Home News Parent Spotlight: Christine Booth

Parent Spotlight: Christine Booth

Tuesday, 09 June 2009 16:45

‘Having a child with special needs is an extremely challenging existence; yet, at the same time, brings us so much joy and celebration.’

“The love and affection that Daniel (almost five years of age) displays is amazing – more than my ‘normal’ eight-year-old ever gave us as a very young child; however, there is always caution with the cuddles because it might turn into an eye gouge, a tug of your hair, or a kick in a delicate area! We have all learnt to be on the ball with Daniel, not only for our safety, but for his too. Predicting what will come next is as much a puzzle to me as it is to people who meet Daniel for the first time and who are charmed by his cute babbling and gorgeous smile.

“From the moment Daniel was born with severe talipes (club feet), we knew there was something else that was not quite right. He was a very floppy and sleepy baby and, despite having breastfed my first child for nine months, Daniel just could not suck properly. The usual developmental milestones were not reached and we soon realised that he was more than ‘just a bit slow’.

“At one stage, when Daniel was suffering severe constipation due to his poor muscle tone, more than one doctor/specialist could never answer us straight when we asked the question, ‘Will he eventually walk?’ They just did not know. Despite numerous tests, an MRI, and regular consultations with specialists, we had no diagnosis. However, Daniel was mobile – scooting around on his bottom which was very amusing to watch – but he was happy because he was mobile. Daniel eventually walked, unaided, just prior to his third birthday, and what a celebration that was!

“A diagnosis of global development delay has been replaced with autism. Daniel’s club feet are much improved following two operations in 2006; however, it is obvious he has ‘wonky’ feet. But he can run so fast now and that is such a huge milestone for Daniel!

“We worry about what the future holds for Daniel in terms of schooling, his social life and ultimately his working life, but we don’t look too far down the track.

“MyTime has given me the opportunity to regularly meet with other mums from Daniel’s local Early Cognitive Development Unit, to get together and specifically speak about issues that are both important and relevant to us all. It’s not just a cup of coffee – it’s much more than that. MyTime is organised yet informal and we all get a say in what we would like to discuss, and the MyTime coordinator organises special guest speakers that are relevant to our topics of interest.”

written 27 November 2008

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