Stories of Hope

The world without therapy

My mother used to tell me when I was little that I was the little girl with the girl in the middle of her forehead, from the nursery rhyme. Later,as I got older and nothing she did would make me act like 'normal little girls' she would tell me that I was what was wrong with the world and point out how much happier everyone was when I was not there.My suicide attempts were unnoticed and luckily unsuccessful. She eventually had my hearing tested and began to get my learning disability diagnosed, but she did not follow through. I endured years of abuse where she felt the answer to my 'discipline problem' was the razor strap.
I just wanted to thank you for being here. This is so much better and so much more effective than punishment.
I should also let you know, I want to keep this anonymous. So, please do not publish with my name. My diagnosis was informal because it was feared that a formal one would keep me from being employable and it was felt that I had learned to cope as well as they could teach at that time. But now that I am facing the added stress of fighting cancer and heart disease, I am finding my coping mechanisms are lacking. I am not sure what resources I might have available to me now. I'm looking for me, but found you for kids. Finding you was an incredible and joyful moment.
Again, I am so glad you are here for kids today. Kids should be loved and cherished. They should be helped and treated for such problems. They should be guided to finding the best coping mechanisms for them. The wonder that each life is needs to be celebrated.

Anonymous
Aurora, CO

Little Brother

When my little brother was around 2, he was acting like an everyday toddler. He said certain words. Moon, Banana, Momma. But a few months after he turned 2 he stopped talking, he wasnt active anymore. He didnt like it when someone would hold him or try to play with him. At the time I was 8 so i didnt really know if this was normal or not. My mother took him to a doctor and was diagnosed with severe Autism. When he turned 4 he started going to a special school to help him learn and prepare for regular school. Within the year and half that he was there, he went from saying a handful of words to talking non stop. He learned his ABC's and how to count to 100. He made friends and his teachers loved him. When he started Kindergarten we were really nervous, waiting to get some kind of complaint from his teacher about his fits, or how he didnt like sitting to close to people. But he's in 8th grade now and he is doing great. He's very artistic, loves to draw anything and everything. He's at the top of his class. He may not communicate like you and I can, be he knows how to do it so people can understand him. He's so bright and such an amazing boy, he is honestly the hero of everyone in our family. He's accomplished so much. He's not Autistic boy, he's the boy who has Autism, and still can make the most of his whole life. He will surley do great things, Love you Little Brother<3

-Sissy

Marie
springdale, AR

This is my son, I can explain

My son was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism in March 2011 at age 14. For the first 14+ years of his life I tried to "explain" Ryan. In meeting new people (neighbors, teachers, church members) I would try to explain why my son said the things he said or why he reacted to certain situations. All the while not knowing what it was myself. Our family struggled for years....not being accepted in churches, not being invited to birthday parties and especially not having success in schools. He was not accepted in public schools ("He is so smart but..." "He is not going to make it.") He was not accepted in a well-known Christian school ("He just doesn't belong here, people pay a lot of money to separate their children from kids like Ryan") The bullying from both peers and teachers caused our son to lose his will to live. We hit rock bottom...our whole family. I realize this does not sound like a story of hope but you need to know our background to understand that it is all about hope.
You see, today, we are a family that has weathered the storm and with the proper diagnosis came the proper medical treatment and the proper therapy and the proper education. We homeschooled for a short time while seeking new doctors and counselors. Now my son is thriving in a new and wonderful Christian school with teachers who accept him just the way the good Lord wired his intelligent brain. He smiles now, he has interatcion with others and has a will to live like I have never seen before. He has plans and a future to look forward to. Our family is closer because of the gift of Autism. Never give up!! There is help and support out there.

Andrea Forringer
Boiling Springs, SC

Three Grandsons

I have three children and each of them has a son with some form of autism. Quinn, the oldest, was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. He wrote two books by the time he was 14 ~ the first "Through My Eyes" was published when he was 13 and the other "Marching Out of Time" came about a year later. Quinn is very artistic and has learned to live with his "abilities". He is a senior in high school and has been accepted by the Chicago Art Institute. Jack is 8 years old and is progressing at a good rate. At first he wasn't communicating at all ~ wasn't verbal and had tremendous meltdowns ~ but the right school system and the right teachers and helpers has him talking and doing quite well. He has absolutely no patience ~ "wait' isn't in his vocabulary ~ but he is learning to live within his own realm of possibilities. Ian is 9 and non-verbal. He is smart but more "in a world of his own" than the other two. He knows how to let you know if he needs a drink of water or if he is hungry and his "melt downs" are when he can't get anyone to understand what he wants. All three of the boys are very exacting in what they do ~ Quinn had to teach himself to correct a mistake in his work and go from there instead of starting over each time ~ Jack wants his Lego projects to be exactly right and will work hours to get them just right ~ Ian lines up trucks, toys, stuffed animals in perfectly straight lines and will also coordinate them by color. He loves hugs and snuggling.
Each one is a blessing, this grandma is so proud of them.

