The Big A...or in our case...P

I want to write a little bit about Autism. I think as my blog and writing evolves it will be a popular topic for me. I don’t want to blog only about autism (as so many do) because my life includes so much more than that. Don’t get me wrong it is a big part of our lives and doesn’t only impact Dara. We are a family of five and we are all touched by it in some way. Clearly, Dara faces the most challenges from autism, but we live this life alongside her. 

Actually, autism is the standard buzz word we use to describe Dara’s diagnosis. But she was “officially” diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Not Otherwise Specific), PDD (NOS) several months before her third birthday. Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is is a diagnosis for people with most, but not all, of the characteristics of autism. 

Where did this PDD (NOS) come from? Was she born with it? Was it a pre-existing condition that occurred as a reaction to drugs that she received at birth? Was it the environment? We don’t know. I have some personal theories…but of course they are not backed by real scientific evidence…just mom’s intuition. So, maybe I’ll save them for another day.

So, what am I trying to convey here? That autism is something that I want to talk openly about. And I do talk about it…but now I guess I will write about it too.