- April 19, 2024
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From birth, Noah Blanco seemed to be in his own world.
His parents, Danielle and Junior, thought at first that he had a hearing problem. They would walk into his room, and he would keep playing with whatever toy was currently in his hand. They would talk to him, and he couldn’t seem to make eye contact. He focused on one thing at a time.
By the time Noah was 2 months old, his parents knew there was something different about their son. And that terrified them.
“You don’t want there to ever be anything wrong with your child,” Danielle Blanco said. “No mom ever wants to say, ‘I think my son has autism.’”
But after Noah passed five hearing tests, it was clear that his problem was in his attentiveness, not his hearing. He didn’t like having people getting close to him and hugging him. At 10 months old, he started spinning in circles on the floor.
“We thought it was so cute,” Danielle Blanco said. “It was like he was break dancing.”
The Blancos started researching developmental disorders, unsure of what they were looking for. As they read more and more about autism, they realized Noah showed many of the developmental disorder’s symptoms.
They told Noah’s doctor that they suspected their son was autistic, but the Blancos were told to suspend judgment because a premature label could act as a self-fulfilling prophecy. And, because Noah was born with a double aortic arch, he underwent major cardiac surgery at 6 months old. Surgery that early often results in a developmental delay. Noah couldn’t move for three months as he recovered from his surgery, so he later needed occupational therapy to learn to crawl.
Still, the Blancos couldn’t shake the feeling that it was autism.
“By all means, we didn’t want it to be that,” Danielle Blanco said. “We were hoping to be proven wrong.”
The first time a specialist said Noah was probably autistic, the Blancos went home and cried. That opinion has been confirmed by other doctors, as well, and the Blancos’ primary doctor said they can tell friends and family that Noah is autistic. On May 9, Noah will have another evaluation, days after his 30-month birthday, the earliest age at which an official diagnosis is possible.
‘It can happen to anyone’
Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the nation, according to Autism Speaks, an autism science and advocacy program. At present, about one in 88 children has the disorder. Most of them are male.
According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, recognizing symptoms early is crucial, and checkups at 18 and 24 months should include “developmental screening for autism spectrum disorders for all children.”
The mystery behind the disorder is part of the problem, Junior Blanco said. People who are unaffected by autism often don’t know what it is.
Often, when Danielle Blanco is shopping for groceries, strangers will try to interact with Noah. His response is sometimes blank. Other times, he does not like the strangers getting too close.
“It’s almost like they’re offended,” Danielle Blanco said. “When I tell them Noah has autism, they don’t know how to act.”
Danielle Blanco used to be the same way, she said, before Noah was born, and she started researching developmental disorders extensively. April is National Autism Awareness Month, and to the Blancos, an increase in awareness is much needed.
“This is something that can happen to anyone,” Junior Blanco said. “Knowing the signs can help identify a problem early.”
Those signs include repetitive behavior, including spinning, arm flapping or lining objects up; developmental delays, especially in speech or motor skills; a preference for playing alone; and odd eating behaviors, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Karen Horton, owner and speech pathologist at Speech Works in Palm Coast, said parents should be observant of their children in case any of these signs emerge.
“Looking at typical developmental milestones and making sure your child is staying on track with motor, communication and cognitive development is an excellent idea,” Horton said, adding that concerned parents should request a developmental evaluation with a speech-language pathologist or an occupational therapist.
Even though most doctors wait until a child is 3 to issue an official diagnosis, parents can help their children earlier, Horton said.
Help for Noah
The Blancos have been pushing for support for Noah since they suspected he was autistic. He was receiving developmental help through the federally funded Early Steps program because of his heart surgery, and through that program, the Blancos found Speech Works.
About six weeks ago, Noah began attending speech and occupational therapy at Speech Works twice a week. The results were almost instant.
“He couldn’t communicate at all,” Danielle Blanco said. “He would fuss, but we had to have him on a strict schedule to make sure he got everything he needed. He couldn’t tell me if he wanted to eat.”
Within a few weeks, Noah was grabbing his parents’ hands and leading them to what he needed. He’s learning specialized sign language to help him communicate, and his speech has already vastly improved.
But the day the Blancos knew they were on the right track came just a couple of weeks ago. Noah walked out of his room wearing a Mickey Mouse hat his parents bought him at Disney World. At the time the hat was purchased, Noah refused to put it on his head. He hates hats — a residual effect of his sensory issues.
“It’s amazing,” Danielle Blanco said. “Speech Works has been a lifesaver.”
For Horton, working with autistic children early makes a difference. “I have lived and worked in the community for years, so I often bump into my old clients and their families,” Horton said. “So many children can progress to the point where they blend in with their typical peers in school and in the community. They are in mainstream classroom programs and on their way to living productive lives.”
The Blancos hope their experience will prevent parents from shying away from that dreaded word: autism.
“My best advice is ‘Don’t be selfish,’” Junior Blanco said. “Don’t put what everybody else is going to think or say first. You’d do more harm to your child in trying not to admit it than trying to get the help you need. As a parent, you need to put your child first.”
Signs of autism
According to the Mayo Clinic, the following are some of the signs of autism:
— Fails to respond to his or her name.
— Has poor eye contact
— Appears not to hear things
— Resists cuddling and holding
— Prefers playing alone
— Appears unaware of others' feelings
— Doesn't ask for help or make requests
— Doesn't speak or has delayed speech, loses previous acquired ability to speak or speaks with abnormal tone or rhythm
— Doesn't understand simple questions or directions
— Has difficulty sharing with others
— Moves constantly
— Performs repeititve movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping
— Unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch
— Has odd food ppreferences, including craving items that are not food
