Helping Magnus with Non Verbal Autism

Magnus was a healthy beautiful baby, very alert, smiley, inquisitive, all around a very healthy neurotypical baby. He met all of his typical milestones and more! At 11 months he began to say momma, daddy, car, cat, apple…he loved playing with his brother and playing peek a boo, he loved to laugh, and give the biggest hugs. Suddenly between 14 months and 18 months old Magnus stopped talking, eventually he stopped making eye contact, he didn’t recognize us as his parents, he stopped playing with toys, he stopped wearing clothes, he began to have sensory overloads, he really doesn’t know where he is in time or space, he relies heavily on us to navigate his world for him. He spent many nights awake because his body can’t regulate time of day and the natural sleep pattern.

We went to many developmental paediatricians to try and figure out what we were being faced with, and what happened to our seemingly healthy Magnus? We were told by our Paediatrician that Magnus has something called ‘Regressive’ Autism, whereby the child develops normally and then suddenly develops Autism. It was very difficult to understand this diagnosis and to accept it especially when doctors do not know why it happens. We researched and have no family history of autism, so this diagnosis was a shock! We grieved for Magnus, and welcomed our new challenges with so much love. To say the least, this has been a traumatizing experience.

Magnus is now almost 6 yrs old and still does not speak, he is classified as non verbal. He does not understand language either (which is called a deficit in receptive and expressive language).

Doctors have not given us much hope and have not offered help as to what to do next? We feel very alone and lost in the system.

Magnus can disappear very easily if not watched intensively, he gravitates to water, is at risk of drowning, cannot communicate his needs, if he was lost you would never know who he is - he couldn’t tell you. We spend our days guessing what he needs, he cannot be left alone, nor can he be cared for by anyone else unless they have knowledge of his condition. The cost for respite is extortionate and with very limited help if any, it’s been exhausting, draining and stressful, especially when we have two other little boys to care for.

We have taken Magnus to speech therapy and other suggested therapies and unfortunately they have not yet brought back his social and language understanding. With all of this waiting for government funding to assist with extortionate costs we are wasting valuable time in this early intervention window! We are changing gears, and are eager to support Magnus through private care. We have done extensive research and have been given the opportunity for Magnus to have treatment in Europe March 2025. This treatment will tackle his digestive disruptions, absorption issues, sleep issues and treatment for his neurological disorder. This is way above and beyond anything we have ever been offered here, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we are very excited for Magnus.

Magnus’ eyes are bright and alert, we know he still has a chance to catch up developmentally if we get him the early intervention which he desperately needs.

The donated funds will aid in our travel, accommodation, and the treatment costs.

Please consider helping Magnus and follow Magnus’ journey to watch him thrive and succeed. He is the sweetest boy, he has the most angelic soul, he is loved beyond what is imaginable. He will do wonderful things in this world and giving him a voice will help him live a life in which he so deserves!

Thank you for taking the time to read Magnus’ story! And thank you for caring about Magnus as much as we do!