November 21st, 2013 will always be an important day for us. Some would say it would be a life changing day but for us it was more of a confirmation of what we already knew. As Jaden was getting closer to his third birthday it meant that his early intervention services were coming to an end and he would be turned over to the school district and other services available. But in order to proceed forward with that we needed to obtain an official diagnosis. So our service coordinator scheduled an appointment with a psychologist who specializes and is licensed in testing for Autism Spectrum Disorder. We met with a Dr. Cady. She was very welcoming and friendly. We talked a lot about Jaden's development and skills and various behaviors. Then she interacted with Jaden. When she was finished she went to another room to look through and put together all the information that was collected. After a short time she came back to discuss with us that Jaden does indeed have autism. It did not come as a surprise to us. We've suspected it from the beginning. We left there feeling calm and at peace rather than devastated and heart broken. We had a sense of relief rather than panic. We still have the same happy and healthy little boy we've always had. And while we know we still have challenges to face we're confident that we will make it through them. We feel good about it. Now we have a sense of direction and can get him the help that he needs. We will take what we've learned so far and will continue to learn as we move forward and grow. We look forward to the journey ahead. We love you always Jaden!
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