How Did This Start?
Our son, Craig, was diagnosed with autism at two and a half years old. We knew nothing about autism, except for "Rainman." Little did we know that it would soon consume everyday of our lives. The diagnoses was devastating and the prognosis was no better. We were told that Craig would never speak (even though he had developed 20-30 words by the age of about 20 months and then lost all speech) he would never play with other children, or be potty trained. The doctor continued to say that we should try not to medicate him for as long as we could, and to be prepared for institutionalization. When the shock wore off, we prayed and prayed and we went on-line and started researching.
The Community
We found a HUGE community out there of parents just like us, who'd been going through this for a lot longer than us. This has been the greatest resource we've found, you have an instant bond and connection with these people because they understand what you're going through. We now have several years under our belts of research, conferences, talking to tons of parents and DAN! doctors (Defeat Autism Now!), as well as our own experiences.
Support Group
We also want to form support through connecting you with other parents who actually understand what you're going through. Too many parents feel like there's no where to turn, you've been devastated by the news that "you're child has autism, we don't know how they get it, and there's no cure or proven treatment for it." We are here to tell you that these things are just not true! Don't give up, there is help, there are things you can do, you can help your child improve and live a happier and more fulfilling life. We are here to give you hope and to tell you to have faith. There are thousands of children out there that are living proof. They are recovering, getting into main-stream school, losing the diagnosis of autism all together! There is hope, don't give up, we're all in this together.
