My story begins the summer before I started my first official teaching assignment. I took some time to explore a new author and read "The Tiger's Child", by Torey Hayden. That book sparked such a profound interest in me, that I read every book I could find written by Hayden every chance I could. I had not known at the time that those books would become very instrumental in many aspects of my life.
When the school year started, a little boy named George walked into my classroom and into my life and heart. George had the eyes of an angel, and did not talk. His mother told me from the onset that George was EH...educational acronym for 'emotionally handicapped' and that he would be served by our resource teacher for a great part of the day. This became the beginning of my experience with autism.
As I got to know George better, I noticed behaviors like the students Hayden described in her books. As I got to know George's mom better, our relationship grew from teacher-parent to co-teachers and we shared our observations, excitement, and worries about George. He had been receiving therapy outside of school with a private therapist for his EH, and I told his mom to share our discussions with the therapist....his obsession to have all his crayons by color and size....his preoccupation with purple and Batman and Peter Pan. Sure enough, George was not only EH, he was also AU.
Fast forward twelve years later...and, when my second grandchild turned six months, I saw my George in his eyes. What a blessing my experience turned out to be! My firsthand experience allowed me to recognize my grandson's autism and be able to get appropriate therapy for him early on. Awareness is preparedness..because none of us are immune...
Charlotte, NC
