Finding Hope in Autism

April is Autism Awareness Month and Today is World Autism Awareness Day. I am a bit astounded to realize this is the seventh year that we have a observed these events in honor of our precious boy who is gripped by this disorder. Just over seven years ago we visited the Mayo Clinic with Seth and received the diagnosis of autism. Instead of being a great shock at the time in many ways it was a relief. His slow development had been attributed to his hearing loss and vision issues by the professionals who were working with him, but my gut as a mom said there was more. As we faced the diagnosis the intensity of therapy recommended was very shocking as the developmental pediatrician recommended 30-40 hours of intensive intervention weekly.

For 3 or 4 years we hovered around 30 hours a week and continue to be near that number now with his schoolwork, ABA, speech, and occupational therapy each week. Seth has grown and learned at his pace - often a slow pace. As my children and husband will attest, I don't like to do anything at a slow pace and it drives me nearly crazy watching others do things more slowly than I think they should. But I have come to marvel in Seth's small and steady gains and am so thankful for the bigger progress these add up to. Over the past couple weeks several people have remarked to me about how far Seth has come in different areas - about major challenges that he has overcome. These are good remembrances, it's so easy to forgot the road behind. Sometimes I think it's necessary to forgot as not to dwell in the ugly and incredibly difficult days.

Those extremely difficult days are for the most part behind us. We have learned to order our days in such a way to provide Seth the stability he needs so as to be able to live, learn, and laugh. For this I am soooo thankful. Most days my boy is happy apart from a few rough spots, less favored activities that are just necessary parts of life. But he's learning to cope. We are excited to explore new avenues of healing through a great generosity we have received. An appointment made with guarded hope to pursue further healing for our boy in the month ahead. We praise God for the provision of these resources. Resources that allow us an opportunity to hope afresh, remembering though that our true hope is in our faithful Lord who has carried us through. The God of unfailing love who will walk with us whatever the future holds for Seth. This is our greatest hope!!

The words of a song by Natalie Grant so beautifully articulate this hope we possess!!

"Our Hope Endures"

You would think only so much can go wrong, calamity only strikes once

And you would think this one has suffered her share, life will be kinder from here.

But sometimes the sun stays hidden for years,

Sometimes the sky rains night after night,

When will it clear?

But our hope endures, the worst of conditions.

It's more than our optimism. Let the earth quake.

Our hope is unchanged.

How do we comprehend peace within pain, or joy at a good man's wake?

Walk a mile with a woman whose body is torn, with illness but she marches on.

But sometimes the sun stays hidden for years,

Sometimes the sky rains nights after night.

When will it clear?

But our hope endures, the worst of conditions.

It's more than our optimism. Let the earth quake.

Our hope is unchanged.

Emmanuel, God is with us. El Shaddai, all sufficient.

Emmanuel, God is with us. El Shaddai, all sufficient.

Emmanuel, God is with us. El Shaddai, all sufficient.

We never walk alone and this is our hope.

Our hope endures, the worst of conditions. It's more than our optimism.

Let the earth quake. Let the earth quake. Let the earth quake.

Our hope is unchanged!!!

Take a listen at http://youtu.be/aIh7Wl0rZvg

Have a blessed day - knowing there is great hope!!