Hope Is Within Reach: Overcoming the Challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorder

By Jamie Scheid

You’re sitting in the doctor’s office waiting for your child’s diagnosis. The doctor utters the words you have feared: autism spectrum disorder. Your thoughts become flooded with the hopes and dreams of your child’s future now horribly slipping away. The only words you can say are, “What can I do now?” Hope Is Within Reach: Overcoming the Challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorder is a personal journey for one family that turns hopelessness into hope.

This book is about the challenges of doctors, therapists and the school system interfering with one family’s goal to determine what is happening to their son. Written in a conversational style from one parent to another; this book offers insightful stories and helpful tips for parents looking for guidance. It is a story of instinct, determination, perseverance and ultimately never giving up.

There are many books available on autism spectrum disorder that promises a cure or a healing. This book does not offer a cure but discusses awareness, acceptance and developing an attitude or a voice for your child. Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their highest potential.

Jamie Scheid lives in the Midwest with her husband and two sons, one of whom has autism spectrum disorder. She has spent many years determined to do everything possible for her son including: speech and occupational therapy, homeschool, dietary changes, fighting one of the largest public school systems in the country and actually winning!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jamie Scheid
• Release date: Apr 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781939337733

Jamie Scheid

Jamie Scheid lives in the Midwest with her husband and two sons, one of whom has autism spectrum disorder. She graduatedcum laude from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication.Jamie is passionate about everything related to autism spectrum disorder. She encourages Awareness, Acceptance and Attitude in her book Hope Is Within Reach: Overcoming the Challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has also created the LOOK & LEARN Book Series for Visual Learners as a tool for parents to teach their child in a fun and simple way.When not working with autism she enjoys writing fiction which includes her young adult fantasy The Irish Princess and the Pearls of Eetanam. She is working on other genres such as science-fiction romance and a middle-grade paranormal series.

Book preview

Special Smashwords Edition

Hope Is Within Reach

Overcoming the Challenges of

Autism Spectrum Disorder

by

Jamie Scheid

The information contained within this book is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease, or to provide specific medical advice. Its purpose is to inform, inspire and encourage.

All product and company names mentioned in this book are the properties of the respective organizations. I have no affiliation or monetary involvement with any of the suggested authors or companies listed. Recommendations are provided solely on personal experience and results reached with my child.

Hope Is Within Reach: Overcoming the Challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Special Smashwords Edition

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you’re reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Copyright © 2013 Jamie Scheid. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

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ISBN: 978-1-939337-73-3 (eBook)

ISBN: 978-1-939337-74-0 (Paperback)

Version 2013.04.25

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost I would like to thank my husband for all his support over the years.

I have to thank my family members who have been my biggest supporters. I have never felt like any less of a parent or person when I am around them.

I am very thankful for my amazing friend Janice, who has spent many nights listening to me ramble on about IEPs, therapy and homeschool. Thanks for being a great ear and shoulder.

I am thankful for another amazing friend Becky, who I called upon numerous times for her incredible knowledge about the school system.

For the school therapists: Ms. Linda (ET), Ms. Diane, Ms. Kelli, Ms. Brandi, Ms. Jenna and so many others who always try to encourage Nolan to work hard.

For the therapists at swing school: Ms. Sarah, Ms. Carol & Ms. Colleen. Words cannot describe what a difference your influence has made in Nolan’s life.

For Nolan’s teachers and aides: Ms. Stephanie, Ms. Sherry, Ms. Katie and all the others who continue to work with him every day to get him to his highest potential.

For the instructors at the park district who have been working with him since age two: Ms. Angie, Ms. Kathy and Coach Jay. Thank you for all your patience over the years.

For Dr. B and Dr. G.: thank you for all of your sensitivity and professionalism meeting Nolan’s needs.

To Nolan’s Grandma, who continues to love and support him regardless of his challenges.

To my Mom, who passed away when Nolan was five. She knew how he struggled, but loved him very much and I know she would be very proud of what he has accomplished.

