of humor. Every so often you get hit by a bullet

or bomb---not enough to kill you, only enough to leave a gaping wound. Your

child regresses for no apparent reason, and it feels like a kick in the

stomach. Some bully makes fun of your kid and your heart aches. You're excluded

from activities and functions because of your child and you cry. Your other

children are embarrassed to be around your disabled child and you sigh.

[Guest guest]

Hey!

I just wanted to refer you to some other yahoo groups that I belong to

also. Vaccinations by Sheri Nakken and DCAutismRally sponsored by

TACA. You will get tons of other info on vaccines too.

Dawn