Raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder often means that every gain, small or large, is hard-fought. As parents, we invest our time, our money, our patience, our love - our everything - into helping our children feel well, be well and make progress wherever their deficits may lie.
Ethan has made tremendous gains in the past 3 years; tremendous. I am so pleased with how far he has come, how much healthier his body is and how much more in-sync with his peers and his family he has become. But, it wasn’t easy…and the past month has been a roller coaster of emotion, stress and frustration for me.
Just before I left town for the Autism One Conference in Chicago last month, I realized Ethan had a huge cavity. He’s never had one. So, when I left for the event, I knew that I’d be eagerly attending any and all sessions I could regarding dentistry for children with ASD, anesthesia, Nitrous Oxide, Methylation, basically anything that could potentially relate to our current situation.

Last year around this time of year, I was thrilled to witness Ethan and his peers talking Super Mario Bros. at the lunch table at school (see post here). Living with Asperger’s Syndrome means that Ethan's social progress happens at a different rate from his peers, and some things simply must be taught. This February I’m thrilled again about some progress regarding Ethan and his classmates at school, but this year’s growth involves two totally different cartoon characters…and a little candy, too.
Phineas & Ferb, of the Disney series named after these two brilliant and quirky step-brothers have given me reason to cheer this Valentine’s Day! Phineas & Ferb is a show that Ethan and I regularly watch together. As a parent, I love that the main characters are boys Ethan’s age who are both imaginative and out-of-the-box thinkers, but they’re also polite and patient with their older sister, Candice, who constantly tries to “bust” them. Cool kids! So, when Ethan and I were hunting for Valentine’s cards for Ethan to give to his classmates this year – the final selection was a no-brainer.

This video gives an excellent view of Xander's progress over the last year. There is a distinct change in both his speech and how he connects with me.The 1st clip is a little over a year ago. The second clip is taken after the third day of his Berard AIT. The last clip is April of 2010.
Click here to view Xander: A Progression

Therapists are dedicated, trained professionals that are here to help your child learn, grow and progress. Therapists are NOT miracle workers. Therapists can NOT fix or cure your child in the 1 to 3 hours a week that they see your child. But what therapists can do, is give you and your child the tools and the pathway to take so that YOU can make the progress at home.

Told with the intensity of a medical thriller, the extraordinary story of how Clay Whiffen and his family conquered autism.

When Clay Whiffen was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, his parents didn’t know where to turn. They refused to believe that he could not be cured, and began to try every therapy they could afford -- and many they couldn’t. Frantically they worked, knowing that Clay slipped further away every day. When intensive medical testing revealed that Clay no longer fit the criteria for any condition on the autism spectrum, the Whiffens’ wildest dreams were realized.

Is it possible to have one of the most disgusting autistic events and a great day of progress at the same time?
Yes. Yes, it is.
Poop. I could go into a lot of disgusting detail, but I'll spare you. I will say these words and you can use your imagination: spoonfuls, mold, mysterious smells, trampoline netting, smears, rotating fan, Jacob. Have fun with that.
And now for the good stuff because I'd like to get the occurrences of the last few hours out of my mind. However I doubt I will ever forget. It's seared there forever.