The Autism Community Has Lost a Good Doctor

Yesterday, when I finally got over to the post office to get our mail, there was an envelope waiting. It was from the Autism Center at Drexel University. They’re closing. It contained a letter and a list of services in the Philadelphia area so I could make arrangements for my child as necessary. It seems that the head of the center, Dr. Malone, died suddenly in October. The news hit me in the gut.

Dr. Malone listened to me when no other doctors would about our oldest son. He answered my desperate email plea for help when I reached out to him. He took his time with our family when we were there. He did something I was told he had only done once before in 10 years – he changed our son’s diagnosis from oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) to Asperger’s/high functioning autism. It was this decision of his in January of 2010 that changed our family forever – for the better.

I know, how can autism make a family better? Well, without the correct diagnosis, our son was not getting the services he so desperately needed, and so our family was holding on by a thread. Life here at home was not pleasant in the least. I lived for the days my son had school. My attitude was relief that he was someone else’s problem from 9am-3:30pm.

Dr. Malone changed that. I won’t say our life isn’t without its challenges now. Not in the least. But Dr. Malone made our home happier. He gave our son the diagnosis we needed to get him services that actually have helped – in leaps and bounds. My son went from being a good student to being on distinguished honor roll all of last year. The behavior incidents totally dropped off (until his grandma died, but that’s a whole other issue).

Dr. Malone validated what I had been fighting for our son for 7 years. He paved the way for our younger son who is lower functioning than his brother on the spectrum and needs way more therapy and services. I’ve often wondered if we’d not gone out to Drexel where both our boys would be now.

Dr. Malone helped our family in so many ways. I could never thank him enough. The world has truly lost a great doctor. I can’t imagine the void for the families in Philly who were using the Autism Center at Drexel for care. He will be missed.