The Formal Autism Diagnosis

Tristan’s Autism Diagnosis

January 19, 2010 – Well Tristan received a formal autism diagnosis today from his developmental pediatrician at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Tristan’s specific diagnosis is Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified PDD – NOS.  It is a long term for the fact they really do not know what is going on, and he meets enough of the characteristics of autism to classify him with autism, but not enough specific characteristics to place a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome or some other autism classification.

Even though as a parent you know your child is classified as a zebra, until someone puts it on paper you really do not believe they are a zebra, and when you hear hoof beats, you automatically think about a horse.  Does today change anything about Tristan?  Nope!  We will still pursue everything we have done with him so far in terms of therapy.  Power is what we have now.  We now have the power and the knowledge to get us places we have not gotten before with Tristan.  Now his developmental autism diagnosis is on paper, and nobody can deny it.  He is still our little boy, our little horse.

Then, there is me and my feelings I cannot seem to control sometimes.  This day SUCKED big time, and I feel like stomping my feet and rolling on the ground screaming like a two-year-old, asking GOD WHY!  It is okay though, because we all have bad days and then we get over them.  I feel very stressed about what lies ahead, but I know somehow we will prevail – not sure how, but we will.  It could have been a more severe diagnosis on the autism spectrum.  I will accept this and be thankful.

Thanks for your love, prayers and support.  We will go onward and ascend every mountain put in our path.  We will start with a complete diet change for the family and we will get Tristan more hours of therapy, especially speech.  We will get this done even if it kills us as parents.

Tristan has a diagnosis PDD-NOS, but AUTISM will not DEFINE him as AUTISTIC.

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