Do You Know Them All?

It can be very scary, when you are seated at the doctor's office and you are awaiting for him to tell you, "It's all going to be alright. your child will grow out if his condition." OR
"Your child is fine, there is nothing wrong with him, give him time."

But instead you hear, "I think your child has a condition called autism."

My eyes opened wide, and I felt my jaw hang loose for a second. I tool a slow swallow and grasped for air. Then I asked, "What is autism?", "Is he sick?", "Is he retarded?"

The doctor gave me a fairly brief explanation and sent me off. I felt numb all over, my heart was beating so fast, as if I was running a marathon. I stood motionless for awhile. I felt a surge of emotions. I knew one that I could identify was - devastation. I knew that Ivan had been diagnosed with something bad. But how bad, was bad....?

I went on the internet and tired to equip myself with the new term... to my surprise, I saw all these terms.

• nonverbal learning disorder
• attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder
• attnetion deficit disorder
• Tourette's
• obsessive-compulsive disorder
• sensory processing disorder
• gastrointestinal problems affecting behavior
• mental retardation

Only when I found out that my little boy had certain needs, did these unusual terms became visible to me. The only thing they seem to have in common is "disorder".

If you are a new parent, being exposed to these terms, don't be afraid. They cannot defeat you or your child. Be brave and read more,  you will soon find them to be just a bunch of words. Equip yourself with as much knowledge as you can.

In the months to come, you will find that we will comb through each topic to give you a better insight on these terms.