Stories of Hope

My special Angel

When Hunter was born we noticed some different things about him like not looking at us and not looking when ever we said his name and love to watch things spin. Then when he was 9mths. old and he got his booster for mmr he stopped talking and hugging and cried when ever someone went to pick him up. His mother and father just couldn't deal with his different things so we stepped up as his grand parents and got custody of him and then we adopted him. He will be 10 on Sept. 24 and we wouldn't change a thing about him. But as we all know things don't stay the same and his emotions are going through some changes and he is not sure what to do. He gets aggiated very easily and cries then after crying for a while then he starts to laugh uncontrollable and he dons't understand when some one makes fun of him he things they are liking it when he flaps or when he spins his spoons that he has to keep for when he gets upset they calm him down but spinning them it his fingers.
But in all we love him very much and learn every day from him. Things are tight because I had to quite working because of no babysitter wanted to be with him when he had a melt down or him just being different. So we are a one income family for 4 because as well as adopting him we also had to adopt his sister who is now 4 she is not Autistic but with Hunters special needs things get tight but we some how manage. God has us in his sight and I am sure we will be ok. Love my special Angel very much

Alice L King
Grassflat, PA

vIVIENDO CON AUTISMO

G racias por este espacio. Mi nombre es Guadalupe tengo 2 hijos con Autismo Marybed de Quince anos y Christopher de once anos, Marybed tiene Autismo de alto funcionamiento. Ella empezo a caminar casi a los dos anos de edad,,hablo a los cuatro anos y aprendio a usar el bano, y empezo la escuela, a los pocos meses ya leia y escribia al nivel de un nino del tercer grado pero sus habilidades sociales eran muy pobres. Despues de diez anos de dificultades con sus companeros , una escuela privada por siete anos pagada por nosotros, Fue diagnosticada con Autismo de alto funcionamiento. Ahora comprendo el porque de algunos comportamientos de mi hija y solo trato de recuperar el tiempo perdido y entenederla. No es facil pero tampoc es imposible. Christopher fue diagnosticado a los tres anos con Autismo Severo el empezo a hablar a los seis anos pero no tiene habilidades de explicar ni experiencias ni sentimientos pero tengo muchas esperanzas que Christopher sea una historia mas de la Recuperacion de un nino con Autismo Severo a un nino con Autismo imperceptible. En cuanto a Marybed ella poede lograr cualquier cosa que se proponga,

Guadalupe Barrera
Los Angeles, CA

Finally!! Someone else sees it!

The day that my life changed was actually pretty normal day. For years my son Damian who is 10 now has gone without a diagnosis. I've always said that there was something there. But I was told I was being a helicopter mom (ever seen that Capri Sun commercial? Ya that's kind of me).

The day that changed my life just happened to be a day that I was leaving from volunteering and the Speech Specialist he's been seeing since he was 5 brought me into her room to have a "talk" with me. She voiced her concerns about wanting to get him tested. At that point I started bawling like a baby. She thought I was upset that he could be but I wasn't. Finally someone saw it. I wasn't crazy. It was like from that point on the world shifted and people could see what I could see. I became less of just a "helicopter" mom and treated as someone who wasn't insane and actually knew something was going on.

After the testing came back I remember smiling during his ARD meeting. The councilor gave me the oddest look as if to say that I was demented for smiling at that moment. I said "well now I will get help for him. I mean he's an orange. I could call him a banana all day but at the end of the day he's going to be an orange. My job as a mom is to teach and help find his place in the fruit salad". Since then so many things have opened up. I can now say you see that behavior. That's not bad parenting. I'm doing the best I can. I really hope that there are other moms who have the courage to stand up and be heard. You are not crazy!!

Michelle
Richardson, TX

My Special Boy

Just three days ago, I received the news that brought me to my knees and sob. My four year old son Luke was diagnosed with autism.

At just a few months old, I saw that he was a bit different. He would look up and stare at fans wherever we went. Loud sounds like bathroom hand dryers and blenders would cause him to scream. Watching him bang his head against the wall made me feel so powerless. I knew something wasn't right.

Fast forward two years later, and Luke is a different boy. He receives physical, occupational, and speech therapy. His compassion, love, and silly sense of humor make him an absolute joy to have as a son. I know that he gets all the love in the world from his stepfather, sister, and myself along with the rest of his family and caregivers.

This journey is going to be a long one filled with tears, frustration, and uncertainty. I also know that I would never want to change who he is-I just want to give him what he needs to thrive. His cuddles, hugs, and kisses are such blessings. My cup is filled every day because I have my special boy in my life, and I treasure every smile, laugh, and moment I spend with him.

Aimee Kelly
San Antonio, TX

Autism

To care for such a vas crowd
And entertain all the time
To keep their minds occupied
So what they do is fine.

Each and everyone are all Unique
In their own special way
The smiles you see, the love they give
It helps them through the day.

For Angles small and speech not right
Or walk as we all can
We take for granted all our acts
These children need a hand.

