Stories of Hope

Our Road To Aspergers

My name is Marcella and my 5 year old son Brody was just diagnosed with Aspergers. As far as I can remember I have always known something was different about him but I could never really pin point what it was. To take you back to the beginning Brody was born a big big boy and til this day has remained a big boy or as I call him my gentle giant. He was always such a good baby and as he became a toddler he was never one to explore his surroundings. He walked right after his 1st bday but seemed to be delayed in speech early on. Along with speech delay he also had a limited taste for foods (we now know its a texture issue). At age 3 we had him evaluated for speech but he was considered borderline and then again at age 4 but again same results. Throughout these years his inability to socialize was a bit alarming but I figured maybe he was just an anti social person, what else could it be right? May 26,2014 is the day that turned our world upside down. That was the day the facial tics started for him. We didn't know what was going on so the following day we were at the Pediatrician who then sent us to Neurology. That road led us to The Stewart Center who performed a number of test on him and led us to the diagnosis of Aspergers. Those results helped connect all the dots and NOW we knew, we finally had answers and tools that could help us help him succeed. His tics have worsened and have now turned into a number of facial and vocal tics but were coping the best we can. With all that being said my boy is amazing and loving and sweet and above all he has taught us so much throughout this journey and I thank him for that.

Marcella Campos
Tomball, TX

My Life Story

Hello, my name is Jillian Latorre (Jacob is my legal name as of 8/21/14), but I prefer to be called Jillian. I was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old. I have challenges like my social skills, losing my temper and mood swings. I'm also transgender (male to female), which changed my life in a positive way. I also used to have really bad problems about getting a girlfriend and being jealous about other couples (this was before I found my real self which is a woman). Ever since I found my real self my mood swings subsided a little bit, but still have them. I also used to have bad OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), which I recently got over the symptoms, this was a huge accomplishment for me. I also love electrical engineering and trains, so those are my hobbies. I'm almost considered a prodigy in those areas, that's how much i get interested in stuff.

And that concludes my story of my life.

Jacob (Jillian) Latorre
Honeoye Falls, NY

our baby

Hi, this os my soon he has 5 years old! Hes os autistic. We discovered this in 2013 and It was terrible for us, but we decided to face on this situation. He's able to read and ro understand a lot of things. We Love him. Sorry, but I can't add photo.

ESAU
VALPARAISO DE GOIÁS, Brazil

Tristan Is My Amazing

Day-to-day errands such as getting groceries done were not a simple trip to complete with my son, Tristan, in tow who was 3 years old at the time of his diagnosis. A friendly "hello" by a stranger yielded a terrifying scream and my son panicking saying "I'm scared." His extreme anxiety to social situations with both family and friends along with his lack of peer interaction, repetitive movements are just a few characteristics that led us to seek help. After several weeks of continuous "tests," he was officially diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified or PDD-NOS. He exhibited many of the elements of autism but on a more mild level.

Thanks to a tremendous support system in our town and school district, Tristan has now been in ABA therapy, also known as applied behavior analysis, for just over a year. ABA therapy in conjunction with a mainstream pre-k program with an aide has allowed him to grow and flourish in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Amazingly bright, his favorite activity (besides playing the Kindle or Mario Kart) is learning new words and practicing his math skills. Sometimes we have to force him to take a break from his learning activities which now has transitioned into playing "Uno" the card game.

With only a year of therapy and school under his belt, he no longer fears interacting with strangers. More than that, he converses fluently, follows instructions without meltdown when transitioning activities (most of the time), and enjoys going to school. For my now 4 year old son, his typical schedule is unlike most toddlers - with two schools, 7.5 hours of learning everyday, without the usual breaks like summer vacation, he is the one I admire and embrace each and everyday. Tristan is my amazing!

Juliet Ellinger
Stockton, CA

Me and Maddie

This is Madison. Never, ever, have I been ashamed or embarrassed to have this beautiful girl be my step-daughter! She is a handful, she's not always sweet, or talkative. She isn't always the most behaved kid. But she is AWESOME! And beautiful! Her life is lived through a different perspective. She is SMART! Oh my gosh she is smart! She is funny, and full of life! Autism didn't make my child have a disability. Autism made my child one of a kind! I am beyond blessed to have this angel in my life!

