All About Niko

We went to Quinn's baby blessing this weekend, and it was spectacular. The best part, for me, was being in a place where our kids could run around and play together, and we weren't judged. People said hi to our kids, ruffled their hair, and weren't fazed by Niko's unusual actions. It was held at at a family business, not a restaurant, not a house with breakable things. Everybody was friends and family. Do you know how that feels? It feels like heaven.

We received Niko's school pictures yesterday, and I nearly cried. He looks so happy. He looks the way that I see him at home, not the way that he is when he's panicking in public. I can't wait to post it for you. This is my son. This is what I see. This is what most of you don't.

I talked to his teacher today. I asked her if she thought he exhibited signs of autism. She was very careful about what she said, because she couldn't diagnose or anything like that. I said, "I realize you can't say very much, but in your opinion, with the behaviors that you've seen, do you think I should maybe take him to the doctor for a reevaluation?" She said that it was funny I'd bring that up, because just two weeks ago somebody else had asked her the same question about Niko. It's tricky, because Niko has Williams. Any unusual behavior has always been attributed to that. But is there more? I used to keep up on all of the Williams Moms blogs, and then I couldn't anymore. They didn't seem to apply to my son anymore. Their kids were making sounds and talking and engaging. Mine? Definite verbal loss. Niko would rather be by himself than with anybody else. Watching the dryer spin. Listening to the dishwasher. Pushing the buttons on the clock.

So I made an appointment with a new pediatrician, and we'll see how it goes. We'll test him, and I'm actually pretty certain that he's on the autistic spectrum somewhere. The words "dual disability" are just...difficult words to keep down. At the same time, it will be a new set of resources, and we'll know what to expect.