EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE
Yadira Mederos de Cardenas had been in the United States for three years when she found out she was pregnant with her first child, a boy she awaited with joyful anticipation.
Two years later, Mederos de Cardenas’ joy had become clouded with anxiety. Though her son Isaac had been born a happy, healthy and playful baby, he hadn’t said a word by the time he was two- and-a-half.
Mederos de Cardenas knew something was wrong when she saw younger kids happily blurting out the “goo goo gaga’s” all mothers eagerly await knowing that soon “mom” would come out of the jumbled gibberish too.
But Isaac hadn’t gotten there yet, a common sign of the autism spectrum.
“It was weighing on me,” said the Mexican immigrant. “The fear of whether he was going to speak or not. The not knowing what was going to happen. I couldn’t sleep.”
Several weeks later, Mederos de Cardenas was finally on the path to helping Isaac thanks to Peninsula Family Connections, an agency dedicated to helping low-income families on the Peninsula with educational resources and aid.
“What happened with Isaac made me a more strong and courageous person,” Mederos de Cardenas said.
“That shy person that I was once slowly turned into losing that shame and seeking out help. I realized that I was waiting for everyone else to do things for me. I had to learn that I am the mother and that I am the best advocate for my kids. I had to make the call. It took months, but I did it.”