Tri-state area is the worst place to have kids with autism

We have been relocating from one place to another due to job placements. For a long time, we lived in FL and bought a townhouse. I thought, we will be there for good. All three kids were born in FL and raising children in your own house might be stagnant for a wish since a change must be initiated to give some flavor to life. This is the start of our adventure.

In FL, the first born entered school in February 2004. He was thought to have autism on the day he turned three when we brought him to his second pediatrician after relocating to South FL. The second pediatrician threw in the idea that he might have autism after our second visit to her office and told her that he is yet to talk and somehow he was so cranky. We told her of one incident wherein he kept asking for us to go out one night at past 9PM EST to drive around. He was crying and crying. He did not say in so many words but his constant word to us was "car" and at the same time pointing to it. I thought he was seeing some ghosts that he wanted us to leave the apartment. He looked afraid. It was three hours before midnight and it was time to sleep or rest for us since he was adamant to leave and would not stop crying, we took him for a ride. He stopped. I let the window rolled down a bit so fresh air can go inside the car instead of using the air conditioning unit of the vehicle. After this, I can not remember anymore if he fell asleep or he was fine after a joy ride.

Our next stop was go to a psychologist, a neurologist, a daycare center and FLDRS. Looking back now, I think, we made some wrong steps along the way. Everything was new and having told the boy has autism was like being pushed by government agencies and private specialists off the cliff. As parents, we were new to autism and that started our engine search for autism. I remember that his father said that it seems out of these criteria, the boy fit the description of having autism. He is not out of the loop. Having a first born son with autism became a puzzle to me/us and so many things were thrown on our way before the full explanation that having autism is a lifelong developmental disorder. It throws the child into the spectrum that having impaired social and communication skills can not ensure him independent living as he grows into adulthood. It is not a disease per se but a societal disease that many still do not understand nor accept its existence.

According to his psychological report done at the Miami Children's Hospital, he has severe communication delay and that requires him to have speech therapy. I remember the times we visited the office, he was sad and crying. He knew that the moment his father and I drove to that certain place, we were going to the hospital. He feared the times we visited the hospital to go to the office of the psychologist. Hence, we had to walk a long time at the hallway just to reach the office. He was not cooperative and even slapped the psychologist when he started singing. On our way out, he was adamant to go back to the vehicle.

More to come...