The Big One

Well, this post is the big one. Karys and Kai both had their autism evaluations with their Developmental Pediatrician a few weeks ago and they were both diagnosed with mild Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This is the diagnosis we were expecting, but it is still such a shock to think that just 1 year ago we had no idea what the past 12 months would hold in store for us. And BOTH of them?! I want to say "what are the odds of that?", but I can tell you...15%. There's a 15% chance that if a child has autism, his/her siblings will also have it. We submitted a swab for genetic testing on Kai to see if it could provide any clues about what is causing the autism. We should have the results in 3-4 weeks and I will give you an update then.

The good news is that the kids are already enrolled in the best possible programs and are receiving the best possible therapy. So all we have to do is keep doing what we're doing. And they are both making a tremendous amount of progress. I can't ask for anything more than that! Kai has picked up 10-15 new words just in the past 2 weeks. It was a tad stressful having them both diagnosed a day apart, but might as well lay it on thick if you're going to lay it on at all, right? I just wanted closure as soon as possible to this first step of our lifelong journey. Now we can officially say we have a diagnosis and we can move forward with our future, whatever that may hold in store for us.

Our first step in the rest of this journey is doing whatever we can to contribute to autism research and helping other families. Karys, Kai, and I, along with other members of my family will be participating in the Autism Society of Northwest Ohio Lace It Face It Walk tomorrow morning! ASNO provides support and resources to individuals with autism and their families across 12 counties in Northwest Ohio. Then next weekend, we will be participating in Walk Now for Autism Speaks in Cleveland and raising money for Autism Speaks. If you would like to join us or make a donation on behalf of our team, our team page is located at walknowforautismspeaks.org/cleveland/karysandkai.

Thank you all for your love and support!
k.