Autism came to my house the day my son Anthony was born. Early on I sensed something with him was different. I didn’t know what, and couldn’t really explain it; but I just knew.
I did not want to be left in doubt, so when he was two years old I began to look for places where Anthony could be evaluated. I had taken him to the pediatrician, but was told all children are different and grow at their own pace. While I understood this could be true, I also knew I had to do something about my intuition. Since I couldn’t get a referral from his doctor, I decided to look for a place on my own.
When the day of the evaluation came, Anthony was 2 and a half. I remember the day clearly, my emotions were running high. I was afraid of what I was going to hear. My courage and love for my son allowed me to fight through the fear and proceed with the evaluation. In my heart, I knew I would be strong enough to help my son no matter what the result was.
My mother’s intuition was correct.
I left the evaluation with mixed emotions, and so many questions I couldn’t bring myself to ask. There was one thing that was certain, I knew I was going to do everything necessary so that my son could lead a normal life. Just like any other child. Today, I am still here advocating for and fighting for his rights.
Anthony is a very sweet and affectionate child; he loves to sing and dance. Anthony deserves a high quality education that meets him where he is at academically. However, more than anything else, Anthony and all autistic children and adults deserve dignified treatment.
When you are born in a world where you do not fit in, it is because you were born to create a new one .