Bryn's Bunch

Welcome to Bryn Suchenski’s Autism Walk Page. Thank you for stopping by to support our sweet little girl!

In early February of this year, a month before her second birthday, we received an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis for Bryn. Mark and I are lucky to have known of and seen the red flags, asked those uncomfortable questions, and advocated for help when Bryn was not meeting certain milestones. After working with a speech and occupational therapist, and an early interventionist over the course of many months, we knew the next step would be to test for autism.

We know our journey so far is a little different from other autistic children and families, especially females, as most children are not diagnosed as early as Bryn. Although research has confirmed autism can be diagnosed by age 2, the average age of diagnosis in the U.S. is 5 years old. Where females are more likely to go undiagnosed for longer due to masking autism signs better than that of males. For Bryn, our first red flag was little babbling and no words by 16 months old. Also, her eye contact with her father and I was minimal and fleeting when it did occur. Therefore, we knew we needed to speak with her pediatrician for answers and guidance.

Thankfully, I was already aware and familiar with early intervention services due to my child welfare background and with all that in hand, a referral was made for an assessment. Bryn and our family were immediately met with a full circle of beneficial resources and the absolute kindest people to help our daughter.

As of today, Bryn is starting to babble which is a wonderful sign of progress. We also use sign language and a communication board for Bryn to express her wants and needs. And to really put a bow on this story, Bryn will start ABA therapy soon where she is sure to flourish and grow, all while making new friends and beautiful memories.

This is just the start of our autism journey and I know this beginning is not the same for other families. That’s why it is now our priority to share information on autism, to advocate for early intervention services and most importantly, ensure Bryn and all autistic individuals are ACCEPTED just the way they are.