Autism Stories: A Hug and Compliments for Mom

What does an autism "success story" look like? Here's a wonderful short example from a reader who goes by the name of Laura: My four-year-old daughter today in a matter of an hour said these two things to me:

“Mommy, you look really pretty in your shirt and with your hair. I love you.” and gave me a hug.

AND...

When referring to the little girl she plays with sometimes, she said: “She’s my best friend and I’m her best friend.”

This is amazing for two reasons. First, she has autism. Second, 18 months ago, she didn’t say more than a handful of words and most of her responses to me were “yea” (no matter the question) and almost none of her words were initiated by her and certainly none of it was in the context of conversation. This growth, both verbally and socially, was without therapy of any kind, without any diet at all. While we tried those things, we found that with our daughter, the best thing to do was leave her be and let her learn and explore how to move around the social and verbal world on her own, with encouragement and modeling by those she loves and those that love her.

SUCCESS!!