Emily Parker
Selma, AL

Dream love. Dream big

hi my name is Kristina lynn Bowden. im 20 years old with autism. im single and im not giving for love and my dreams. my dream is to be happy, rich and date Jason mcelwain because I want to help others and I want to date Jason so bad because we have so much in common and I think hes a good mate for me. if hes interested dating me that would be great cause my heart belongs to him and I love his story and I want him to get to know me and be likes friends or soul mate. will you help me? your more than welcome to spread the word and tell him. please write me back and thank you.
love, kristina

kristina
galt, CA

Dylans Journey

Being a mother of 3 little boys i knew when i had my son Dylan that he was different.. He did not crawl till he was one, walk till he was 19 months and he never had a regular bowl movement not even as a baby. Dylan also did not talk till he was 3 and could not make 3 word sentences till he was 4. I had him tested at 2 for hearing problems fearing he was deaf becuase he never even responded to sound... He started speech and occupational therapy when he was 3 and was finally formally diagnosed with Autism and sensory processing disorder at the age of 4. He is extremely sensitve to sound and the buzing of any flying insect is the worst. He has a very picky diet and is hghly allergic to cinnamon. Getting these answers was not easy we had doctors appointments galore with therapist, allergists, gi's ect. Through this journey he finally started school last year in 2013 and it brought up some aggression issues within him. We went through a violent stage, hitting, kicking, biting, and having many meltdowns.We have had issues with bullies and our share of emotion.Today, I am beyond proud and amazed at this strong little boy.. Through all of this, he learned to communicate, talk in full sentences that you can understand and he taught himslef to center his emotions and tell you how he feels.. He graduated from kindergarten reading at a third grade level and just recently started first grade. Although this year has already hit some snags he continues to push through everyday.. He is truely my super hero. This little boy has inspired me so much i started my own autism comunnity website to help spread awareness. He is beyond incredible and the more he shines the more passionate i become to help the world see how truely amazing he really is...

kristina day
knoxville, TN

Kelsey's Story

My name is Kelsey and I am 10 years old. I have been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) which is on the autism spectrum. I have trouble talking sometimes and expressing my feelings and I am much smaller than any of my classmates. My mom found me at a Russian orphanage when I was 11 months old weighing less than 14 pounds.

I am very lucky because I have a terrific mom and a great group of family and friends that love me. I am currently in the 4th grade special education program. I am a member of a regional swim team and a cheerleading show team. I have also taken gymnastics and dance lessons since I was three years old and next month I will be competing in my first beauty pageant. In 2012, I was one of the youngest children in the nation to receive an award from the Kohl's Kids Care Scholarship Program for making my community a better place to live. This summer, I won an achievement award from the National STEM Academy to attend a summer engineering camp. During the past several years, I have raised several thousand dollars to benefit a variety of charities that assist special needs children and their families.

During the past three years, I have traveled speaking to a variety of audiences involving individuals ranging in age from toddlers to senior citizens. I read a book to the audience and talk about my own two books that contain a collection of short stories about my life since being adopted.

Some day, I want to start my own charitable foundation that will be able to help children and families who need assistance. My mom has taught me that I CAN DO ANYTHING and I want to help others!

Kelsey Norris
Bonaire, GA

Autisome

My name is Emily Nelson and I have Autism. On August 7, 2014, I published my first book ever. It's about a superhero named Autisome who discovers that he has a special power and as he uses it he learns that having Autism doesn't make him any less of a person. I dedicate Autisome to my boyfriend Justin Quigley. He's not just my boyfriend, he's also my best friend, and he's the one who showed me that having Autism doesn't make me less of a person, it makes me special instead. The purpose of this story is to teach everyone that people with Autism can still do many things that regular people can do. Having Autism used to really make me feel insecure with myself and I hope that every person with Autism never feels the same way I used to feel.

Emily Nelson
Palo Alto, CA

My Brother is a Monster

My brother is a monster. That's what I used to think when I was cleaning up the aftermath of another meltdown. When I was re-shelving the books that he threw, re-folding the laundry from the basket he dumped, or picking up the millions of tiny beads he knocked off of my mother's craft table. Or when strangers would stare at my family in public, judging us silently.

My brother is a monster. Yet, even as I thought those words I knew they weren't true, and immediately repented having the thought. He is not a monster; he is misunderstood.

My brother is seventeen years old today, three years my junior. He was diagnosed with severe autism when he was a toddler. He does not speak. He can only communicate with his mother and sisters using the few signs he learned from our mom, or with loud noises, like grunting or laughter, to convey his moods.. He can sign words like, "eat," "more," and "I love you."

As we grew up together, I always thought of how much better it would be if my brother had not been autistic. Looking back, however, I can see that his autism made our relationship even stronger. Instead of fighting like other siblings, we simply cherished the calm times in which we could watch a movie together or draw pictures together. My brother became the person who understood me most. He notices as soon as I am upset, angry, or sad, and will sit beside me, grab my hand, or put his arm around me to comfort me.

Without a doubt, my brother is one of my best friends, and he is an incredible blessing to my family..

Though autism may have drastically changed my family's lives, autism did not conquer us. We embraced autism.

Shimera Wix
Chilhowie, VA