Thank you for your support!

****I would like to take the time to thank everyone for the outpour of support that I received after my first blog post. It was so amazing to hear about how my story is connected to so many new and old friends. So many parents have reached out to me privately to tell their story of Autism. I love chatting with new and old friends. It takes a village, and when you know better, you do better. Please continue to share your stories. With permission, I would love to start posting some stories. It would of course remain anonymous****

Social Media
FB- Sharon Maynard-Douglas
Instagram- Shaymaydoug
Email- maynard1280@gmail.com

****My official blogging website coming soon. Stay tuned!****

Austism Awareness Day was on April 2nd. I asked my #teamdilly network to show their suport by wearing blue. I wasn't able to post every picture on social media, but I was amazed by the support we received. There were friends I haven't spoken to in years who donned blue for my Dilly. It just shows how many lives are touched by Autism.

I also need to address the "side eye" revolution that is starting up. Parents, please do not assume your child is on the spectrum because of my post. Long before Dilly's official diagnosis, I knew there was a strong possibility that he could be on the spectrum. I'm fortunate enough to have a career that has strong ties to the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) community. However, even if you know absolutely nothing about ASD, you have your parental instincts. As parents/caregivers, we know when something is not quite right. If your child presents with 1 or 2 red flags, it doesn't mean your child is on the spectrum. If you've never had any type of concern about your child's development, most likely your child is fine.


The month of Autism may be April awareness month, but I feel that we are the beginning of an everyday journey. Dilly only turned 3 a few weeks ago, and it's only been about a month since his diagnosis. Since then, Dilly has began working with his Special Education Teacher (SEIT). Dilly is in private school. Typically, private schools don't offer special education services. Unless, it's a private school for children with special needs. In my last blog, I talked about Dylan being denied Early Intervention Services. After being denied, I sought out private Speech therapy services. Although it's better than nothing, I knew Dilly needed a multi disciplinary approch to intervention. A few weeks ago, he was granted his Preschool Education Services (CPSE).  Eventually, Dilly will be going to a center based special education preschool. It's a therapeutic/language enriched environment. However, while he remains at his private school, his services will come to him. His SEIT has been a god send. She has been a preschool teacher for about 20 years. Her specialty.... AUTISM! How lucky are we? We have seen significant progress in Dilly's communication skills since he began working with her. She comes in everyday (M-F), for 2 hours a day. It's great to have someone who comes to a school to work just with your child. He has such an attachment to her already. It's amazing to watch! It just lets me know that we did the right thing.

Having your child labeled is tough. It's like confining him to a box. It's hard for some to understand that Autism is a spectrum. It presents in many different ways. Just think about how many undiagnosed ASD adults there are in this world. They just found some way to cope with their "quirks". So why not just let my child go as is? Well, because I am a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, and I see what happens when undiagnosed ASD children get to school age. I didn't want that for my child. As a therapist, it's the worst feeling when you know a child is on the spectrum, and in the wrong school setting. What are we really doing for them? It's hard to watch. I didn't want that for my Dylan. If it turns out Dylan can function in a general educaton setting when he turns 5, fine. If not, I want to make sure he is in a school setting where he can feel successful.

Now, I must go and start my Saturday. My boys have their gym classes, and then we usually spend the remainder of the day exploring Brooklyn. Please feel free to comment below, and SHARE (if you like what you read)!


Sharon