Milestones...

The only physical milestone Joey didn't reach by 12 months old was walking. He held his own bottle early, he sat up unsupported early, waved at the typical age, and started using a sippy cup around 8 1/2 months. Crawling and pulling himself up into a standing position were a piece of cake.
But the only words Joey ever really spoke, which was rarely, were "kawoo" (kangaroo) and "tank oo" (Thank you). As a matter of fact, "thank you" were his first words ever. He was using these at 10-12 months. Of course my fears were amplified by the fact that he never called us "Mama" or "Dada". He would smile, laugh, and even giggle a lot. But the words just weren't coming out.
He took his first unsupported steps at 13 3/4 months. A little late, but we always joked that if he had stopped trying to run and would have just taken it slow, he would have walked earlier. At this point, he became officially unstoppable. He had figured out the baby gate and the baby-proofing devices before he could even walk. Once he started walking, he didn't stop. It was like watching a tennis match...only the ball was shrieking 8-9 hours per day. You read correctly: Joey would scream an average of 8-9 hrs during the day, almost everyday. I only know this because his pediatrician asked me to keep a journal of every screaming fit he had for a week, and to calculate the amount of time he was doing so. Those 8-9 hours don't count when he'd awaken in the middle of the night shrieking.
I noticed at family gatherings or at the store or anywhere that had crowds, fluorescent lighting, or lots of visual stimuli, that Joey would get VERY active and VERY irritable. Hyperactive doesn't even begin to describe what my baby was experiencing. He would go from happy to mad at the entire world within a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds. As a frustrated parent, I often blamed myself, and wondered what exactly I was doing wrong.
I know babies/toddlers are supposed to be active, but I felt like my little guy had a compulsion...a need to constantly be on the go. And it was at about 16 months old that someone other than myself finally noticed this constant need for movement and his lack of language skills. And so my quest for an answer, an understanding, or just plain affirmation began...

In the Beginning...

In the very beginning, Joey was a "normal", typical 7lb 6oz baby who was born healthy, and the pregnancy was without complications. It did seem to me that he cried excessively, even for a newborn, but no medical problems were apparent. I blamed my sensitivity to his wailing on being a new mom.

After a couple months, I noticed that crowded or visually stimulating environments would send Joey into a screaming frenzy. Also, he moved his arms and legs nonstop when he was awake. I remember telling my husband that I just knew (from Joey's constant movement) that he would surely be ADHD or hyperactive. Again, I chalked it up to being a rookie parent.

By 4 months old, Joey was VERY active, adding darting eyes to his already chronic movement. His little eyes were looking here, there, then there, then back over here...very quickly, almost anxiously. Particularly when we were out in public, he'd be happy, smiley, bubbly one minute, then screaming bloody murder the next. He still cried more than I thought a baby his age should, and colic didn't seem to be the answer.

At 5 months old, Joey had mastered the skill of unbuttoning his sleeper in the early morning, and removing his wet diaper. Sometimes he'd even do it during the night, and I'd find him soaking wet in the morning. So, naturally, we assumed that he would potty train early and easily....more on that misconception later. By this stage, most babies are sleeping through the night. Joey, however, was waking up 2-3 times per night, and seemed to require much less rest than the typical 5-6 month old.

Some of these things may not seem like a big deal, or like anything to worry about. And of course everyone said, "that's what babies do." But when it's your baby, and your instinct tells you that something isn't right, you wonder if you're overreacting. It wouldn't be long before others would start to see some of the same quirks I saw...

Diagnosis: Unknown

I think it's important early in this blog to explain that my son, Joey, has not to this day received a medical diagnosis of autistic or otherwise.
Joey is a happy, sensitive, and sometimes dramatic almost-7yr old boy. This blog will outline his journey from infancy to the present. Most stories would start with "In the beginning...", but I think discussing the present first and foremost will create a sense of understanding...especially in those who've not been introduced or educated on the meaning of "autistic".
Joey attends 1st Grade at a great school here in SC. Through the school district he is "double-labeled" as academically gifted and autistic. Although he's in a regular class now, he receives extra support for areas concerning social/emotional development. He's no longer in speech therapy because he "graduated", but I'm looking into getting him back into speech because he has issues in the area of receptive language. He doesn't talk or play much with other children, unless they're older than him. And he enjoys the company of adults even more.
But none of what I've just told you defines Joey. He's been labeled visually/spatially gifted as well, testing in the 97th percentile for the visual/spatial cluster. So he's very detail-oriented, artistic, and recognizes patterns where others would not. He's also the most creative, imaginative child of his age I've ever known...other than myself at his age. His mind is in constant "create" mode. He'll write or tell you a story, and sometimes spend hours writing/illustrating. He builds amazing vehicles and structures using Lego blocks. He has an imaginary friend named Joey (not very original for such a creative mind, I'll admit...lol). And his best friend is a large, floppy stuffed dog he named Max.
Aside from his extraordinary creative genius, he's also a kind, gentle, empathetic kid who worries about some of the same things a typical kid might worry about: ghosts when it's dark, water splashing in his eyes, or that he may disappoint someone he looks up to. The only difference is that his fears are set to "super sensitive."
But this blog isn't just about who Joey is now; it's also about the obstacles he faced the last 7 years...and overcame. It's about the challenges yet to rear their ugly heads. There's one very important thing to remember while taking in Joey's story: neither Joey nor his mom will back down from a challenge.