My son, John-Paul, was always behind with milestones. He didn't walk until he was 18 months old, and he only spoke a few words. When you spoke to him, he didn't really seem to understand, and he had trouble making eye contact. Certain noises seemed to be painful for him, like the buzzing of an alarm clock or hair clippers. He had sleep disturbances and had night terrors. Our pediatrician didn't find anything wrong with him, however, because he was always on the tail end of "normal." Moreover, he has always been very good with numbers and with putting things together, so we knew he was smart.
It wasn't until he turned two and began having trouble at preschool that my husband and I noticed that anything was wrong. He couldn't sit still and follow directions. He got easily frustrated and threw tantrums. He wouldn't cooperate with potty training. His daycare teacher seemed to hate him and he dreaded going there. We changed daycares twice more for similar reasons.
We were frustrated. Was our son a bad kid? What were we doing wrong? We took him to the pediatrician, where he was immediately diagnosed with ADHD. We also took him to a behavioral psychologist who noticed the delays. We finally got him tested by the school district, and they diagnosed him as uncategorized autism. They said he was high functioning and had to be monitored for at least three years, and maybe then he can have a firm diagnosis.
Today, he is almost three and a half. He attends a special preschool program and he loves it. He is understanding and speaking more, and he is almost fully potty trained. As it turned out, HE didn't need to change. WE needed to learn to understand him and his condition, and to get him the help he needed. He is still my bright, funny little man, and we are so grateful for the support we receive. Because of his teachers and his therapist, I know he will have a bright future.
San Angelo, TX