Where did he go?

I’ll never forget the day, shortly after Jack turned 2, when I realized Jack was not only “behind” in his development, he was regressing. Words and signs he had used for over a year started disappearing. About the only words we heard were echoed repetitions from Finding Nemo, his favorite DVD.

I lay there next to him one night, waiting for him to fall asleep. As I listened to him hum the same three notes over and over and over, I thought I would go crazy. “Please stop, Jackson!” Tears streamed down my cheeks; I knew there was something seriously wrong with our son.

He began to withdraw deeper and deeper into his own world. Our easy-going, happy little guy now rarely smiled and almost never laughed anymore. He stopped wanting to cuddle, and made no effort to show affection or join his sisters in games of chase.
With no idea what was happening to our beautiful boy, I determined not to close my eyes or swallow what most people (including his pediatrician) were telling me, “He’s just a late bloomer.”

We pursued him every way we knew. Endless games of tickle worm, this little piggy, ride a horsie, and tackle were our only chance at getting a smile. We pulled his limp arms around our necks, and hugged and kissed him and prayed to understand where our son had gone and how we could snatch him back.