My almost 7yr olds story I have shared on Facebook before bring awareness in any way

My almost 7yr olds story I have shared on Facebook before bring awareness in any way

Born in 2012 seemed to be a normal healthy baby weighing 6lbs 10.8oz at 19in long who we named Christopher Wayne S.. When he was 4 days old they discovered he had a bad "heart murmur" as they told me but sent Us home. The Monday after we left the hospital we followed up with a cardiologist to find out it was more than a murmur was a vsd he had 2 extra holes in his heart on top of the natural one all newborns have. We continued going to cardiologist and at about 4 weeks old we discovered he was spitting up quite a but and milk out his nose so went to pediatrician and he sent us to hospital they ran test and refered us to another Dr to find he had GERD (acid reflux) so started meds for that then at 2months old we went back to cardiologist to find out his heart was swollen and retaining water so they put him on laxis 2x a day and since he was not gaining weight they told us that I had 2 choices to switch him to formula and add calories or to pump and still add formula so we went to formula and things got better he was gaining weight and growing but we still knew he might need open heart surgery at 1yr old. At around 10months we got to stop lasix and at his 1yr check we got amazing news he was not getting surgery on his heart. Everything else remained on track until shortly after his brother was born he quite talking and mind you he was saying 10+ words to just sounds and we knew he had slight tongue tie so we went and had that fixed thinking if it'd give us hope of him able to talk it was worth it 6+ months past and he still did not start talking and was having outbursts over what seemed like everything if things weren't just right he always seemed ocd over things and wanted them his way but he's a kid right toddler terrible 2s wrong we talked to his pediatrician who then refered us to a neurologist and speech therapy the wait for neurologist was long but not for speech within few month we were in. So started weekly speech which the therapist thought he had a form of  apraxia. But we continued to neurologist who pushed our concerns aside because he failed an eye exam and hearing exam (he had sinus infection at time) but we went got eyes checked and he got glasses at 3yrs old hearing was within normal ranges and he started preschool where he got physical therapy for leg strength and speech (I keptbhis old therapist as well as in school) well the teacher wasn't writing to tell me how my child was doing so I kept fighting for information took months and numerous meetings and phone calls and notes before they got somewhat consistent with a chart to tell me. Well on December 10th 2015 with my second opinion physcologist we got our diagnosis of autism level 1 meaning he has autism in a mild form but can still have a productive life and normal for the most part yes he likes his routine and Thomas to play over and over but he can socialize and he can communicate in his own way and is getting better day by day with vocal communication.  Its a long hard process but is worth while I knew something wasn't the same as typical children so I fought to find out what it was hoping for answers and lots of heart breaks but in the end he is and always will be my little man he is special in his own way as are all children just have to find out who they are and what they need not be afraid to admit something is different about your child and address their individual needs waiting does a child no benefits just might make their chances slimmer than the ones who got early intervention like my child did. I didn't listen to my friends and family who said he said he was to smart to have autism.  Christopher still is not potty trained not that we haven't tried just hasn't had a consistent interest in wanting to go potty like a big boy... Granted at 2yrs old he had surgery on his testicle where they had to pull it into place and repair 2 hernias in his groin....

Likes Thomas, playing in water, school, anything with wheels, crafts

Is very hands on trying to figure out how things work

Dislikes hands being dirty, change of routine, certain textures,

But my advice to any parent who thinks something isn't right or typical speak up and talk to someone never know where it might get you...

Current medical conditions include autism 1, speech aproxia, mixed expressive- receptive language disorder, asthma, pica,gerd... the main ones at least