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    As Birds Soar: One Family's Journey Living with ADHD, and Autism Spectrum
    As Birds Soar: One Family's Journey Living with ADHD, and Autism Spectrum
    As Birds Soar: One Family's Journey Living with ADHD, and Autism Spectrum
    Ebook136 pages1 hour

    As Birds Soar: One Family's Journey Living with ADHD, and Autism Spectrum

    By B. Suzanne

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    About this ebook

    A diagnosis is NOT a definition.
    The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and anxiety, ADHD, and celiac sprue disease did not limit one loving and exceptional child. This inspiring story of one family’s journey shows that parents who believe in a child’s potential are the most important advocates for those who have been labeled and limited by the special needs complex and the medical system. It offers a feisty “out of the box” example that demonstrates a successful intervention for a special needs child, and also offers a model for being an advocate for any cause you believe in.
    For Amy and Sam, it was a struggle of many years of trying to provide a stable positive upbringing and quality education for David with his multiple medical conditions. Formally diagnosed at age three with high functioning autism spectrum disorder, David later received additional diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD and celiac sprue disease. His parents sought an alternate path outside the prevailing medical, educational, and social policies and norms of the day that categorized children who were different and had different needs. A bleak prediction for David’s future took on new meaning for them as they embarked on a resolute journey to help their son. Filled with many obstacles and setbacks, this journey empowered a child who is a loving, remarkable, and talented individual.
    The Cooper family’s story took on a larger mission of bringing attention to a broken system that in most cases takes a tremendous financial and emotional toll on the average family in the efforts of making a child better. Along the way the family did find dedicated professionals and special people who greatly helped David to develop, blossom and believe in himself. The Coopers entered, with hope, the vast complex of the special needs industry with its alluring maze of products, treatments, and services that promised the cure or improvement of autism, ADHD and other medical conditions.
    This story is for any family who faces unexpected crises dealing with a child’s medical conditions and the quest to secure his or her rightful place as a valued, contributing member of society. Often the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and related disorders for a child can be devastating news to parents. However new scientific research being done at major university medical centers and private companies around the world brings hope in finding a cure or at least a successful treatment. The importance of intensive early intervention needs to be emphasized to ensure the best possible outcome. Creating a society that will accept and embrace differences will enable increasing numbers to succeed. Because of differences and different approaches of viewing the world, many of these individuals have made enormous contributions to society and world culture. Now David has grown into a talented young man who is making a positive contribution to society that those who diagnosed him could not have imagined.
    As Birds Soar will be helpful for parents as it will give insight into the struggles, hopes and challenges of another parent of a child with special needs in general. It is also helpful for early intervention, health care, and education professionals and other members in the community. Because the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, a neurodevelopment condition impacting language, communication and social skills is increasing at an alarming rate world-wide, this story lays out one family’s journey and authentic stories that attempt to touch on the breadth of issues and concerns that the child and the entire family face. .
    May this story join with other similar stories of struggling to inspire parents to actively participate, engage and advocate for the best possible path for their children who do not fit neatly in any box or label.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherB. Suzanne
    Release dateSep 14, 2013
    ISBN9781301346882
    As Birds Soar: One Family's Journey Living with ADHD, and Autism Spectrum
    Author

    B. Suzanne

    B. Suzanne, a pen name, received a B.A. from The University of Rochester and M.A. from the George Washington University. Suzanne has studied and travelled abroad and has done volunteer service. The author has worked in the fields of non-profit, development, and education and currently enjoys teaching and empowering school age children. Suzanne can't help feeling that being a Capricorn, and left-handed has enabled the author to view the world in terms of various shades of gray, rather than absolute black and white. Suzanne lives in the southeast with author's family and beloved rescue dog.

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      Book preview

      As Birds Soar - B. Suzanne

      Foreword

      And they don't get better... a woman suddenly blurted out to Amy and Sam, referring to their beloved son, David. The woman had a child enrolled in his pre-gymnastic class. Pregnant with her second child, she looked to be in her final trimester. The class was held at a suburban private sports club and Amy and Sam would recall the woman drove an expensive black Mercedes. The circumstances eliciting the comment revolved around David's class behavior. He would cry, when the children in his class sung the final song together during circle time at the end of the session. Upon passing judgment on him, the woman then physically yanked her daughter away from David as if he had something contagious. Amy and Sam could not get over her uncompassionate, biting words and actions, especially because the woman herself was a mother and she was expecting again. David was only sixteen months old!

      For Amy and Sam, it was a rude awakening to what was to follow for their family. It was a long life struggle of many years of trying to provide a stable positive upbringing and quality education for David with his multiple medical conditions. Formally diagnosed at age three with high functioning autism spectrum disorder, David later received additional diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD and celiac sprue disease. The parents sought an alternate path outside the prevailing medical, educational and social policies and norms of the day that categorized children who were different and had different needs. The unsolicited remark hurled by the woman in the black Mercedes stunned them both and remained in their minds for many years to come. Her bleak prediction for David's future took on new meaning for them as they embarked on a resolute journey to help their son. Filled with many obstacles and setbacks, this journey created a child who was a loving, remarkable, and talented, individual.

