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Sunday, January 23, 2011

Autism, Sharing our Daily Ups and Downs

My daughter has requested I write about our experience with autism. She and I both feel there are many families struggling to get services for their children with challenges.
There is no "best way" to present this information, so I will go back to the beginning and write about the journey we took.
My child was not diagnosed with any challenges until she had her Pre-Kindergarten screening. We had taken her to her well check-ups, but the professionals did not have the information they have access to now. After having two other children, I knew this child was different. Many visits to the Doctor during her first five years left us without answers, and we were frustrated! Many times we were told, "She will grow out of it." Guess what? She did not grow out of it.
I was lucky, I stayed home and was available to educate myself about the therapies she needed.
Once she began Kindergarten, it was obvious she needed Special Education and related services. In order to get the services she needed, she had to qualify for  I.D.E.A.  This funding would provide her with an Individual Education Plan, tailored to the services which would help her succeed in school.







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