Day 7- Someone who has made your life worth living for. I have many many people in my life that I love and who are very important to me but the person who has given me a purpose, something to learn so much about and how to deal with day in and day out would be my Bubba. Its funny how things turn out. When we found out we were having a boy I cried because I didn't know what to do with a boy. As soon as I saw him I was completely in love. And he was such a wonderful baby! He slept and ate well, didn't cry too much. That all changed when he turned 3. Like night and day it changed. So many little things now that I look back at everything should have clued me in earlier but oh well I guess. We are working on it now. He hated the 2 year old room at church. I'm not sure why either. He did ok in the 3s but that was the first time he started acting up at church. One of the gals there stayed with him during class and he did better. She and I talked and she told me how her daughter has sensory issues, she also gave me some phone numbers for speech since alot of people couldn't really understand him. I called the Alderwood Learning Center and set up an appointment for Camden to get evaluated and he for sure qualified to go there and get speech services. During that time of waiting, Joey's mom and my mom -separately- told me they had worries that Cam may be autistic based on some mannerism's and speech and physical things he does too. I told them both they were crazy. Once Cam started preschool, they noticed him acting up so we had our first IEP meeting. I asked the school psychologist of he thought that Cam may be autistic. he said he didn't think so. So I left it at that. Fast forward to my friend Alison giving me Jenny McCarthy's book about her son and their journey. I could not put it down. Not everything she wrote about fit with Camden but enough of it did that I started googling everything I could find about autism and aspergers, talked to a friend from my old church who's son is severely autistic for advice and her thoughts. We started Camden on the gfcf diet in May 2010. Just like I'd heard his behavior got HORRIBLE for a few weeks, one day it was so so bad we thought for as plit second that we shouldn't be doing this, but also knew that this had to be ending soon. The next day, his behavior was much better. His eyes were more sparkly. He was being sweet again. Yay! Learning the diet was hard and took alot of time at first. Now, on days he's not here I have to really think about what can we have with gluten?? He he. The diet is not a cure all, but it did make a difference and now if he cheats he gets sick. He barely cheats.
This year was kindergarten, he started out at Westgate with Candace in a regular ed class. They changed the schedule this year to save money on mid day bussing by having every other full days. He did not do well. I ended up picking him up early fairly often, and on the days I didn't, he was sitting in the office. It broke my heart. The principal, his teacher and I talked and decided the best thing would be for him to switch to DK at Chase lake. Developmental Kindergarten classes usually have 2-3 teachers and 6-10 kids. He has 2 teachers and 6 classmates. He gets speech, reading and writing services there. Its wonderful.
We got his diagnosis November 1, 2011. Even with being fairly certain about the news we would get I still cried when the psychologist called me with her findings. Mostly tears of relief rather than just sadness. Now we know. Now we can move forward. Now we can get started working and get some help. Well, we got help at school with his IEP, but no one takes our insurance for him to get ABA. Two weeks ago, a Seattle judge ruled that its unlawful for insurance companies to deny mental health therapy (including ABA) for people with autism. YAY!!! I made some calls that day and found someone in our city who does it and comes out to the house. I applied for DDD and am just waiting to hear back, praying he qualifies, otherwise its gonna be 35 an hour. And I don't know how we can do that. Well, actually, I know we can't afford that.
Since we can't do that, I read everything I can, a friend of mines mom works with special ed kids and specializes in autism so she has been a HUGE AMAZING help to me and Bubs. She gives me ideas, books, info and comes over to help me figure out stuff to do with him. Our last project was setting up his summer chart, now then cards, a portable schedule and a binder full of cards we made to velcro on each chart. It was so nice of her to help me and I'm so excited to use them every day to help summer be a little smoother.
I love my son and will do everything in my power to help him. Autism will not define him if I can help it. He is so sweet, funny, cute, loves trains, loves dogs, loves his sister and brother, loves popsicles and popcorn, likes to play sports, dig in the dirt and ride his "motorcycle" in the backyard. Those are much better things to define him. And the best definition: He's my son and I love being his mommy :)
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