A Touch of Peace
Inspirational Speaker and Author Tanya Merced
Book Reviews
Discovering Autism
In 1995 when my son Andrew was 2 years old my husband and I were changed forever. Andrew was referred to the center, because his social skills were poor, his comprehension and expressive language reportedly did not improve. Andrew was diagnosed with severe to moderate language delays; however, he was not labeled with autism at the time. I started to read books about speech and language delays and noticed that under the heading of autism were characteristics that my son was displaying.
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Unveiling Autism By Tanya Merced
I am knitted inside my mother’s womb in secret and they await my arrival.
The day has come and I am born to a world I am not familiar with.
Who are the faces before me?
Why do they hold me so tight?
Each and every touch upon my body feels like sandpaper.
My cries are not familiar to them and they stare at me with confusion.
Why don’t they just leave me alone in this isolated place where I feel safe?
Why do they constantly hold my face in their hands and make me repeat strange words over and over?
Sounds that surround me with murmurings I quite don’t understand.
I look past my mother and father’s face, because I can see every strand in their eyes.
Why don’t they just leave me alone in this isolated place where I feel safe?
Why do they constantly hold my face in their hands and make me repeat strange words over and over?
My mother kneels and cradles me in her arms.
She looks towards the heavens and cries out to God.
Lord I thank you were the words that came forth from my mother’s quivering lips.
That day I looked at my mother’s face and called her mom.
Today the voices in my head no longer matter.
Although each touch still feels like sand upon my flesh.
I no longer push it away, but welcome it.
The more they embrace my uniqueness I become whole.
Perseverance and determination have been embedded within my soul.
Heaven must have known the obstacles that I would face, but sent them both with love and grace.
If you look beyond the label the world has given me, you will see that I am wonderfully made in God’s image.