| After raising children for sixteen years, I've learned to | | | | When I took my son into preschool, the vice principal |
| trust my instincts. In fact, one psychologist told me that | | | | told me that my son was too young to receive a |
| I have a PhD in my children. In this particular case he | | | | diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome. When I requested |
| was referring to my autistic son, who was five years | | | | my son be tested for speech and language disabilities, I |
| old at the time. | | | | was told that he had none. The Individualized |
| He said, "You've been studying him for five years now. | | | | Educational Plan (IEP) my son had at the beginning of |
| That's how long it takes some psychologists to earn | | | | preschool was withdrawn. |
| their PhD. You are an expert on your son. Don't let | | | | In kindergarten my son came home thirty-eight days in |
| anyone tell you different." | | | | a row having had a wetting accident during class. I |
| Medical Personnel: | | | | thought I had complained to everyone that something |
| I wish I had this much confidence in myself when my | | | | was wrong. Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. All I know |
| middle son was an infant. I kept taking him in for his | | | | is after a meeting between my attorney and |
| well baby check ups and complained about | | | | specialists and the school board's vice superintendent, |
| developmental delays. He was months behind his | | | | attorney and the school's principal, my son was |
| brother for smiling, babbling, crawling, walking, talking, | | | | immediately moved to a different classroom and |
| etc. | | | | teacher. The wetting accidents stopped. |
| I was intimidated into not looking for answers for three | | | | There was a discrepancy between the quality of |
| years by one simple comment from his doctor. "Oh, | | | | work he was bringing home and what he was doing at |
| you had the perfect child first." When my son was | | | | home. I felt my son had a learning disability. The school |
| three and a half years old, I ventured to ask my own | | | | did not. I went to the local learning disability advocates |
| physician in the same family practice. She administered | | | | who confirmed that the school did not have to do |
| some developmental tests on the spot. Then she | | | | anything more for my child. I hired an attorney and |
| immediately handed me a referral to a children's | | | | educational consultant who affirmed my position. |
| developmental clinic. | | | | In the end, I did not continue with the services of the |
| It turned out I was correct in my concern. My son | | | | hired professionals. Once I had begun to trust in my |
| received the diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome from | | | | own instincts, I began advocating on my own for my |
| this clinic. Fortunately, my son was not adversely | | | | son. Eventually we did receive a new IEP for my son. |
| affected by the delay in a diagnosis and early | | | | He went from a child in the top two thirds of his class |
| interventions. | | | | to earning straight 'A' report cards and being placed in |
| Educational Professionals: | | | | the Honors program. |