Finley

   Let me introduce Finley...
He is my youngest at 2 years old. He is a bright little man with few words. He is non-verbal but has a huge personality. He has a few words, but when he says these words they aren't meant towards anything or anyone, he just says them to make the sound. He doesn't communicate his needs. Most of the time, it's just guessing what he needs. He isn't a complicated child. He mostly likes his alone time, and to be kept to himself and never wants to go play with anyone except his mommy. When the doctor told me that Finley is showing symptoms of autism and I need to get him evaluated. My heart broke when I heard those words come out of her mouth. I had just recovered and was thinking more clearly after Oliver's diagnoses and now I was right back into this hole. I shut down that day and my emotions were all over. I was angry, sad, depressed, and would not stop thinking about the future with having 2 children with autism. My life changed after Oliver's diagnoses and believe me, it changed again drastically when I heard Finn might be autistic too. With every week that passes I see more and more symptoms in Finley. His language was a red flag off the bat. Then came the spinning while he sat on the floor. Then him not playing with his toys properly, he picks the toy up without hesitation and tosses it and he will keep doing this for a hour or longer. He never gets frustrated unless he is in the middle of lining up or stacking block and it gets messed up and he freaks. He is a very even tempered child. Oliver and Finley are very different children. One with worse symptoms then the other. When Oliver was young and something didn't go as planned he got pissed, not sad, pissed. Finley, he gets sad, and is more sensitive to being hurt. If he falls he cries, he doesn't like a certain noise, he cries. Another thing he does is he is always covering his ears. Just certain sounds or words he doesn't like, he covers them. When it's bedtime he rocks his head side to side to soothe himself to sleep. He is far from a picky eater, he will eat anything and everything and try everything I give him. Finley has a huge heart, he does show affection when he wants too. He is my little cuddle buddy and is always attached to his momma's hip lol Finn is also in early intervention and doing well with it. The early intervention program hasn't just helped Finley but also helps me understand him better and helps me teach him and it also helps me handle certain situations. It's amazing! Autism is never the same for every child. All children with autism are different. They think different, handle situations differently, and just have different personalities, but every child who is on the spectrum, they are amazing in their own way. <3 There is so much love to give for these children and there is so much to learn from them too.

-Jess Stout