Eighteen worrying months after four-year-old Jett lost his words, he was diagnosed with autism. Now, thanks to the determination of his parents and a small contribution from Satan’s Little Helper, Jett is on the path to finding what he lost.
The saddest thing about Jett’s story is the regression. At two, he could say basic words. His parents Kim and Rory weren’t concerned about him, and neither were the doctors.
“He was a little quiet,” says Kim, “but we thought it was nothing to worry about. Then, he started to have intense tantrums, and I think that was because he was struggling to communicate, but doctors told us there was nothing to worry about.”
Kim thought otherwise and kept trying to get medical intervention for her boy.
Things changed quickly. When his grandparents returned from a six-week trip, they noticed a huge difference in Jett.
“He’d stopped making eye contact and wasn’t interested in other people at all,” explains Kim. “We couldn’t see it as much because it was such a gradual process but, after some time away, my parents spotted it immediately.”
Battle for care
Thus began Kim’s nightmarish battle to seek support for her son.
“Despite the fact that Jett had severe sensory issues and wasn’t eating or sleeping well, it still took six months before we got a referral for an assessment, which was initially rejected by the hospital. Then our GP left our local surgery and we got lost in the handover.
“By the time we saw a specialist, it was 18 months on from the time we were first referred! He was almost four and couldn’t speak a word. He’d completely regressed.
“I was really worried he’d go to school without knowing how to speak.”
Jett was seen by a pediatrician, who diagnosed him as having Autism Spectrum Disorder.
“The pediatrician couldn’t believe how long it took Jett to be seen!” adds Kim. “Since then, we’ve been able to access more help and claim some funding through Autism NZ.”
Help at hand
Since accessing the help he needs, Jett has improved his eye contact and communication skills, even though he’s still non-verbal.
Jett attends daycare and is making progress developing his social skills, but ensuring Jett continues to develop requires sacrifices from his parents, such as working extra hours.
Our kind of people
Jett, Rory and Kim are exactly the type of people Satan’s Little Helper was created to give a hand to – so, when Jett was nominated, we knew we had to help and sent him a sensory sheet to give him the sensory input he needs at night.
“It’s really tight and clings to his body,” explains Kim. “It also provides pressure, which helps him go to sleep and stay asleep.
“Since he received it, he’s a lot calmer during the day and his focus has improved.”
Jett has been making progress in the past few months and is more comfortable being around other kids his age. Now he’s sleeping better and has more focus, the hope is that he’ll continue to make gains – and, one day, find his words again!
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