A Child's Advocate: My hypothetical family situation....

Sunday, June 10, 2012

My hypothetical family situation....

My hypothetical family situation involves a two parent household, both native English speakers, and one 2 ½ year old son. The mother quit her job just before he was born and started going to school full time when he was several months old. The father is military and they moved to where they are stationed shortly after his birth. They have not made many friends. The mother and father have been talking about having another child. That is until their son was diagnosed with autism recently. Now they are worried another child might be diagnosed with autism as well. Their son had not been talking yet and the parents brought this up to his pediatrician at his periodic well visit. Their son was given a series of tests and diagnosed as autistic on the spectrum, but more testing would need to be done to find out more information. The parents wanted to know more information at the time but was told a report would be sent to them. They felt devastated, shocked, alone, and as if all their dreams for their son had been changed. The mother had plans to finish school and go back to working full time but she now has to find the help her son needs to make sure he is taken care of. Her drive to the Children’s Development Center on the local military base is now done once a week for her son to visit with a speech therapist, an occupational coordinator, and a service coordinator. The purpose of these professionals is to help her son develop to the best of his ability and also so she can learn some techniques to use at home. His speech has improved but with autism there are many techniques that need to be tried before finding out the correct path of action.

This is the early stage of finding out about autism. The initial shock is over but more needs to be known and found out for the parents to feel comfortable with autism. Is there anything else the parents might consider or want to know to further their knowledge?

3 comments:

TeresaJune 10, 2012 at 10:12 PM
Tina,
I as a family get’s a result of their child being atypical, I do not feel we can make them comfortable. There needs to be time that the family grieves from knowing their child will not develop like a typical child. Finding a support parent of children with autism group will help some, but they must take it one day at a time.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Cymantha Channey WhiteJune 11, 2012 at 12:00 AM
Tina,
I cannot imagine how the parents must feel about having a child diagnosed with autism. Definitely, there should be a support group available to assist in the transition of their new life style from being a typical family to a special needs family. Hopefully, they will be able to find the service coordinator or social worker to be resourceful in helping them to find the services that they need as they prepare to place the child in kindergarten or a pre-k learning environment. I am interested in hearing more on how this family situation will turn out. Great post!

CCWhite
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousJune 11, 2012 at 4:26 AM
I too picked a similar situation. I could not imagine being put in a situation like this. I provide Respite Care for three autistic brothers and over the years the funding dwindled down to NOTHING. Good luck with your assignment!
ReplyDelete
Replies

Personal Childhood Web

Terry- A neighbour of mine when I was a teenager. She was like a big sister in a way and treated me like my age instead of like a small child. I could confide in her and she helped me through a sticky situation when I was in high school. She taught me that although things seemed bad at the time and like there was no possible way out, that all things end eventually. That thought has helped me through some tough times in my life.
Chris- My brother. Chris joined the service when I was young, but when I'd visit him he never ceased to congratulate a grade or a new step in my life. He is someone who gives appreciation and shows admiration to everyone. He is intense to learn more about you and to help you feel better about yourself along the way. He carries my favorite trait which is sometimes hard to find- common sense. I hope I have gathered at least a handful of his knowledge and kindness along the way. His open heart and courage to do good is a constant reminder to me that there is more to people than meets the eye.
Kathy- A friend of my mother's, she was and still is someone who tells it like it is. She would never hide anything about the truth to me and she was comical in telling it. If I had a question, Kathy had a straightforward answer. Still to this day Kathy will not hesitate to give meaningful opinions and life lessons to me. I don't call her enough, but I do think of her constantly especially when life throws me a curve ball and I make some kind of joke out of it!
Louise- A friend of my mother's, she was someone I could tell things to that I was afraid to tell my mom. She would comfort me and let me know I was normal and tried to figure out ways to help me in any situation. She stayed calm and optimistic and I always admired those traits about her that I wish I could have found at home. Louise has definitely taught me to stay true to myself and not try to change to meet another's needs. She's also taught me positivity lasts longer and doesn't create as many wrinkles.
Melanie- She was a childhood friend who had a stable family life and was very intelligent. She helped me study and she helped me see past what other's thought to find out what I thought. Melanie is someone who I assume went on to become some kind of life changing scientist. She showed me dedication, and for a young child to see a peer unafraid of committment to something left a lasting impression.