{"id":994,"date":"2019-03-11T17:15:07","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T17:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projecthaans.com\/post1-8j969\/"},"modified":"2023-02-26T15:09:49","modified_gmt":"2023-02-26T07:09:49","slug":"post1-8j969","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projecthaans.com\/ms\/post1-8j969\/","title":{"rendered":"My Story: Beginning My Journey With a Special Needs Child"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Desiree Kaur<\/p>\n

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\"Haans<\/p>\n

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Haans at age 5, jumping on the sad by the beach<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

This piece was first published at <\/em>Makchic.com<\/em><\/a> on 7 Nov 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ultimately, it was my motherly instincts that told me, \u201cSomething isn\u2019t right.\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At his first birthday party, my son cried endlessly when everyone sang \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019. Going out was always a nightmare; he would cry endlessly until we got to the car. At 18-months, he was still babbling, not forming words. I waited for him to point eagerly at objects or people. I\u2019m still waiting. Eating was a problem too, until my mother discovered\u00a0a trick to feeding him.<\/p>\n

He was fascinated by fans and objects that spin. He played with toys but was also drawn to water bottles as playthings. On the whole, he was a happy child when in his comfort zone. But I wasn\u2019t in denial either. I saw the signs. I had to do something.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what\u2019s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don\u2019t hear your own voice in your head, that\u2019s a good sign you still have more work to do.<\/p>\n

Be clear, be confident and don\u2019t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it\u2019s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.<\/p>\n

First Steps: Diagnosis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I first researched methods and qualified professionals to diagnose any special needs. The last thing I wanted was a misdiagnosis or unnecessary tests. It was not about the costs, I just did not want my baby to go through unnecessary trauma. I learned that diagnosis for special needs would be\u00a0given by child development consultants, child psychiatrists or child psychologists.<\/p>\n

I previously had bad experiences with private hospitals, so I opted to seek consultation from a government hospital. Calling government hospitals almost always gets you nowhere, so I resorted to writing. I emailed paediatric departments of government hospitals and to my utmost surprise, I got a reply almost immediately from one of them.<\/p>\n

But the waiting list was six months long. Once I had wrangled through the red tape, a doctor called me herself (to my amazement) to fix the appointment four months down the road. The wait was agonising. My son celebrated his second birthday. This time he cried again at \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019 but not as much. \u201cThere\u2019s hope,\u201d I thought, and continued waiting.<\/p>\n

Finally the day arrived, 18 August 2017. The doctor spent two hours with us. My husband and I answered what seemed like endless questions about the past two years of my son\u2019s life. And then, the waiting was over, the words were uttered and there was no turning back:\u00a0\u201cI know this is not what you wanted to hear, but your son has autism.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Making Sense of the News<\/strong><\/h3>\n

My brain went into overdrive. Questions poured out. I made note of the doctor\u2019s recommended websites for therapy and information. Referrals were given within the hospital for therapy and tests. I started planning \u2013 \u2018I\u2019ll come back on Monday to get appointment dates. Who would watch my son when I did that? Would I drive? What about parking?\u2019 Looking back, I wonder how I managed to do that. Fate had dealt us a challenging hand, and here I was taking notes and making plans.<\/p>\n

Next, it was time to break the news to family and friends. The responses are still fresh in my mind:<\/p>\n