Autism Acceptance Month- Shirts to support Baylor Bug

On March 12th, 2021, the world became a whole lot brighter when we welcomed our first child, Baylor Liam Whited. He was everything you could’ve wanted in your first baby- a great napper, beautiful smile, and the sweetest little laughs. Baylor wasn’t much of a crier unless he needed the basic baby needs to be completed such as eating, diaper changed, or it was time for a nap. He played with toys and absolutely adored his dog, Booster. When Baylor turned one, we got a few first words such as “mama”, “dada”, and “hi”. He was always on the move and constantly testing new boundaries, but always did so with giggles or a big smile.

Around 2 years old, we noticed that Baylor really wasn’t talking much at all anymore. He went through a “yeah” phase at about 18 months old, but that slowly drifted to no words by the time he was 2. Baylor attended a great early education center and Baylor’s teachers began to note that Baylor wasn’t talking much. We implemented more reading of books and any speech therapy tips at home that we could find. As his parents, we tried our best not to compare Baylor to the other kids in his class, but the difference was becoming very evident when they were saying things such as “Baylor’s dad is here” while he stood mute but smiling at his dad’s presence.

Around 2.5 years old, we welcomed Baylor’s baby brother to the picture, and he was smitten with his new partner in crime- Leo. We had Baylor evaluated at this time for speech delays through First Steps where he was diagnosed with a developmental speech delay. He saw a therapist weekly for a few months who specialized working with autistic kids and she recommended that we put Baylor on the wait list to be evaluated even though she couldn't know for sure herself. It wasn’t until Baylor was a little over 3 years old in which he was evaluated and officially diagnosed with Autism Level 2 specifically with a global developmental delay. It shocked our family because we never knew anyone in our family to be diagnosed with Autism, let alone anything really related to Autism and fear for what his future might look like. We talked with the provider and gathered all the resources we could get, and she pointed us in the direction of multiple therapies and programs.

In August 2024, we joined a community like no other that we have ever been a part of before. A community that listened to our concerns as parents, but it most importantly, welcomed, adored, and safely cared for our Baylor. I could go on forever about the things I love about these programs, but the biggest reflection is all of their ability to provide autistic families with a community. We have parent meetings weekly that I can hear about all the progress and goals for Baylor to also help implement at home. There are events and resources for parents which helps us not feel so alone in this journey as well. These programs do not restrict his personality but embrace it and continue to help use it in ways that can hopefully allow for him to grow into a fully independent adult one day. Baylor is nonverbal, but they have helped him and us as parents with getting him an AAC device and implementing it.

Currently, his health insurance pays for a good portion of these therapies and programs, but we are still stuck with a hefty bill at the end of the year. We are reaching out with a gracious heart in hopes that you are willing to help support his journey. As his parents, we are trying to do all that we can to get Baylor the help that he requires, regardless of how different it may look compared to other children his age. Baylor has a beautiful, silly personality that is contagious to those around him. Although a nonverbal, autistic son was nothing we ever may have predicted, there is never a single moment that we do not count our blessings to how unbelievably lucky we are to be Baylor’s parents. We want to give him every opportunity to be successful in his life, in whatever terms that means for him. These programs have not only changed Baylor’s life for the better, but it has changed our family’s entire perspective and given us hope for Baylor as we embark and embrace his beautiful, neurodivergent journey!