Tuesday, August 18, 2009

FAQ

Answers to your frequently asked questions.

Are your boys twins?
Nope. Bryon was born in July of 2003 and Timmy was born in November 2004. Although I did dress them alike for a while, they are in fact a little more than 15 months apart.

Are both your boys autistic?
Yes. Bryon was diagnosed as severly autistic in January 2008. Timothy was diagnosed as moderately-severe in July 2009.

Are you worried your daughter might be autistic?
Nope. While Aly has a severe speech delay, she shows no characteristics of autism. Unlike her brothers, she has excellent fine motor skills and cognitive skills. She has "purposeful noises" which neither of her brothers had a 2 1/2. She also engages in pretend play and has excellent eye contact. She will be sent to school in January to hopefully resolve the speech issue. I have no doubts that she will grow up to be a normal healthy child. Heaven help me.

Will you have your children genetically tested?
No. My children are not your statistics. Autistic kids are like snowflakes. You won't find any two that are the same, so research may not yield any helpful results. Also, my children's blood, platelets and bone marrow belong to me. You can have some spit if you like, maybe even some urine, but I have to draw the line at what my children would see as unnecessary torture. (I see it the same way)

What is your daughter's name? Does she have a name?
Yes, my daughter has a name. She is named Alyson, though she is rarely called that. I know I call her baby girl a lot, but that isn't her name. OY! We call her Aly unless she is naughty at which time she is ALYSON GRACE! She also responds to Muffin.

How do you handle having 2 kids with autism?
Honestly, not well at all. I take an anti depressant, drink a lot of Diet Coke, and work out every day. I used to cry but that was taking up too much time. I still cry some, but not a lot.

Maybe someday I will handle it by cleaning 'cause my house is a wreck!

Are you insane?
Yes, yes I am .

3 comments:

M'Liss said...

I think you are amazing. I enjoy reading your blog and hearing funny stories from Marni. Humor is a great way to deal with life's stress. Crying is ok too.

Jax @ AlyandAsh said...

I like the question about Aly not having a name. People are retarded! You should print this post out and have it on hand to give people when they start prying into your business and asking these personal questions. Just shove the paper in their face and walk away. Ahhh I'd love to see it!

Dawna Greer said...

Thank you for sharing your trials with autistic children, but mostly with 'retarded' people who ask such stupid questions. You definitely need to tell them to just MYOB! You have a great sense of humor and its great that you can laugh as well as cry. Hang in there--you're an awesome mom!