“My family has definitely felt the effects of Autism. It is a very stressful thing to live with.”
It was only at nine months of age when Gina began to notice that her son David was beginning to show signs of developmental problems. Having fallen behind in both gross and fine motor skills, David was soon diagnosed with low muscle tone, also known as hypotonia. Concerned for his welfare, his mom soon began taking him to physical and occupational therapy. But David's challenges did not stop thereÑat 18 months, David was diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech, a condition characterized by difficulty making the facial movements necessary to form sounds or words. After enrolling David in speech therapy, Gina began to wonder: could Autism be a factor?
With this question in mind, David's mom arranged for a referral to the Children's Autism Center in Seattle, where he underwent an evaluation in September of 2011. There, David was diagnosed with high-functioning Autism at age 4. But this was only the beginning of a very long road for David and his family. His challenges presented would often create some unique parenting difficulties. Due to David’s physical issues, it was extremely difficult for anyone to hold him without him slipping right through their hands. David would also demonstrate a tendency to spontaneously bolt, necessitating that his mom would need to use a stroller or a backpack leash. In addition to his developmental difficulties, Gina began to notice that with David’s condition came many complex behavior issues. “I always feel like I am walking on eggshells and holding my breath,” she observes. “It can be very unpredictable how David will react to just about anything. For example a demand placed on him like putting toys away could go smoothly one time and then the next he may erupt in screaming and yelling and throwing toys.”
Faced with these challenges, David’s mom began to look for help. It was in the midst of this search—and almost by pure coincidence— that she found WAAA. As Gina recalls it, “I stumbled on to WAAA on the internet…So there was a new group of wonderful people to lean on.” Not long after WAAA’s settlement in WAAA vs. Washington State Health Care Authority, David began to get the help he needed. “Thanks to WAAA and Northwest justice project David is now receiving daily ABA therapy.”
It has been a difficult road for David and his family—but thanks to WAAA, David is finally getting the treatment he needs. As Gina notes, “I think that WAAA is really helping raise the level of awareness about Autism and how different the needs of every child diagnosed is. They are also leveling the playing field for children and families who wouldn't otherwise have access to evidence-based treatment for core challenges of autism.”