Does my child have autism? What parents need to know about getting a diagnosis and finding support BY KRYSTEN GODFREY MADDOCKS
26 www.parentingnh.com | APRIL 2020
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tephanie Morin was in disbelief when her twin sons
received autism diagnoses, one at 17 months and the other at 26 months. When the boys’ pediatrician suggested that she get her sons evaluated by a developmental pediatrician, Morin balked. After all, Morin was a practicing Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), an expert certified in applied behavior analysis who typically works with children on the autism spectrum. She had worked previously for a psychiatric hospital’s developmental disabilities unit, where she was first exposed to groups of children and adults diagnosed with autism. It was in this job that Morin changed her educational path from special education to applied behavior analysis, a scientific approach to understanding different behaviors and helping people improve their social and communication skills, as well as adaptive learning skills related to fine motor dexterity.
Looking back, she recalls that some of the early signs were there. When family members walked into the room, her boys didn’t seem to notice. They weren’t hitting typical language milestones, either. “As an autism expert working in the field… I didn’t notice that my own kids had autism. When the pediatrician told me, I was in such shock and denial that I was completely immobilized,” said Morin, who is a clinical outreach director for The Birchtree Center in Newington, an organization that provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) services both on-site and in school for children with autism. “The doctor had a frank conversation with me and told me not doing anything is not going to make anything better. At work, I see a lot of that. Sometimes I feel that I should share my story, because I want people to know what I experienced. Looking at my boys now, people are shocked to learn that both boys have autism.” Here twins are now four years old and thriving thanks to a combination of inschool support and ABA services they receive after their preschool day ends. “Both of them are now talking up a storm; it’s unbelievable,” she said.