We have a couple days of appointments followed up by one parent meeting where we (the doctors and I) will discuss Thor's official diagnosis. Autism or not autism. If it's not autism, they will try and give me an idea of what road to go down...where to begin searching for more answers to questions like:
...why does my little boy hurt himself with seemingly no regard for pain?
...why do the small things - like getting out of bed - elicit such 'meltdowns' ...full of such fear?
...why does my 2 1/2 year old barely talk?
...and so much more.
I'm not an expert, and for that reason I can't be sure. I can't make a diagnosis myself. But I will be shocked (as will many people in our lives) if Thor doesn't get a diagnosis of ASD (autism spectrum disorder).
A diagnosis won't change who he is. What it will do is give me government funding to begin hiring very specific people to form a therapy team to help him. I spend hours every night researching on the internet or reading books about different therapies and other families' experiences with them...it's exhausting and overwhelming. But I am ready to do this. I just need that piece of paper. The label.
Once we get back from the evaluation, Paws 4 Thor will be in full swing...including the fundraising. When I talk about forming a therapy team for Thor, I very much mean his (future) service dog as well. It will be the piece of the therapy team we will have to work for (and wait for) the longest - but in the long run I know it will make such a huge impact on Thor's quality of life.
...thank you for your continued support!
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