Starting Over

We are very thankful for all your positive feedback about the blog. We are so happy to be able to share our journey.

In my last post I spoke of all of the skills Logan was not able to do. In the year that has followed my phone conversation with Early Intervention Logan has regained some of the skills he lost and learned some new skills. He began talking again and although his speech is echolalich (repeat what he hears) he did start saying Mom/Dad, and I love you Mom/Dad. It is that sentence that keeps me going each day! We taught Logan to make some eye contact which is called joint attention. He learned to wave and point that is referred to as gesturing. Although these typical milestones seem small to others they are huge to our family. With the persistence of his sister Ruby he has learned to play alongside other children. I can't say enough about what Ruby has provided Logan. She thinks outside the box and has figured out if Logan does not understand something one way she will figure out another way to teach him. I often find myself asking Ruby if I don't understand why Logan is frustrated. We are so lucky to have Ruby on our team. She is so patient and compassionate. Logan has an amazing memory he knows many songs off by heart I often catch him singing Oh Canada or songs from TV shows he watches and can put together puzzles really fast. One of the things Logan enjoys the most is going to Calgary Hitmen games with Ruby and Dad. He sits and watches the entire game and has started mimicing dad and yelling at the players and the refs.

We have been really busy getting ready for the holidays and I have enjoyed watching the kids decorate the tree, build a gingerbread house and watch Christmas movies. We are trying to expose Logan to Santa as much as possible in the hopes he will get a picture with Santa. Ruby keeps telling me not to worry because Santa will give Logan a candy cane so he will be happy!

Where did Logan go?

Our story starts like any other January 5th 2007 Logan was delivered at Rocky View Hospital at 4:59pm. He was a full term bouncing baby boy at 9lbs 2oz I knew he was healthy. He had 10 fingers and 10 toes. My husband and I now had the "million dollar" family as my mom would say. Logan joined his sister Ruby who was two and a half. We went home within 11 hours of Logan's birth.

The following 12 months were wonderful. We were so excited whenever Logan toppled a new milestone like rolling over, crawling, walking and running. I would call him my baby bird he would always wave his hands like he was flapping his wings. When he started to eat solids he would open his mouth and scream if I didn't get the food in fast enough.

In February of 2008 Logan became ill. Thinking he had the flu I kept him hydrated. He was very tired and was vomiting and had diarrhea. We saw our doctor 10 days into the vomiting and diarrhea and she was surprised he was so well hydrated. She ran some routine test to make sure it was just a flu. The test came back positive for rotovirus. It is a flu that is typically around and can be passed easily from one person to another. After 14days the diarrhea and vomiting went away but Logan still seemed "out of it" Lethargic, uninterested, and removed. The shaking that I once thought was so cute became more vigorous. He could barely walk and stumbled into things. Words he once said and gestures that he once made were just gone. Something was not right but he was just getting over the flu. A week or so later I took him back to the doctor and told her about the shaking episodes and she lined up a EEG to confirm it was not seizures. We were placed on our first of many long wait lists. She also referred us to our pediatrician. Our first appointment with the pediatrician was great. She listened to me and asked a few questions and suggested we be placed on a wait list for Early Intervention. If there was anything wrong with Logan they would find it.

The EEG came back and showed no signs of seizures. Early Intervention called one morning and asked if they could do a prescreen to make sure Logan was referred to the appropriate agency. She asked very simple question but I was surprised by my own answers. Does your son make eye contact? Of course I thought what is she talking about then it hit me....No I responded. Does Logan gesture (wave, point)...No. Does your son come to you when he needs something...No. Does Logan show an interest in people around him.....No. Does he play with other kids....No. Does he play appropriately with his toys.....No. Does he come to you if he needs help, wants something or would like to share with you something he has done......No. Then she told me Logan should be on the PAART wait list but it could be a very long wait. What is PAART I asked it is Preschool Autism Assessment Resource Team. I was shocked but when I started to put the pieces together it was a slap in the face. I went to the library and got Jenny McCarthy's book Louder than Words. I read it cover to cover and was shocked it seemed (minus the health concerns) she had written a book about Logan.

My husband and I decided the wait for PAART at 10+ months was too long. After complaining and appearing on CTV evening news. We decided to pay out of pocket for Logan's assessments. Our neighbour who had a friend that worked for an Autism agency put us in contact with a Speech and Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist and Psychologist. I went back to my pediatrician and asked if I was to get the assessments done would she read them and write the diagnosis if it was warranted? She agreed and we had the assessments done and once reviewed by our pediatrician we got Logan's diagnosis on August 11, 2009.

There was no time for a mommy pitty party or time to dwell on the diagnosis. I thanked our pediatrician took the diagnosis forwarded it to our case worker at Family Services for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) then applied for Specialized Services. I think it was a fight or flight response. I told myself I cannot change what I don't acknowledge. I came to terms with Logan's diagnosis quickly.

We are currently involved with FSCD and are fighting for Specialized Services for Logan. We have a MDT date in December where the final decision will be made on weather Logan qualifies for Specialized Service and how many hours he is entitled to.

I have created this blog so our friends, family and others can take part in these travels. I also want people to understand the system that can be so frustrating and difficult to navigate. I count my blessings everyday I am so lucky I have a wonderful husband, two great children and a wonderful family.

Stay tuned.......