Fifteen years ago I was blessed with the most amazing gift, although I didn’t know it at the time. My beautiful son Nicholas could not reach typical milestones such as speaking, rolling over, walking or even eating. At four years old, he was diagnosed with autism and since then, our lives have been nothing short of wonderment, frustration, tears, joy and sheer genius.
When Nicholas was seven years old, I realized I needed help navigating through the plethora of information to get additional resources for my son. When I reached out to Autism Speaks, I was instantly shown immense love, support and resources that were narrowed down by my zip code.
I am so incredibly blessed that G-d has chosen me to be the mother of a special needs child as it is such an honor to experience life from their perspective. In addition to ASD and Failure to Thrive (FTT), Nicholas has Anxiety Disorder and OCD. He has many daily routines that makes it difficult for him to start and finish his day. For example, before he showers, I need to thoroughly clean the shower from top to bottom, and he must inspect it to make sure it is clean enough for him.
This is only a small part of the amazing and very special person that is Nicholas. He is the most loving and caring person you would ever meet and honest to a fault. Each and every night when we say our prayers together I am grateful and blessed we were given the gift of each other. For more information please visit www.autismspeakswalk.org/orangecounty.