Journey Through Autism – Step 1

First of all, take a deep breath. Breathe in… breathe out… everything is going to be ok.

Is your baby not reaching their milestones on time? Non-verbal? Not making eye contact? Flapping their arms? Won’t interact with other kids or adults? Or do you just feel in your gut that something isn’t right? If you said yes to any of those, than bring it in and give me a virtual hug. This shit is stressful AF and I know EXACTLY how you feel right now. I’ve been there before. So I’m going to do my very best to share all of the information, resources and tools I’ve discovered during our journey through Ashton’s autism so that your journey can be a little easier.

Let me first start by saying that I understand how you feel right now. I know that you are confused, overwhelmed, exhausted and sad. This is your baby so of course you are a clusterfuck of emotions. And you know what?  Go ahead and cry it out, scream into a pillow or down an entire bottle of wine. Take some time to process your emotions. When I first realized that something was up with Ashton, I was completely devastated. I remember I just sat there for a couple days, looking at Ashton and crying. I didn’t take my prenatal vitamins like I should’ve when I was pregnant with him- is this my fault? Is he ever gonna have a normal life? Get married? Have kids? Are people going to make fun of him? Is he going to live with me forever? I was a mess. So, I get it.

Now once you’ve had some time to ugly cry uncontrollably in the shower (guilty), it’s time to wipe away those tears, put on your momma cape and get to work. It’s time to give your baby the happiest, brightest future possible. And over the next couple weeks, I’m going to show you where to start and how I am helping my son catch up on milestones and make huge progress.

We’ll go over the diet, supplements and exercises but we need to start with the basics. So this week we’ll discuss step one which is fairly easy- schedule an appointment with your child’s pediatrician. Very often, especially with first time parents, we freak out when they miss a milestone and automatically think the worst. So go see the doctor, express your concerns and let them assess your child. They might even come back and say that everything is fine because it is very common for children to miss a milestone or two and then catch up in a couple of weeks. However, if they agree that something is up, you’ll have two tasks before you leave the doctor’s office:

  1. Get a referral for a developmental pediatrician.

It can often take months to get in with a developmental pediatrician so the earlier you get in, the better. Schedule an appointment as soon as you leave the doctor’s office.

  1. Get a referral for your states free Infant & Toddler program.

Every state in the US offers a free program for children with developmental delays, autism and other developmental disabilities. I’ve met many people whose children were enrolled in the program and after a couple of months, their child was caught up on all milestones. This isn’t the case for everyone (wasn’t for Ashton) but it is free therapy and assistance that your baby wasn’t getting before.  And that is so damn helpful.

So now you have your first steps. Next week we’ll go over the dietary changes I made for Ashton that have helped tremendously. Please remember that this is not an overnight process and what worked for my child might not work for everyone. I am not a doctor or specialist in this field. I am just a mom who is sharing her story and process. And I’m praying that you see gains and growth with your little just like I did.

Now bring it in and give me another hug. It’s going to be ok. You got this:)

9 Comments
  • Trese Thomas
    Posted at 19:43h, 09 February Reply

    I’m fortunate that you gave me these steps privately and I’m already noticing a huge difference in my little. Thank you for being so vocal and transparent about this journey and not some cookie cutter mom saying all the perfect things when sometimes we are just a mess. We got this… I know it!

  • Amber nance
    Posted at 19:54h, 09 February Reply

    Thank you for sharing your journey. I am a mom of a 2.5 year old with autism. It’s very stressful and lonely. I appreciate you for providing me with the tools that have worked for your son!

  • Debora Sierra
    Posted at 20:28h, 09 February Reply

    Thank you for doing this Katryce. I hope to follow along and apply all if not, some of your suggestions to my 5 year old autistic baby boy. I can’t describe the sadness in my heart that I feel on some days for my baby.

  • Victoria Boateng
    Posted at 11:34h, 10 February Reply

    Hello Katryce,
    Awesome article. My name is Victoria Boateng from Chicago, Illinois and I was also diagnosed with autism when i was 3 years old and i couldn’t speak until I was 7 years old. By the grace of God i have use my gift of playing the djembe to inspire the autism community. Thank you so much the information.

  • Stacy Twana Reed
    Posted at 19:48h, 10 February Reply

    Thank you so much. I was lead to your page and although my daughter is getting tested in 2 months I know something is going on. I’m trying to stay strong and get my daughter all the help she needs to have a full and productive life.

  • Alana Sewell
    Posted at 22:36h, 10 February Reply

    Sending my virtual hug now! Thank you for sharing.

  • Damesha Henderson
    Posted at 03:15h, 11 February Reply

    I am here for the help my son was diagnosed at the age of 2 he’s 3 now.

  • Soroyal Meesh
    Posted at 08:02h, 13 February Reply

    I think my mother feels more pressure or out of it when it comes to my son. He’s not diagnosed yet,but being an Autism teacher I see all of the signs she doesn’t understand. He was about to get in on an appointment but then the pandemic hit towards the end of his special need Preschool class. We opted for virtual since last March. I see regression because he’s not in class and we are scared to go to the fun kid public kid places as before. It’s stressful but we make the best of it by creating a fun place at home (trampoline in our yard,brought the play house and swing to the front yard,indoor bouncy house,etc). Its not easy emotionally not knowing what the future holds for him. But I thank you for this resource and openness to share feelings felt by so many mommas especially single mommas like me. I will be sharing. Blessings

    • The Funny Momma
      Posted at 16:31h, 22 February Reply

      I can totally relate to how your mother feels. I was in denial in the beginning too. And kuddos to you for taking charge and keeping your baby in class during this pandemic. I know how hard virtual learning can be for our littles so this is a testament to your strength. I’m happy this post touched you and was able to bring you a little comfort:)

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