Next time you’re there in a school
Pay a thought for each
Their Angles small we love them all
Because they are UNIQUE
Copyright © 2003 Tony Smith

Tony
Scotland, United Kingdom

Asperger Discovery After 50

The day that autism changed my life was not long after I turned 50 years old when a good friend from my local ZEGG Forum Group, who had a psychological background, asked me if I might have Asperger's Syndrome. At a group circle meeting I voluntarily offered the potential that I was or could be a narcissist and was attempting to empathize with women who may have felt that way about my overly honest manner of expression and my relatively low level of emotional empathy. A discussion sub-group had formed that was reading the book, 'Why Does He DO That?' by Lundy Bancroft about verbally or physically abusive men. At the first meeting during snacks one woman listening to us in casual conversation got up and starting screaming at me as if I had abused her personally, even though I had never even met her before, saying that my words and facial expressions were EXACTLY as the book described such men. I am so grateful that she had enough nerve to express herself so authentically (and dramatically) and to offer me an example of how women, or people in general, may have received my communication in the past. I suddenly realized all the women I may have either hurt emotionally or had a negative effect upon. It appears that I am very physically empathetic and very good with animals and while I have no problem with women in sexual situations I obviously had a challenge with long-term relationships. Until I found out about my having Aspergers I had no concept of what it meant not to be empathetic toward other people but that I actually had a choice to be empathetic as opposed to being unconsciously reactive which most people seem to expect from other people. I did extensive research into Aspergers and watched a lot of movies like 'Temple Grandin' and 'Adam' and TV shows like 'House' and 'Homeland' and learned about the many subtle aspects of the Spectrum such that I could NOW be aware of and take 100% responsibility for them in myself to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Pi PhD
Silicon Valley, CA

my angel

Korie is my first born. I had her when i was only 18 years old. She saved my life. She was such a great baby! Only cried when she was hungry and even then it was only a little wimper. She was sleeping through the night by the time she was 3 weeks old. She was healthy! i first noticed something was wrong when she was not walking like other children her age. I let it go and said she would in her own time. when she was 3 i enrolled her in preschool. At the conference, the teachers showed me her work compared to other children. She was behind. I also had 2 other daughters by this time and was noticing my 2nd daughter was ahead in milestones than korie. I just worked with korie more in getting her caught up. It wasnt until she was 6 years old that i knew in my gut something was wrong. I was watching the show PARENTHOOD and compared korie to the boy with aspergers and thats when it hit me. Korie had been working with a school based therapist and i asked the therapist to evaluate korie. The therapist said she was not old enough. After doing my research and going to 3 different therapists korie was diagnosed 2 years ago with pervasive development disorder. I cried with concern. I did not know how to raise a child with special needs. With so much support from family i am excited to say korie is doing wonderful! This is her first year at school that she does not have a iep learning plan! she loves to read and write! korie has taught me so much over these past 10 years! raising a child with special needs is the hardest thing i have ever done, but it is the most rewarding! i would not change anything!!

danyelle
altoona, IA

Amber

I am Amber Black, a small-business owner, a International Figure Universe Pro, a fitness expert, student in the surgical technology field, Usui Reiki master healer, world culture lover and I live with autism.

Growing up, Ive always felt different. For years, I was unable to put my finger on exactly how I was different, but I knew. Others knew that I was different, but it was not widely acknowledged at least in a positive way. Even though Ive always been active my entire life Ive always felt that I wasnt like everyone else. It took an extended period of mental, physical, and emotional hardship and struggle to understand, to accept, and to embrace the uniqueness that makes me who I am.

After years of testing and medical consultations that yielded no answers, I was diagnosed with autism at 37. It came as a complete shock to me, as you can imagine, because autism is always described as a childhood condition and little would be discussed about autism as the autistic child moves on into adulthood. After the diagnosis, a lot of things began to make sense to me and it opened my eyes to a lot of things about my life from the days before, to the days now, to the days yet to come.

My mission and inspiration is to exude an example of my mental and physical recovery while educating the public about my journey with autism. Through nutrition, exercise, dietary supplementation, and a combination of traditional and alternative medicine, I have been able to heal many of my autistic symptoms. I have dedicated my life to becoming a voice for the autistic community in order to raise awareness and understanding of what life with autism is really like. I am passionate about sharing my experience so that others can begin their own healing process and live a similar high functioning life with autism.

My goal is to empower those that have autism,have people open their eyes to the fact that even with the autism diagnosis, we can still have a functional, lifestyle.

Amber
Houston, TX

Blue Eyed Boy

In the Fall of 2012, I was searching for a new job. I love working with children. So when a friend of mine mentioned openings for One on One teachers in our school district, I was right on it. I landed two interviews almost instantly. The first one was the one I originally wanted the most. The second, I was interested in but I was so skeptical. Admittedly, I was intimidated by the thought of working with an autistic child. Yet when they called me back and offered me the job, I took it without question. I will never forget the first day I met him. I was nervous and excited about how he would take to me. Then there he was; a sweet little boy with the brightest and happiest blue eyes I had ever seen. While shy to me at first, I knew that we would make the perfect team. That whole first day I guided him through like I had done it all of my life. Even through the hard times, I pushed through knowing that he needed my hand to walk him onward. The end of the day came and my boss looked on me with a reassuring smile and told me I would do wonderfully. It is now 10 months later my boy and I are indeed the perfect team I predicted us to be. We are a common sight and everyone knows us.I have been told that we have a great bond, not only by my colleagues but his mother as well. I'm happy and honored. Each day I proudly take his hand and say "Ok, buddy, lets go start the day." He is that little ray of sunshine that motivates me to work hard and inspire the way he has inspired me. He's my boy, and I love him and his beautiful blue eyes with all of my heart.

Nicole Smith
Kingman, AZ

Nathan

My grandson, Nathan, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his left kidney when he was 6 months old, he had his kidney removed and is, now, 4 years old and cancer free, he was diagnosed with autism when he was 18 months old and he had back surgery when he was 3 years old because his spinal cord was stuck in his spinal column and the surgeon had to free it up.
He is truly a miracle and has brought unimaginable joy to my life.

Lisa Good
Kent, WA