      The Cooper family's story took on a larger mission of bringing attention to a broken system that in most cases takes a tremendous financial and emotional toll on the average family in the efforts of making their child better. Along the way of finding and encountering dedicated professionals and special people who greatly helped David to develop, blossom and believe in himself, the Coopers entered the vast complex of the special needs industry with its alluring maze of products, treatments, and services that promised the cure or improvement of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and other medical conditions. Eventually the family's savings dwindled as the Coopers desperately tried to find answers for David before it became too late.

      This story is for any family who faces unexpected crises dealing with a child's medical conditions and the quest to secure his or her rightful place as a valued, contributing member of society. Often the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder for a child can be devastating news to parents. However new scientific research being done at major university medical centers and private companies around the world brings much hope in finding a cure or at least successful treatments to benefit these individuals. The importance of intensive early intervention needs to be emphasized to ensure the best possible outcome for them. Creating a society that will accept and embrace their differences will enable increasing numbers to succeed. Because of their differences and different approaches of viewing the world, many of these individuals have made enormous contributions to society and world culture.

      Pseudonyms and some changes in events, places, and situations have been used to protect the family's anonymity. Because the author strongly feels that the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis includes such a wide breadth of mild to severe conditions, it invariably leads to unfair stigmatization, exclusion and rejection. The children and individuals labeled with the diagnosis possess a sundry of positive qualities and traits that make them fully human as well as many characteristics which are not usually identifiable with the diagnosis. Consequently, the author deliberately chooses to abbreviate the term autism spectrum disorder as ASD and refers to 'children or individuals with the ASD condition rather than 'autistic children or individuals.'

      Over the years, the author was asked by several parties including one department of an eminent medical center to write that family's story to help others just getting started on their own journeys. May this story join with other similar stories struggling with medical conditions like ASD and ADHD inspire parents to actively participate, engage and advocate for the best possible path for their children, who do not fit neatly in any box or label. Success stories of such individuals are emerging. Educational awareness and promotion of tolerance and diversity in society, elimination of human ignorance and negative stigmatization, and finally, effective policies and legislation providing for better systems in the planning and delivery of services will help secure a brighter future for these individuals.

      B. Suzanne May 2013

      The Road Not Taken

      Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

      And sorry I could not travel both

      And be one traveler, long I stood

      And looked down one as far as I could

      To where it bent in the undergrowth;

      Then took the other, as just as fair,

      And having perhaps the better claim

      Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

      Though as for that the passing there

      Had worn them really about the same

      And both that morning equally lay

      In leaves no step had trodden black

      Oh, I kept the first for another day!

      Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

      I doubted if I should ever come back,

      I shall be telling this with a sigh

      Somewhere ages and ages hence:

      Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -

      I took the one less traveled by,

      And that has made all the difference,

      ~ by Robert Frost, 1915 Mountain Interval Collection

      Introduction - Struck By Lightening

      Okay, let's see what you can do. David, a small sixteen-month-old boy stood on a gym mat at a posh athletic club while an instructor encouraged him to experiment with the various gymnastic equipment spread throughout the room. David was a handsome, warm, affable child. He was having fun, but unlike the other children who were busily engaged in a variety of activities, he focused on grasping a hula hoop and walking around the perimeter of the room.

      After the other children and their parents left, he ventured out and tried a few other activities. Eventually he grabbed a rope and began throwing himself into a pit filled with spongy balls. Most of the time though, he was a just happy and smiling child. His instructors were taken with his sweet nature.

      As the gymnastics session ended, the class formed a friendship circle and sang a final song. He began to cry, so the instructor had everyone sing quietly as the class came to an end.

      One day a woman who had a child in the class turned to David's mother and pronounced, He won't get better. Then she quickly pulled her child away from David as if he were contagious. She drove a black Mercedes and dressed impeccably. She was also pregnant with her second child and obviously assumed her baby would be perfect.

      Those woman's words would haunt David's mother for years to come. She was hurt and amazed at how people could be so cruel with just a few simple words.

      THE BEGINNING

      .

      David's parents, Amy and Sam Cooper waited nine months with anticipation and excitement for their first child to arrive. They lived in a small, quiet town in the South, in a community that focused on family. It was a town full of children playing soccer, baseball and football. Parents carpooled and attended their children's sports games and other activities. It was a life Amy and Sam were eager to join.

      Amy's pregnancy was uneventful. The amniocentesis she had to ensure the baby would be healthy came back negative for selected serious disabilities. The couple breathed a sigh of relief. Like all parents, they wanted a healthy child. They had a nice home in a good part of town, a secure future and no financial worries. And soon they would have a child. They were living the American dream.

      Busy with decorating a beautiful room for the baby and preparing for all aspects of this new child's life, nine months passed quickly, and on January 6, 1995, David Cooper was born. Amy and Sam were instantly proud parents. They thoroughly enjoyed and delighted in the early stages of David's growth.

      As David grew, though, his language development began to lag behind that of other children. Still David seemed to be a very bright child. They marveled at how their one-year-old could operate the VCR competently on his own. However, David repeatedly reversed and played back videos at specific scenes and never finished watching an entire show. He categorized his videos and books into different piles. He was fascinated with books and took them to bed with him. When he watched television, his jaw tightened and his hands or arms flapped at his

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