4 years ago
Every child is different and no one knows that better than parents. So when Kolette and Carl de la Cruz welcomed their two children into the world, they knew each one would have their own special gifts and, as it turns out, their own special needs.
In three year old Logan's world - everything has its place. If only his little sister Grace understood that.
"She gets into his things and makes him play."
Logan once loved to play with other kids. But that changed sometime after he turned 15-months-old. "I guess the best way to describe it is that he slipped away from us."
Suddenly, the child with the dimpled smile wasn't looking at the camera anymore and his behavior changed. "Why is he throwing temper tantrums all the time? Why is he not interested in people? Why is he not talking anymore?"
The answer, autism, would stun Logan's parents. As they learned more about Logan's disorder, they noticed something extraordinary about his little sister Grace.
"She knew all the letters of the alphabet, she knew the sounds they made.."
By 16 months old, she could do all that and more.
"I'm amazed because I feel that Grace sometimes plays second fiddle to Logan, because Logan needs so much attention and so I have a guilt factor."
Now 19 months old, doctors say Grace is three to six months ahead of where she should be for her age.
"Things that just come naturally to Grace, Logan has to learn step by step.?
Two children with two very different special needs...
"The tough part is managing our time to devote to either one and give them both their fair share. We've seen remarkable growth in our son, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope out there."
Logan and Grace are part of a sibling study at Kennedy Kreiger Institute in Baltimore to learn more about autism.
If you are wondering about your child and have questions about the disorder - there are resources out there. Check the links on the left of this page.
Written by Lesli Foster
