Stories of Hope

Our Son :)

My husband adopted CJ when he was only 5. CJ's mother divorced my husband shortly after and then moved away with CJ. After we married in 2005, CJ came to visit for the summer. The stories of the home life he was experiencing were horrifying. In 2006, my husband and I filed for custody of CJ. It was a long, drawn-out, and awful battle, but CJ has now lived with us for 6 years. He is enrolled in MTSU and doing great! It is amazing what a little bit of consistence and love can do for a child with Aspergers. It has been a struggle, but you do what is BEST for the child and not for yourself. Strong parents do what is best for their children, even if it sometimes hurts and can make you very frustrated!! Hang in there people and remember, these children are a gift that we should never abuse!!

Diane
Murfreesboro, TN

Semi-only one

So my name's Mia. When I was in kindergarten my parents talked to my teacher at a conference and she suggested try should go see if I could be diagnosed with aspergers. It turns out I was autistic, and I'm the only one in my family who is really. I didn't really know about it til about 5 years later after having some difficulties with other kids in school and my learning. I couldn't do math that well and I had a very hard time reading and writing. I was bullied as well and I wasn't good at socializing. My parents decided to put me in a private school for other kids with learning disabilities like autism and now I'm really really good at things I couldn't do before like solving a "difficult" pretend CSI case my grandparents gave me for Christmas in less than an hour, or doing everything in my head for math and using a larger vocabulary (in a good way) and I can read music and play saxophone now and it was my first year this past year and I got some really good awards for it. And now I've moved again and my parents and I are discussing my reasoning for easy possibility of boarding school within the next two years during highschool because I really really want to, and I'm really really excited :)

Anonymous
Bradford, NY

My life after aba

My name is megan crandy and i was diagnoised with autism when i was around 2 and at first i was like a butterfly without wings, but erik,my mom,melissa,and everyother tutor has saved me in every way anyone can be saved. Now i am 19 graduated high school and am on my way for a wonderful future of possiblites and i would be alone without my consultents thank you to those that have believed in me daddy, you're proud and i know you are looking down and smiling.

Megan Crandy
Las Vegas, NV

Colin

Six years ago I would have never guessed how much fighting I would have to do for him. In the last 6 years I have watched Colin progress more than I imagined possible. He now scores 200 points higher than the "typical "kids. He has severe elopement behavior and the toll it takes on the whole family has been hard. In the last 6 years we have gained community support for him and all the kids like him. The police have been so supportive and jump through hoops to keep my son safe. They light their building up, as well as City Hall. We have a dog that we are training to give me an extra paw keeping him safe. I love my son and his dog,and think they are the most amazing duo ever!

Seana Daughtry
Crossville, TN

This I Believe, poem by Sam, 14-year-old with Asperger's

I believe
That obstacles can be overcome.
I've had more obstacles than most children since I was a baby.
Was premature with head trauma,
Wasn't breathing, had no heartbeat,
Was revived but was very weak,
Was struggling to survive but I had a strong will to live.
Knowing the difficulties I'd faced helped me as I grew,
Had to learn what most kids already knew,
Communication was difficult,
Mental flexibility had to be learned,
I have to work hard every day.
I have many obstacles,
But I deal with them.
Don't give up on yourself.
No matter the challenge,
You can overcome it.
This, I believe.

My son received an A+ for this poem. His teacher was thrilled at his eloquence, since Sam has a lot of difficulty putting his feelings into words. Every day I grow more proud of my son... he is stronger (& has to be) than most with what he has to work through in order to function within the mainstreamed classroom. <3

Kristen Eshleman
Gaithersburg, MD

Brody

Hi my name is angelia proffitt ..and my youngest son has autism ..when Brody was aboyuut 3years old is when I began to notice signs that something wasn't quite right ..by 5 I knew I needed to have him tested ..I talked to my other son's principal and she got me in touch with a specialist ..then the testing began..when I got the results I cried I thought I was prepared but nothing can prepare you for that kind of news ..I felt guilty and confused lost and alone ..My husband wouldn't talk to me about it..it took him 5 months to finally except it..having to explain brodys disability to our family was hard also ..So I started surfing the net and learning everything I could about autism.I enrolled Brody in school..he's in a regular class and he has a para or helper ..I was terrified! I'm so blessed to have wonderful ppl at his school to help him ..Brody graduated kindergarten last week! He's really come far this last year! Brody has thought me to be a better parent and to see the world through his eye's ..I'm still learning..just kinda winging it lol but whatever comes Brody and my way I'm ready for it! Knowledge is power x)

angelia proffitt
middlebury, IN

My little super hero Skyler.