Aneta Dillerud
Pelican Rapids, MN

Ian and his successes

Ian wasn't your average newborn when he was born 14 years ago. He cane into the world at a healthy 11 pounds 7 ounces. He hit all the normal developmental milestones on time or early. He was speaking 3 and 4 word sentences by the time he was 18 months old and walked at 11 months. At 19 months old he quit talking...not one word. He also could stand certain sounds like the vacuum and getting him a haircut was an impossible task. We lived in San Antonio at the time and it was summer and he would only wear heavy long sleeved shirts, overalls and hicking boots. He hated light touches but loved bear hugs. Finally at 26 months old we got him into a developmental pediatrics clinic. He has Sensory Integration Dysfunction and possibly autism. He started speech therapy but still wouldn't talk so they taught us sign language and did occupational therapy. At 3 years old he started Developmental Pre-school and continued his therapies. By kindergarten he was mainstreamed and only getting speech therapy. He is now in 8th grade, completely mainstreamed and taking advanced placement math and science, in which he is doing amazing in. He is also in 2 bands and plays 2 instruments, tuba in symphonic band and trombone in jazz band, he only needs to play a piece once and he's got it memorized. He is still slightly socially ackward but has friends. Ian inspires me everyday to try my best. He is the most loving 14 year old I know and I am blessed to call him my son.

Jennifer McCoy-Gruver
El Paso, TX

Our daily gift.

We knew from the time our little guy was about 8 months that something wasn't quite right. At 12 months he was walking, but no babbling or talking. At 18 months we had a "probably PDD-NOS with speech apraxia" diagnosis from Children's Hospital in Seattle. We started him on weekly speech and OT. At 3 we had "PDD-NOS" and had discontinued the weekly therapy and put him into developmental preschool. At 4 we had "high functioning autism". At this time we moved to Texas, where he started a "normal" Pre-K 4 year old program. At 5 he started Kindergarten one year early (his birthday is in October, the cut off is September). He is now 6 years old, and the youngest in his 1st grade class. He reads at a 3rd grade level, aces all of his spelling tests, gets invited to birthday parties, wrestles with the other boys on the playground. He continues to receive speech therapy twice a week through school. Very few people at his school know about his autism diagnosis, although when they are told they giggle and say "that could explain XX behavior!" Cured, not a chance. But blessed? Yes, we all are.

Anonymous
Whoville, TX

Brayden and his buddy(autism)

My son just turned two in august. Ever since he was six months old he had been kind of different, not alot to be noticed as dramatic but I definately knew I needed to be on top of everything. At 12 months old he was already walking and saying ten to fifteen words. By thirteen months he lost all of his words and went back to babbling. He then started spacing out for long periods of time or spinning and out of it for a half hour. It was almost like he was possesed in some ways.
Fifteen months hit and no words. I asked his doctor about autism he said their weren't enough signs there to tell. Finally at eighten months his doctor did an eval and referred us to a psycologist. Our diagnosis is pdd-nos. High functioning mostly social awkward autism. I knew it. His father told me he has aspergers syndrome and adhd. Since then we have done speech which he was dismissed from and ot which he was also dismissed from. My son also has a sensory processing disorder and since then have been back to his psycologist and are going back to therapy somewhere different than where he was.
My son's autism definately impacts daily life, and his social life. I would never change him. He always puts a smile on my face. He is sweet, and smart. He loves trains. Unfortunatley people don't get him or take time to understand him. People stare, laugh, and point. I just inform them about autism facts because I feel its getting put out there. autism or no autism he will always be my rock always be the love of my life, and I will never let anything or anyone change the way I see him. :)

michelle
bismarck, ND

Our Gift

We knew very early that Cal was developing differently from the earlier 3 Grandsons that are his cousins. He was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at age 2. At 3, he is a beautiful child, and though he won't let others near him, he's very loving with his extended family. His Mom, my beautiful daughter, had a learning disability, and I feel that she was chosen as the perfect Mom for Cal. To watch them together is like watching a dance that they both understand perfectly. Cal doesn't speak or understand language, and we have all had to learn to communicate in other ways. He gets frustrated when we can't understand, and of course, there are melt downs. He loves his 3 cousins and learns from them We are all a team now, dedicated to Cal being all he can be, but loving him just as he is. When he reaches for me, I'm a proud Nana! He's our gift of love and certainly part of God's plan for us.

Linda Hill
Beebe, AR

My amazing grandson Nicky

Nicky being diagnosed with autism was scary for all of us but he proves to us everyday that he doesnt have a disability...only different abilities. He is like any other 7 yr old child but accomplishes things in his own way. Sometimes I look at his precious face and wonder what all his giggles are about? I wonder how he has a whole vocabulary in his head but never really learned to talk. I wish for 1 minute I could get into that brilliant little brain of his and see the world as he sees it. He has come so far in only a few years and continues to amaze us everyday. His mother is just as amazing and because of my daughter Renee, her love, attention, and always, always doing whats best for Nicky everyday, I am absolutely positive that he will someday grow into an independant young man who will continue to plow through any obstacle that gets in his way. There's no stopping this mother son team! Eventhough my daughter feels her efforts are never enough......Look at his handsome face! He is a happy, grounded, smart, and clever little boy. He is like this Renee because of you! I love you both so much.....Merry Xmas.....Love, Mom

Mi Mi
Hoffman Estates, IL

Autism We are 1 in 70

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QRU11HKTDw

My PSA on my son Aidan....wanted to raise awareness on how important private donations are when I did the Walk For Autism!!!

Lisa Forrester
wrentham, MA