This page is dedicated to my heart, my daughter Jordane who is 14 now and was diagnosed as Autistic with multiple learning disabilities when she was 7 years old. In the beginning of her development she progressed as any other child.
Then at around 4 yrs of age, she suddenly started changing as if overnight. Her eating habits changed, she didn't talk as much, she did a lot of repetitive pounding with her fists and the potty training that was going so well, completely stopped.
I have done a lot of research myself and had a feeling that she was Autistic from the symptoms she had but it took sometime to find the right physician to confirm my suspicions.
I even took her to E.I. DuPont in Delaware and they did all sorts of tests including a brain scan which appeared normal. After spending $2,000 in bills the only thing they could tell me was that if she continued at the pace she was going, she would be considered mentally retarded. I would not settle for that answer so I continued to search.
The next doctor diagnosed her as ADHD/slightly Autistic. Which went horribly wrong. He prescribed her to take Aderal, which with drew her from my parents and she became very loud. I had to slowly wean her off of the medication. There is no medication for a child with Autism.
Finally I took her to (Social Security) where they diagnosed her as Highly Functional Autistic with multiple learning disabilities.
My parents and I continued to work with Jordane with her numbers and abc's and she started her journey to getting ready for school. She started school at 6, where she was placed by the School Child Study Team in a school for children with multiple disabilites by the state.
While at this school she learned to feed herself, took speech and occupational therapy. She is a very bright child with a high I.Q. She catches on to things very easy and is thriving. The only set back for us with Autism is that she doesn't communicate other than to ask for what she wants.
After her two years at that school, she was transferred to our public school in the township we live in because they opened a wing for Autistic children and children with learning disabilities. She has done a 360 since she's been in this school. The class is smaller with only 4 children total including her and she is now reading/writing her name and talking more.
She enjoys watching Jay Jay the Air Plane, Barney, The Wiggles and she loves music. She is very talented with the drums and her singing (lol).
New 3/25/03 - My baby is now playing the keyboard. She is playing by ear. Jordane suprises me every day. She plays and sings Whitney Houstons " I will always love you".
The above image was made by a member toosweet3 an Autism Support Group we belong to. Thank you toosweet.
When people initially meet Jordane, they don't even know anything is wrong, until they try to communicate with her and she doesn't respond the way a normal child would.
I belong to several support groups that are on-line. Don't feel that you are alone. There are a lot of good support groups out there, that are be able to give you information or suggestions if you have any questions. One out of Five Autistic children are girls.
