Isaac and Autism- 3 years later

I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since Isaac began ABA (his 5 hours of therapy 5x a week). He’s been doing this same program for 3 years, 900 hours in total. He’s not even 6 yet. Having special needs kids, it can become easy to focus on the grief, and difficulty that come along with a disability. You can view life by the struggles it brings, but with the Lord we’ve learned to view it through eyes of compassion and love. It’s easy to just get caught up in medical bills, school placements, IEP’s and just raising kids. But I’ve learned a few things over the past three years that I want to always keep in my heart.

But I don’t ever want to forget the day my son looked me in the eye for the first time.

The day we started to see him becoming curious about the world around him.

The day he saw the ocean for the first time.

Or the day he smiled with pure joy.

Or the day he signed for ‘more’ goldfish crackers.

Our world is different after 3 years. As an Autism parent you can be in ‘fight mode’ all the time because you’re constantly advocating for your kids. I know one thing: it’s changed me for the better. I’m a lot more forthright than I was, care less about what others think (it really is freeing) and care more about what has eternal value.

Our hearts are bigger. I’ve met so many families and new friends who are on a similar journey. We cheer on the successes of their children as if they were our own. We listen to those who just found out about diagnosis and most important we never let go of hope.

No win is too small. We appreciate every milestone of all of our children, and don’t keep a timeline of when things ‘should’ happen.

But more importantly, we still KNOW God has a plan for Isaac’s life bigger than we could ever imagine.

We’re so thankful for every teacher, therapist, friend and family member who has cheered him along to this point. We’re amazed in all he has accomplished in the past three years and look forward to the amazing little guy he is becoming.

A Bible verse that I keep in my heart when it comes to Isaac is Philippians 1:6:

“Being Confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ”

God is not done with Isaac yet.

“Being Confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ”

Philipians 1:6