Ethan's Hope

A study completed in April 2007 by the UK foundation Research Autism found that 25 hours a week of therapy showed significant increases in IQ. The intervention utilized for the therapy was ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis), a focused one-to-one interaction between a child and trained therapist, who creates a highly structured, individualized and systemetic learning environment.

Link to actual report:Research Autism Report April 2007

I guess it is finally setting in… What Ethan’s diagnosis means…I feel a bit neglectful… I could say that with his two sister’s birthdays (Brianna now 6 and Harmony now 12) during the last week of March; with one’s birthday party the last week of March and the other the following week, there just hasn’t been time to reflect. But I think some of it has been just denial of not wanting to face the enormity of it all.

I sit and realize the difficulties and hurdles my son has ahead of him. I, myself, had learning disabilities that I had to overcome and realize that this is nothing in comparison of the possible difficulties Ethan faces. And try as I may to be there and stand by his side, he will have to walk that path on his own power (I can’t do it for him) and in some point in the future walk it alone.

And there is nothing I can do to change that. That fact alone feels like somebody just reached up and ripped my heart right out. Well, I need to get over it. It will not help Ethan in the long run, although I need to take this feeling, the anguish, the helplessness, the concern, and commit it to memory. Once committed to memory, I can then recall it up whenever in the course of the difficult times ahead I get discouraged or frustrated, I can recall the feeling and draw strength from it.

Thursday, March 23 (9:20 AM) – It started out as a clear sunny day, but as the morning progressed the sky grew progressively cloudier and grey. My internal feelings seem to be reflecting the weather outside.

“Your son is autistic. I realized within the first few moments of entering the room…” said Dr. Klein, after spending over an hour listening intently to why we thought our son seemed to be different. All the things that we had noticed different about our son over the course of the past year just re-affirmed her fairly quick diagnosis.