They finally heard me.
Today, he was officially diagnosed with autism.
High-functioning. Low support level. The kind that’s easy to miss if you’re not really paying attention.
The kind where people assume he’s just “bad,” “hyper,” or “acting out.”
The kind that hides behind genius-level intelligence and early milestones.
The kind where a kid can look neurotypical on paper… but be struggling silently every single day.
I’ve known for years.
I knew when he started toe-walking.
I knew when his emotions became too big for his little body.
I knew when his social interactions didn’t match what the world expected.
But every time I brought it up…to a doctor, the school…a professional, I got hit with:
“He’s so smart. He knows what he’s doing.”
“Some kids are just mischievous.”
“Did he take his medicine.” (Once diagnosed for ADHD)
And listen… he does have ADHD. That came a few months ago. But even then, I knew it wasn’t the whole picture. Today, we got the full picture.
Autism and ADHD. Both. Together.
And honestly? I feel seen.
This diagnosis doesn’t change who he is. It doesn’t scare me. It doesn’t define him.
It just means I can finally get him what he needs. I can advocate with facts instead of begging people to trust my intuition, because being a mom who knows something isn’t right but keeps getting silenced?
That sh*t is exhausting.
People don’t tell you how isolating it is to raise a child who doesn’t “fit the mold.” (Sh*t I barely fit the mold my damn self.)
Especially when that child is brilliant. Funny. Loving. Complex.
Especially when you’re Black and trying to navigate systems that weren’t built to support our kids in the first place.
But we made it here.
And now, we move differently.
Now I can stop defending why I’m asking for support and start demanding the support he’s owed.
Today wasn’t sad… it was tiresome but validating.
Today was the start of his village finally catching up to me.
And for any mom reading this who feels like she’s screaming into the void about her child, I see you.
Trust yourself. Even when they don’t.
You’re not crazy. You’re just ahead of the curve.
And when the world finally listens, you’ll know why you never stopped talking.
The sense of relief that comes with knowing. We have been waiting to exhale and today we breathe deeply and do so slowly. Knowledge is POWER! There are resources available for him and for us. Moving forward with God as our guide to protect and support our little Genious!
ReplyDeleteYes! That’s exactly it. We finally have answers, and with that comes peace. It’s been a long road, but now we move forward, grounded, supported, and covered. God knew what he was doing all along. Our baby is brilliant, and now we have the tools to help him shine even brighter.
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