To my Dad, who was so fond of Nolan and saw only the best in him. When I told him I was working on this book to help other parents, one of the last things he told me before he passed away was, Dream big kid. I never forgot that and I keep those words close to my heart.

Dedication

There are so many people that manage day to day with the challenges of a special needs child. I dedicate this book to all of you who continue to inspire me with your courage and perseverance.

And to all the professionals who have dedicated their lives to the research, training and education of our special children. You are the ones that keep us parents hopeful to what the future brings. Thank you for all that you do in making our lives a little easier.

Hope Is Within Reach

Overcoming the Challenges of

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Table of Contents

Chapter One

It’s All Your Fault

Chapter Two

Pregnancy, Birth Through Age Three

Chapter Three

Little One Meets the School System

Chapter Four

Fighting the School System

Chapter Five

Physicians and Medication

Chapter Six

Extracurricular Activities

Chapter Seven

Little One in the Real World

Chapter Eight

Therapy Choices

Chapter Nine

What Went Wrong?

Chapter Ten

What Can We Do?

Chapter Eleven

Father’s Perspective

Chapter Twelve

Resources

A Final Thought

About the Author

References

CHAPTER ONE

It’s All Your Fault

Those were the words that I heard from the child psychologist at our local school district during an evaluation. It’s all your fault he is not talking. You are babying him. Let me show you how it is done, she said trying to get my nonverbal, three-year-old son to ask for a toy instead of screaming for it. I was completely in disbelief and did not want this woman’s help in teaching my son how to speak. I look back at that day often and shake my head at all the things I was told about my son. These were the people who were supposed to have the education and the training to know what to do and all they could do was blame me and my husband. It was hard to believe that we could have caused our son’s lack of speech and immature behaviors. For two years we felt like our life was under a microscope. Every portion of our day was picked apart by doctors and school staff trying to find the main reason that Nolan was incapable of being normal. Finally one day I had had enough and told the school social worker that time had been wasted; Nolan was obviously struggling and it wasn’t our fault. This was the point in our lives that we realized that everything was going to be challenging.

I have heard many times that getting a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) causes one to go through a grieving process—a time to grieve for lost opportunities. I never really went through this process even though many people told me I should and that it would be normal to feel that way. I didn’t want to grieve for my son because he was alive, present in front of me, playing and curious with life. How did these people know that my son would not have a fulfilling life? I would not accept their predictions. It is not that I wasn’t overwhelmed or concerned about my son, but I refused to grieve over my expectations of him. I found comfort when I witnessed him progressing, maturing and making milestones at his own pace.

I know now that I did go through a process. I wasn’t aware of it at the time because I was living my life day-by-day coping with Nolan’s challenges. I went through three stages which I call the three A’s: awareness, acceptance and attitude. The first stage was awareness. I went through this as soon as the school occupational therapist mentioned sensory processing disorder (SPD). I spent numerous hours researching on the Internet and I was surprised to read how many of Nolan’s behaviors were due to sensory issues. I found an occupational therapist nearby that focused on SPD; she evaluated him and said he was a sensory seeker. Finally there was an answer. We began therapy and small improvements were noticed but the classroom remained his most challenging area. We had him in therapy for a couple of months but decided we could no longer continue because insurance would not cover the costs. I began doing therapy myself at home with recommendations from the therapist. I went to the Internet and found information on sensory diets and activities to help alleviate his little over stimulated body. I did this for a year but it still wasn’t helping him in the classroom but I continued hoping for a miracle. I finally took him to a psychiatrist because ADHD had been mentioned as a possible cause of his behaviors. The psychiatrist reviewed all of his medical and school records, observed Nolan then gave the diagnosis of PDD and ADHD. When I arrived home I immediately went to the Internet to research PDD. I had heard of autism but not PDD. I learned that PDD or pervasive development disorder is actually a category of five other disorders that

Reviews for Hope Is Within Reach

[samantha.ann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is touching book. Reading about this families struggles with ASD made me feel great fun I am Canadian and that our school system is more prepared to support famines. I'm not saying it perfect but I do believe it's got more supports. This book also made me think about some of our food choices and the things that we are exposed to in our everyday life. All said this was a really inspiring book!