Spokane: Regression is just a part of the mystery of autism
"When Stefanee and her husband saw their toddler Benton’s vocabulary shrink from 70 words to two, they knew something was wrong"
I found a story that seemed to be about a clinic in Spokane, Washington that has shortened the wait time for autism assessments, but it’s actually about much more than that.
April 26, 2024, Medicine WSU: Family Finds Hope in the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Clinic
When Stefanee and her husband saw their toddler Benton’s vocabulary shrink from 70 words to two, they knew something was wrong. They left his pediatrician’s office with a list of providers who could evaluate him for autism, but none had a wait list shorter than 12 months. Knowing that therapies are most effective when started before three years old, and unsure of how to get their son the care he needed, they found the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Clinic in Spokane.
Now, with a timely diagnosis and therapy, Benton has not only regained his words but said “Mama” for the first time.
“We are so grateful for this clinic, because in a very uncertain time they were able to offer our family hope for our child,” Stefanee said.
The Autism and Neurodevelopmental Clinic, ran in partnership with Washington State University and Range Community Clinic, fills a critical gap in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) services in eastern Washington by providing timely diagnostic evaluations, comprehensive treatment planning, and opportunities to participate in innovative WSU research.
Stefanee’s story is part of the WSU College of Medicine’s spring fundraising campaign. Your gift today ensures more families can access timely care and the latest research at the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Clinic.
The very first sentence in the story deserves all our attention.
This child LOST SPEECH.
When Stefanee and her husband saw their toddler Benton’s vocabulary shrink from 70 words to two, they knew something was wrong.
Nothing in the story explained what happened to this normally developing child that caused him to lose words. Is this stark sign of regression now just another part of the puzzle of autism?
Pretending that children, for some unknowable reason, lose learned skills without any focus on what preceded that loss, is unconscionable malfeasance on the part of doctors who witness these events.
Fortunately, this child was able to recover his speech.
Imagine how many more never do.