When Jenny Holm first received a diagnosis of autism for her young son Will, she cycled through a range of emotions including fear, anger, anxiety but then ultimately relief.
Will had delayed speech since around two and a half years old and was slow to meet early developmental milestones. So when Child Neurology Consultants of Austin’s board-certified child neurologist Dr. Dilip Karnik gave her the reason as to why, she took solace in a definitive diagnosis as she could stop wondering and worrying about what was wrong with him.
Although the task ahead of parenting a child with autism seemed daunting at the time, Jenny recalls how Dr. Karnik was one of the family’s greatest cheerleaders and a staunch supporter of Will from their first meeting.
Jenny remembers the comforting yet confident way in which Dr. Karnik initially assured her that “Mom, you got this, and you will get through it…Will is going to be just fine.”
According to Jenny and the Holm family, “there is no better human being on earth than Dr. Karnik.”
Through Dr. Karnik’s more than decade-long treatment, along with the care of his equally committed nurse Tina, and coupled with extensive occupational and speech therapy, Will is now an active and articulate 14-year old.
He is an 8th grader who loves both Legos and Star Wars. Will participates on his school’s cross-country team and is often found riding his bike when not running. This coming summer, he will head off for the first time to sleep away camp.
According to Will, Dr. Karnik is “nice and helpful and shows me how to solve problems and just improve things in my life.”
Dr. Karnik currently treats a cousin of Will’s for autism also.
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a complex developmental disability affecting a child’s ability to communicate and interact with others.
If you suspect your child or teenager has autism, or another learning or developmental disorder, please contact Child Neurology Consultants of Austin for an appointment with one of our specialists.
Child Neurology Consultants of Austin has experience treating a wide range of neurological disorders in children from birth to young adulthood.
