Did he really have autism?

When I tell Keller’s story, it has begun to feel like I am telling a story of fiction or fable.  Often Keller is running around right beside us, playing with friends or sitting at the dinner table with us completely chatting and engaged.  It seems impossible that this vivacious and full of life little boy, at one time in his life, had autism.

But it is true.  My son, everyone’s best friend, life of the party, thriving 9-year-old boy, once had an autism diagnosis.

The question I am most asked when meeting someone new, and especially upon seeing Keller for themselves, is “Did he REALLY have autism”?

I get it.  In witnessing Keller in the flesh today, vibrant and full of connection and life, it seems a complete impossibility that he ever had autism.  But if you were there, and we WERE there, you KNEW that he had autism.

He wasn’t speaking or even attempting to communicate, he was stimming (meaning self-stimulating behaviors to help himself calm down or cope with a situation) in various ways to self-regulate in seemingly normal circumstances, he had meltdowns with every transition in his day, and he was constantly anxious and overwhelmed.  Stimming is when a child with autism uses repetitive movements or noises to help them cope with overwhelming situations. There was NO doubt.  He had autism.

But he wholly does NOT have autism now.  I also get asked if he has any symptoms of autism today.  And honestly, he does not.  Not a single symptom or trace.  It’s miraculous.

There are so many steps that are traceable, and our story is both unique and complex.  Truly, we jumped into extreme intervention before Keller was even two and saw huge milestones, growth and transformation in his life.  God had His hand on Keller, but so did countless therapists and an incredibly rare upbringing within a community of people who loved him. 

Keller definitely had autism.  And now, he definitely does NOT have autism.  He is a miracle, and he is just a normal boy who was extraordinarily loved and served.

And it’s our remarkable story to tell.