[Age 3] First Developmental Consultation - Kindergarten or Developmental Support: The 3-Year-Old Crossroads (Part 1)

☝️ This is a continuation of the previous post.

⚫︎ And so, I called the city's developmental consultation office...

“Um... it’s about my 2-year-10-month-old son. I have a feeling he might have something like high-functioning autism...”

I still remember clearly the moment I called the developmental consultation office.

The woman on the phone, who was initially businesslike, must have sensed my anxiety and unease, as her tone softened halfway through, saying, “I see, I see, I understand.”
I remember feeling a little relieved by those words.

However, what I heard afterward was quite difficult.

At the time, developmental consultations with psychologists were fully booked, and when I called in October, they said the earliest appointment would be after January of the following year.

I knew it couldn't be helped. But three months felt like a very long time to me back then.

That was because it was exactly the time when preparations for the kindergarten he would start attending the following spring were beginning in earnest.

Schedules for enrollment, such as ordering uniforms and attending orientation sessions, were moving forward rapidly.

Meanwhile, I was still filled with anxiety, wondering, “Is this school really okay for him?” and “What will happen if he has developmental traits?”
Even though I had no answers, time would not wait for me.

I especially remember the day of the uniform fitting.

Perhaps because the environment was unfamiliar, my son couldn't settle down and kept walking around.

I was desperately trying to call out to him while chasing him, and I still can't forget the expression one of the teachers showed at that moment.

Of course, I don't know if that was really what she was thinking.

But at the time, I felt as if she thought, “What a troublesome parent and child.”

Since I was already full of anxiety, that look really stung.

Thinking back now, my son was also showing traits that are called stereotypical behaviors.

He would open and close doors or sliding doors repeatedly, or stare intently at straight lines like power lines.

Sometimes, when he was walking and something caught his attention, he would walk in a strange way where his upper body faced forward but his lower body turned sideways.
At the time, I couldn't help but worry about every single one of those behaviors.

But I wouldn't be able to consult a professional for several months.

I spent my days watching my child and constantly wondering, “Is he okay?” or “Am I just overthinking this?”

Looking back now, I feel that what was most painful back then wasn't whether he would get a diagnosis, but the time spent holding onto that anxiety without anyone to give me an answer.

👇This is the continuation