Time flies when you are juggling work and family, especially when a child has special needs. It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone and the fight continues for our families dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

As the struggle carries on, many breakthroughs have occurred for many of our children in 2017. This year my son has become more focused in his classwork and socially aware of friends in school.  He actually looks forward to going every morning.

His pronunciation has become clearer and he is realizing how to be a big kid at home, such as, getting what he needs in the kitchen without mom and dad’s help.   It has been a wonderful experience this year watching him grow as a seven-year-old.

As we move into the new year my expectations are high for his continued growth and development, especially in language. He is utilizing a variety of programs to assist in building his communication.  One in particular that we’ve found to be helpful is called Gemiini.  It is a web-based communication program that can be used on any device.  I love using it on my phone while on the way to therapy sessions because he’s able to soak up the information, as we travel up and down the highway. We will continue the program since its been a success.

In 2018, I plan on getting more labs done in conjunction with his biomedical doctor, to see what other supplements may be helpful for his growth and development.  We’ve had a lot of success with the regimen he’s on but there are more nutritional supplements that can assist in unlocking language.

One thing I’ve found that is essential on this journey is ENCOURAGEMENT. Children need to be encouraged regardless if they are typically developing or have a special need.  My son loves praise and continues to try his best with our support.

No matter where we are in this journey, our kids deserve as much as we can give and at the end of the day our love surpasses all.  Moving into the new year it is essential that we remember that although times can get tough, our love and support will inspire our children to keep moving forward.