Hello! I'm Kerry. My husband, Cole, and I are the proud parents of an eight-year-old son, Morgan, who has high-functioning Autism. Though we don't have all the answers to living optimistically with Autism, we have learned some skills and ideas that have helped our family become a unified team. Our son grasps the work-together-as-a-team concept, and so we call ourselves Team Smith. We'd like to share a little of our story in hopes that together we might learn more successful ways to live our best lives with Optimism 4 Autism.
Early Intervention
It's so important to be aware when something isn't "quite right" with your child. When Morgan was a year old, we recognized some sensory issues and gross-motor skill delays. At his first birthday party, he cried and cried because we'd planned a large gathering with lots of cousins; the noise and commotion were unbearable to him. Aside from the party upset, we were also concerned because Morgan wasn't crawling yet, and we'd only seen him roll over a couple of times. We researched possible solutions in our county and began an early-intervention program in Utah. We opened our home to physical, occupational, and speech therapists. They taught us effective ways to work with Morgan in the home.
By age three, Morgan had plateaued with the early-intervention program in Utah. Fortunately, Cole's work relocated us to the Boise, Idaho, area. This move became a huge blessing that we didn't fully realize at the time. Since Idaho is a Katie Beckett state, our son qualified for Medicaid funding based on his need and not our income. We had a good primary insurance policy, and Katie Beckett funds became a much-needed secondary insurance.
Thanks to these funds, our son continued therapies like we had in Utah. He also enjoyed equine therapy and adaptive swim lessons to strengthen his core and balance. Through our new school district, Morgan also attended a special-ed preschool and was eventually mainstreamed into a regular kindergarten classroom with his peers. He's currently enjoying a successful school year in second grade, receiving occasional help from an aide and speech therapist.
Team Smith Therapy
Any successful team, sports or otherwise, must practice to reach a desired goal. Oftentimes there are obstacles and setbacks, but a successful team works through them. Because of our son's cognitive and developmental progress, he no longer qualifies for Katie Beckett funding, which is unfortunate because he's still behind his peers in some abilities. However, we are grateful for the aid we did receive through the state and continue to find supportive programs through the school district. We also generate our own "therapies," which we'll gladly share in our posts.
As a family team we focus on helping Morgan do as much as he can. Each of his small successes has contributed to an overall success, for which we as parents are often complimented. Perhaps our greatest compliments have been inadvertant. From those who first meet our son and know he's autistic, we often hear, "Are you sure he's autistic?" After they're around him awhile, they soon realize he has gross-motor and language-comprehension delays, along with hand-flapping and humming quirks, which definitely land him a spot on the autism spectrum.
Try Again
We are very blessed that Morgan has a gentle and kind disposition, but he struggles with discouragement and anxieties. He's often tempted to give up, but we insist that he keep trying. We help him break down important tasks into manageable steps. Maybe we don't accomplish our goal in one sitting, but we work on it a little each day, until the skill is mastered.
Our hearts ache for parents whose autistic children struggle with behavioral issues and more severe symptoms of this disorder. We don't pretend that our struggle with Morgan is as challenging as what some families are facing. But we do know that through a collective team effort involving our family, teachers, therapists, and other professionals, we have discovered some effective coping skills and teaching techniques. As we share them in our posts, we hope you'll adapt them specifically to your child's needs and abilities. And try them again and again--as long as it takes.
Mom's Special Ed
I have also put myself in the "teacher's shoes" by substituting in our large school district. Most of my assignments have been with special needs children K-12, and each school has a slightly different teaching approach. I've taken note of the best techniques to share with others and apply them at home and in my service at church.
For 8 years (and counting), I have served in our Church's Primary children's program or in Cub Scouts. My experience has been that every Primary and Scout den has at least one child who struggles with a learning or behavioral disorder of one kind or another. Through trial and error, I and other leaders have helped these little ones find their place with us as a whole, as a team.
Your Team
We look forward to helping you build your own family team, in which your autistic child can be a contributing player. Together we can blog about what works best for our families, sharing new ideas and new potential. We don't have all the answers, but we know from experience that our best resources are the parents. So we look forward to learning from you and being a part of your team.
