1 in 97 children diagnosed....

Just a few days ago, the "new numbers" of the autism incidence hit the news. I was very surprised with how unemotional I was about it. I mean, it's scary..., alarming..., an epidemic! I know. But then, I think of how broad the spectrum is, and what these numbers really represent. The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the term used now, to encompass all the different disorders including PDD and Aspergers Syndrome to mention just a couple. Well, a child with a diagnosis of PDD or Aspergers looks very different from my child.

The study goes as far as saying that 40% of the children diagnosed with ASD at an early age, loose their diagosis years later. Some wonder if they were diagnosed correctly to start with, while others point to the treatments that made it possible to recover the child.

You see, Diego has the classic form of autism, he is non verbal and to be honest, he could be the poster child of a kid with developmental delays, if you watch him stemming all day long. Diego received an early diagnosis and early intervention started even before that. We have followed all the treatments, studied the research, the latest interventions, the diets, the protocols.

I'm sure Diego has benefited tremendously from all of it. But Diego isn't even close to lose his diagnosis. Diego doesn't look like many kids with autism do.

My point is, it's hard for me to relate to the new numbers, when so many of the kids being diagnosed with the same diagnosis that my son has, don't really seem to have anything in common with him.

I believe in treatments. I believe in diets. I believe in recovery. But I have learned that as each child is different, the results of the treatment are also different.

I believe that whoever came up with the conclusion that this disorder is a SPECTRUM, was very right. The manifestations are different and the results to interventions are different.

Well, enough said about that. Let's brief you on what's going on with my little one (really, not so little anymore!!!)