About Me
Hello!
My name is Shylisa and I’m the mother of a beautiful, playful, and sometimes stubborn little girl named Parker that was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder level 2 in 2017. I would like to tell you that I have a long list of hobbies and I've mastered the world that is autism but that would be a lie. The truth is I’m a full time wife, mother, Registered Nurse, and Student that has only recently started indulging in running to maintain my sanity. I have learned so much about autism but I am still learning. When Parker was diagnosed with autism it completely changed my world. I had to learn to let go of the life I had envisioned for her so I could start accepting the bright future she could have. This of course, didn't happen overnight. Before I was able to accept the truth that I was raising a special needs child I went through an array of emotions that was much like the stages of grief
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Welcome to Perfectly Parker.
A blog dedicated to the joys, stigma, and challenges associated with raising my daughter with autism. I started a Perfectly Parker YouTube channel to share our journey and that led to me starting a blog. I hope you take away from this blog that you are not alone and even though a new diagnosis may be scary and confusing you can and will get through it.
Initially I was shocked and although I didn't recognize it at first I was also in denial. When I finally started coming to terms with Parker's diagnosis it sent me into a spiral of guilt mixed with anger. I was angry with everyone that suggested there was no way Parker had autism, even though they were no experts in the field. I was frustrated with her pediatrician for not hearing my cries when I suggested Parker wasn't speaking appropriately. I was livid at the early child specialist that suggested we didn't perform the autism screening because "Parker didn't fit the typical signs of autism." I started blaming myself and the guilt ate me alive. My advice to parents is don't be too hard on yourself. Give yourself time to accept your child diagnosis and remember they are still the same child they were before you received their diagnosis. I started a Perfectly Parker YouTube channel that eventually led to a blog as an outlet and just so happened to help other families in the process. I am here for you and my hope is that Parker's story will encourage and help you as others have done for me.
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