MOTIVATIONAL MONDAYS: AUTISM, HEY I'M JUST A NORMAL KID WITH SPECIAL ABILITIES! :)

   

Sade Cooper's son, Naji Jr. is one of millions of children living with a form of Autism. With 1 out 88 children being diagnosed and boys being four times more likely to have it, this condition is showing no signs of slowing down. Sade Cooper along with Naji Jr. father, Naji Sr.,  are doing what any parent would and that's give their child a normal childhood as they possibly can. Here is Sade interview on how autism has affected her family.

When did you find out Naji Jr. was Autistic? 

Sade: "I knew something was up leading up to his second birthday. He lost speech that he had developed previously but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. He started daycare soon after his second birthday and after 2 weeks of attending they pulled me and his dad into the office and suggested we get him tested. We went through Early Stages and got him tested twice before he was diagnosed as developmentally delayed. He was too young to be formally diagnosed but we were told he had autistic characteristics. 

Finally at almost 3 years old In July of 2013 he was formally diagnosed through DCPS before beginning Pre- K 3 with PDD NOS (pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified) which is a form of autism that is often called atypical because the criteria for autistic disorder is not met. Typically children diagnosed with PDD NOS are high functioning (like my baby) and PDD NOS is considered to be a milder form of autism".

What is a day like in the life of Naji Jr.? 

Sade: "A day in the life of Naji jr. Hmm. Well no matter what day of the week it is Naji is up at 6 am. He's always happy so of course he wakes up jumping on my bed and opening every one of the blinds in the house. Provided it's the weekend it's cartoon time in my house. Naji I can say has a toy for every single show he watches and will not watch them without them. 

 Which can be a problem when he forgets a particular toy at his dad's house. In that case if I cannot interest him in another toy a melt down may ensue. But typically I can talk him down from a meltdown and get him to play with something else if not I let him cry it out while comforting him and eventually he calms down and moves on to something else. He's like that with food as well he obsesses over a specific kind of food and has to be "convinced" to eat something different. But Naji loves to eat so that's a easier task then getting him to play with a different toy. But other than that Naji is a typical kid. He loves watching cartoons and playing outside. A school day for him is therapy filled. He's in a autistic classroom and has speech and occupational therapy weekly. His class is a class with him and 5 other little boys that have autism. There isn't many girls in the autism program and that is because there are more boys diagnosed than girls. 1 in 42 boys are diagnosed a year with autism vs 1 in 189 girls. His days aren't that different from most five year olds aside from the fact that he has therapy all the time and is in a class full of other testosterone filled boys. But to he and I he's just a regular kid".

What is the most challenging thing about raising Naji Jr.?   

Sade: "The most challenging thing about raising Naji jr. Is his speech delay. Naji's speech has grown since he was first diagnosed and started receiving services but it's still not where a 5 year olds speech should be. It's challenging because there are times I don't understand what he's asking because his speech isn't always clear and he gets upset which makes breaks my heart  because there is still a language barrier we are working through. He gets really excited when you know what he's trying to tell you and those times are beautiful but It's heartbreaking when your child is trying their hardest to communicate with you and you have no clue what they are saying".

I've always admired autistic children's creativity, does Naji Jr. have those moments of creating amazing art, music etc at his age? 

Sade: "Well I am introducing him to art now but he's very handy with technology and can work any electronic device. He often watches his favorite cartoons either on his iPad or his kindle fire and can watch a show and reenact an entire episode by memory. His memory is impeccable and he forgets nothing". 

I've always felt Autistic children/adults are not "retarded" as most would think but special beings sent here to show us a different way of thinking. I know its difficult at times, do you have any helpful words for those people who look at Autism in a  "oh! he/she is retarded" negative way? 

Sade: "First of all my helpful words would be to read about autism. There is a lot of misconceptions out there about autism and the best way to really understand it is to do your research and be compassionate because all autistic individuals want is to be accepted".

Do you have any advice for other parents that may have just found out their child is autistic? 

Sade: "It's not your fault I struggled with that after my son was diagnosed. Don't forget you have a support system. I am blessed Naji Jr.'s dad Naji Sr. Is and has always been my support system him, And both our families are. If your family isn't very supportive the many people who make up the autism community are. We are a family I have met people (online)who live as far as Australia who offer so much love &  support and if you meet a family affected by autism I can bet they will throw their arms around you and lift you up. Also always remember you are your child's best advocate. You are their strength and back bone so you have to fight for their education and their services. Never ever give up because it may not feel like you're doing much but in your child's eyes you are their hero".