When I was pregnant I never thought that one day my son would teach me so much about myself and the world around me. When my son was little I always notice little quirks about him but that made Skyler him. When he was around 2 I started to notice he wasn't talking as much as kids his age and even some of the words he had known he could say anymore and he didn't want to interact with kids around him. When I brought my concern up to others they said he was fine not to worry but I knew there was something different about my son.After speaking to my doctor we were sent to a specialist and a month before he turned 3 my son was diagnosed with Autism. All I could think was why Skyler? Then it all made sense when I put all those little quirks together. I now realize yes there is something different about Skyler but that's what makes him special. I wouldn't change a thing about my son. I have learned so much from him in the 4 short years he has been alive. Although it can be frustrating at times when I see him running around in his super hero costumes and pretending to be his favorite super heroes it puts a smile on my face. Im excited for his future because after 1 short year in his school program he is able to communicate a little better and his social skills are improving. I want my son to know that his Autism is not something to be ashamed of it is something to be proud of because it is what makes him who is my little Super Skyler.

Sarah Minatrea
Surprise, AZ

My Three Angels

I am the proud father of three amazing kids and a very lucky husband to an amazing woman. My kids, Max 10, Zoe 9, and Avery 6 are the Lights of my life. Max and Avery have Autism, Zoe is their protector, advocate, and sister.
We are fortunate to live in Minnesota, Max and Avery have received ABA services through MAC (the Minnesota Autism Center) since the beginning of our "new normal". They have come so far and exceeded all expectations.
Avery will soon be getting her Dynavox to aid her in her communication. She loves her dog "Reggie" as well as her collection of hats. She loves swimming, playing with her toys and making beautiful art.
Max now attends 4th grade at the first ever MAC School (GO EAGLES!). This is an Autism only school which serves 4th to 12th grade and up to 21 years of age. He is doing things we never thought he would do. He takes spelling tests, played on the Basketball team, had a Spring dance, even had a solo in their Spring Concert.
The big hero in this family is Zoe. Many times Siblings of kids on the spectrum get overlooked. NOT in this family. She loves Max and Avery and helps them all the time. Zoe enjoys softball, swimming, tennis, American Girl dolls, and riding her bike.
My wife is the best mother and spouse anyone could ask for. She works as a special educator for children birth to 3 years. She is a rockstar and an inspiration to me.
Our "normal" is a little harder than other families, but then again nothing good ever comes easy. I am truly blessed, I wouldn't trade my life for anything.

Mike Lewis
Minneapolis, MN

My hero

My son Philip is my hero. He works so hard and has come so far to embrace his differences and use them to his advantage. Even with having to deal with bullying from 5th to 12th grade he never tried to avoid school. He just kept working hard on developing social skills and self advocacy skills. By 10th grade he had a small core of friends, and became a bit more flexible. At one time, he would have a fit if anyone called him anything but Philip. When we met with his science teachers at an award ceremony for science (Phil won this award every year in high school) he called him by one of his many nicknames for him and Phil just laughed. My husband and I looked at each other in amazement. By the time he finished HS he had earned a Regents Diploma, was on the high honor roll for his last 3 years, and was student of the month. He plays Challengers Baseball, Special Olympics softball (he has won 4 medals), and had a part-time job. It just showed me that if you pushed and worked with the school districts and made sure you took advantage of every program you could, life gets better. We always look at the positives. We have a son who never lies, is never afraid to show his love, and is one of the most caring, loyal, loving, kindhearted person you would ever want to meet. I look forward to see how much further he goes as he continues to work on becoming more independent and aware of the world around him.

Karen Delaney
Liverpool, NY

My Grandson Ty

My grandson Ty is a 14 year old that touches the lives of many people on a daily basis. He has a heart as big as the great outdoors. I can't even begin to imagine my life without him in it. He was diagnosed just over a year ago with autism even though his mom knew/suspected long before that. Ty is a fun-loving boy and everyone that meets him loves him. I in fact have a t-shirt that I enjoy wearing that says "I ask God for a blessing and he gave me my autistic grandson" and believe me he is a blessing to me everyday. I LOVE MY GRANDSON TY!!!!!!!

Lola Woods
Cleveland, OK