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I am mom to a beautiful, intelligent, curious, engaging little boy who just happens to be severely affected by autism. For five years we have been working toward recovery for our boy through educational and biomedical therapies. It has been a grueling and often heart-breaking journey as we have tried therapy after therapy and seen small or no gains. There have been times, many times, when I just wanted to give up. I struggled with what it would look like to accept my son's abilities as they were and not pushing forward with more treatments that we really couldn't afford emotionally or financially. But at the end of that struggle and with renewed determination and hope we have chosen over and over again to pursue new treatments for our son, hoping that the next thing will be THE thing.

No one therapy has be THE thing. My precious boy is still non-verbal, still engages in self-stimmulatory and self-injurious behaviors, still has major sensory issues; but little by little we are seeing growth. Our most recent therapy has shown some wonderful small gains that are stacking up to be larger gains. We are seeing social and intellectual growth in him that is so exciting. And we are seeing a light in our boys' eyes that has been absent for a long time. I am hopeful that there will be further growth over time and I have less fear for his future.

It's hard at times to be a part of groups such as Autism One and to hear amazing stories of recovery when your own child is not responding similarly to the same treatments. You are so happy that other families are coming out of the darkness, but feel jealousy, confusion and sorrow that your child is not responding as well. You question why the same treatments are not working for your child. I encourage other parents of non-responders to hang in there and continue to seek the best for your kiddos. My son may never be fully recovered, but I do believe that all we have done has brought him greater healing and improved his life and the life of our family. I will press on to bring him as much healing as is possible.