My 12 year old son is motivated beyond where I was at that age. He is a great student, funny and socially motivated, and committed to being in shape (his own initiative). Its hard to imagine a better kid. I woke up this week to him already working out before I even got up. When my son was 2 years old he couldn't talk and didn't respond to his name. He was soon diagnosed with autism. When he was 2/3 he got into early intervention. Growth from there has been amazing. He was always "catching up" and now getting fully caught up and even passing some of his other peers. I don't think this is a fluke - with proper intervention. Yet most families sit on waitlists or in denial. One is more self fulfilling than the other but neither is acceptable. As a parent, whatever the challenge, you can deal with it, even with an entrepreneurial job. Nobody will do it for you- you must surround yourself with the right people both on the medical side but also the work side. I have made that mistake and won't do that again. Pick your partners wisely. If you have awful people around you will get an awful result. It doesn't matter how much money raise or throw at the problem. I started Divergent other new initiatives (more to come later this year) to bring attention to early childhood conditions and help parents by offering profound innovations to relieve the burden. I have plenty of access and resources. No need to have sympathy for me. Imagine if you are on medicaid? What if you work 60 hours to make ends meet? How do you get a good outcome for your kid? Here are some key tips: 1) Use technology. There is more info than you think that can be at your fingertips. 2) Consider a true care coordinator and "overspend" on whatever you can at an early age- the more you do then, I have noticed, the better the outcome. 3) Call other parents- many, like me, are more than willing to be public about this and available. In fact, reach out to me anytime. 4) Don’t be afraid to try out of pocket if you can afford it. Waitlists are just awful everywhere and there is not enough access to care. But solutions are coming soon... 5) Don't fall for "rebranding" of common therapies. Look for truly innovative and responsive approaches. I believe we are not far from "precision therapy" with the help of AI, diagnostics and new innovations like the exposome which I wrote about yesterday. Stay tuned for more. I intend to invest both my time and money in solving this issue. What is coming will be amazing. I am focused on bringing technology that will offer a new level of precision and solve the most fundamental issues. Please stay tuned and reach out if you want any previews or to just bat around some ideas..... #entrepreneur #autism
Amitava Ray
4mo
I call my 9 yo autistic child - "A Beautiful Soul". The only worry that we have is what happens when we are not around. Till then, I intend to enjoy every moment of his innocence. I understand your drive; I ran to every treatment/therapy that offered any ray of hope, however absurd the claims. I will say this from experience: Love, enjoy and marvel at such a precious human being. As of this comment, the best hope for people with autism is probably CRISPR therapy and that is still years away (variations of 1000+ genes are thought to cause most of the symptoms). Prof. Guoping Feng of MIT would be a great resource to learn more.
JORDAN ORMONT
4mo
LOVE this!
Ashiish V Patil
4mo
What a bright young man your son is... And it's so true, one of the biggest issues that I've found with young families/ parents is acceptance. I was guilty of the same when our son was first diagnosed with autism at age 2/3. I was in total denial for 6 months. Like a kid who thinks things disappear if you close your eyes. Not knowing that they only get bigger and closer when you finally open them. Accepting it helped move to early intervention. He's now 18 and we are at a stage of not just acceptance but celebration. I can't imagine life without it... I'd have probably been a very different, way more selfish, insensitive, impatient person if not for it. I tend to use my storytelling either directly or indirectly now to build awareness, acceptance, engagement. Looking forward to seeing what's in store at your end. Best wishes. And a high five to your boy! Ps: This is Risshan now :)
Thank you for making a difference! I would love for you to check out - www.weallearndifferently.com - we created this amazing initiative for middle school students to help start the conversations to build empathy and understanding.
Neha P.
3mo
My younger child, who is 5 years old, has recently begun walking with support. The diagnosis we received was "birth asphyxia," which resulted in damage to a portion of the brain. We were informed that the brain is an incredible organ capable of compensating for such losses and early intervention has been crucial, involving extensive physiotherapy and botox injections in weakened muscles. On top of that my entrepreneurial spirit to start my own business along with regular job. It was quite stressful. But as they say, after winter comes spring, and fortunately, our lives are beginning to take a positive turn too.
His name is Miyan? What energy! I love his commitment and resolve. I run Latika in Dehradun, India - a 30-year-old non-profit for disabled kids and adults. Our biggest challenge is not the kids but the community - we are working hard on awareness and acceptance as the keys to a good future for our students. Stories like Miyan's give us so much hope about what's possible. Thanks a lot to both of you for making your inspiring conversation public.
Pam Witzig
4mo
And Einstein did not speak his first word until age three. We are all wired differently. Therefore, every person cannot benefit from one-size-fits-all mentality. It's one reason I continue work toward a social app that is not for "broadcast," that lends to bullying, but a focused approach that is healthier for all, especially developing adolescents. Good going.
Mohamad Chaaban
4mo
I have been on both sides of the river: as a parent for a child with development delay and as a service provider for early intervention services (speech therapy). It’s powerful when u are inspired by your son. I know from myself. That’s why we are building IGNITE. Thanks for sharing 👍
Elliot Polak
4mo
“Condider a true care coordinator” 👈 this. 🙏 Amol Deshpande for the powerful insights. As they say: “intelligence is hereditary: you get it from your children. I’d like to have a chat. Will message.
0 to 1 VC-Backed Tech Builder || Caregiving Futurist || Fast Co. World Changing Ideas Finalist || Medical Needs Mom || Founder Coach
4mo#2 is spot on. I feel guilty spending on folks who can help, but honestly, I'm burning the candle from both sides EVEN with the help. Parents need to stay healthy, too. Do you have suggestions on where to find a care coordinator?