Biggest
Challenge (s):
Our
daughter was born in 1982, but was not diagnosed as a person with autism
for another eleven years. I first knew that something was wrong when,
after having a  major
vaccine reaction at 18 months of age, she began losing skills that she
had previously acquired. Not knowing what was wrong was one of my biggest
challenges as I tried to find appropriate therapy and to see to it that
she was moving forward in her development. No one could tell me what
was wrong or what I needed to do for her. With the stresses of Mandy’s
behavior, keeping our family together was difficult at best. Eventually,
when she was four, I had to leave my career to care for her and my family.
However, providing this care left me constantly tired from dealing with
therapists, Mandy’s behavior outbursts and trying to advance her
development. This left me with no time for anything else—certainly
not for me. ...
Greatest
Blessing(s):
Mandy
is probably the happiest person I know. She taught me to look at what
is really important in life, which in turn made me a better person and
parent. I learned to appreciate the little things that we often take
for granted in each other and in the world. I came to realize that even
small triumphs were something to be celebrated. I have also been blessed
by the wonderful people we never would have met if Mandy had not had
autism. They have made our lives fuller and they remain friends to her
and to me to this day. ...
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