Autism Spectrum Disorder

When my oldest grandson was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old, my world and those of my husband, son, and daughter-in-law were changed forever. Gone was the little boy we thought we had. Gone were the hopes and dreams we had for him. Gone was the joy we looked forward to in watching him grow into the man we thought he would become. It has been almost 11 years now since that devastating diagnosis, and much has happened in the interim--some of it good, some bad--but it has been an interesting journey. At almost 12 years of age, Bryant is a beautiful young man with a huge heart. He is extremely artistic and creative, and loves everyone. Still, he struggles to comprehend the nuances and customs of routine social interaction and finds it difficult to "fit in". Fortunately he, his younger brother, and his parents have a loving extended family comprised of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who all love and accept Bryant just as he is. .Add to that a strong, supportive church family and one may safely say that despite his autism, Bryant can look forward to a life full of hope and contentment. At least this grandmother will continue to pray every day that it might be so.