Tess was diagnosed with autism at three, but we knew something was wrong by the age of one. She cried all the time and did not speak, we were devastated to say the least. I decided as a mother I needed to take the bull by the horns and get myself educated, I scoped out everything from schools to free classes, and support through the county and state. Our schools had a special needs preschool program and a wonderful staff of therapists. We had therapists doing home visits and I rallied for a full time aid in grade school. I signed Tess up for dance and piano lessons. Tess is fourteen and a freshman in highschool, she is in the marching band and plays the trumpet, her day starts one hour earlier than most students because she is in honors choir and attends some regular freshman classes with support in others. Tess is our hero, everyday is a challenge for her, but she never complains, acceptance is all she wants. Tess knows and understands that she is autistic. If I can express my feelings and tell our story to help others, I will tell it a million times. Never give up hope, Stay strong and reach out for help, believe me there were many times we thought why us? But truly we are so blessed, it brought our family unit closer and made us stronger individuals ready to conquer anything that comes our way.

Michelle Warner
Brookville, OH