Personal journeys

If you have a personal story that can help someone else or put a smile on our faces, send your story to Cindy Magliocca, and she will post it on this page.

Holiday milestones...
You know with the holidays approaching I thought I would just share a little
encouragement for those of you who have young children or just diagnosed
children etc. Ainsley is 9 this year... last year for the first time she
sat at the table for the meal and made it all the way through without a
meltdown. Also it was the first year that my parents finally "got it" and
made sure the tv wasn't too loud, that noise was minimal, that there was a
quiet place for her to retreat and not to take it personally if all of their
efforts were for naught. It was the year they stopped expecting her to be
"normal" just because it was a holiday! I think it was also the year that
we decided that it was ok for her to not celebrate or see some great
importance in the day just because we did.

Seven years ago we didn't know if she would live and it seems as soon as we
knew she would we forgot to be thankful for the little things. Six years
ago she crawled under the table and screamed until we were able to drag her
out. Five years ago she started at the table and then blew a fuse when it
was discovered that there was no pumpkin pie (she doesn't LIKE pumpkin pie
nor does anyone other than her father but she thought it should be there) .
Four years ago she walked around the table flapping her hands and gobbling
like a turkey for 2 hours and 23 minutes (we remember every excruciating
moment!) Three years ago she sat down, hopped up , sat down , hopped up,
sat down, hopped up.....well you get the picture. Two years ago she ate
before everyone else and then disappeared into the tv room and left us in
peace (well until they showed Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving WITH commercials
and she realized that it couldn't be rewound!) And then one year ago she
joined us in our family traditions...on her own terms but she joined us !!
After such a long hard time of not understanding "her terms" it's really
nice to see her come into her own...to become her own person who is a little
more comfortable in the world.

So be thankful for tiny things... itty bitty things even....with our kids every step forward is cause for celebration and every step back is cause for reflection on how we can help
them find their way forward again. This year Ainsley might return to the
underneath of the table and scream...she might flap and gobble but she is
our joy and what keeps our days from becoming dull and for that we are
thankful each and every day. ~Lisa Blocker

One day...
One day I asked my then 12-year-old son if he wished he wasn't autistic. He looked at me like I had asked him a silly question. He replied, "No, of course not." When I asked him why not, he answered, "because I wouldn't be me." He then asked me if I wished he wasn't autistic. I answered honestly, "Well there was a time when I wished you weren't but not anymore." He asked me why not, and I answered, "because I wouldn't be me." ~Cindy

But Mom...
"But Mom, my brain IS my biggest distraction" ~Gregory, 8

Billy's progress...
I would like to let families know about a wonderful nutritionist who has helped me tremendously in the past couple of months with my 9-year-old son, Billy. Before I found her, Billy was on four medications for sleeping, attention, behavior and hyperactivity. With the nutritionist's help, I have been able to take Billy off of all the medications by following her guidelines and recommendations with phytonutrients and glyconutrients and overall diet. Billy has shown very little signs of these symptoms/behaviors returning. As a matter of fact, his language has increased and he has better attention and focus, and he is much calmer. My nutritionist worked as a Speech Pathologist and is currently finishing her Ph. D. in nutrition. Please contact me if you would like information about her treatments or her website at (919) 676-6879 or v_burnside@hotmail.com~Ronnie