May, 2014 - Reach for a Difference
Transcription
May, 2014 - Reach for a Difference
REACH FOR A DIFFERENCE: AUTISM SPECTRUM PARTNERSHIP NETWORK MAY NEWSLETTER Autism Spectrum Partnering Network: Partnerships in Action! Roadmaps to Resources REACHMonthlyCommunityActionMeeting First Tuesday of the month, 6:00 P.M., 240 Cypress St., Abilene Texas, United Way Building https://www.facebook.com/pages/Reach-for-a-Difference/213909785362941 www.reachforadifference.org reachforadifference@gmail.com Please visit our Website at www.reachforadifference.org to learn more about us and view our calendar for upcoming events and community happenings! Come get involved! We look forward to meeting you! RESOURCES: ARTICLES 1. Walk Now for Autism 2014-by Stephanie Prosser 2. HEALTHY KIDS DAY-by Stephanie Prosser 3. YMCA BASEBALL TEAM-by Stephanie Prosser EDUCATION: ARTICLES 1. Disability Conference-by Stephanie Prosser 2. May Monthly Community Action Meeting-James Harless- by Stephanie Prosser AWARENESS/ACTION ARTICLES: 1. Taste of Abilene 2014-Keri gets Crafty– by Stephanie Prosser COMMUNITY SUPPORT ARTICLES 1. REACH Support Group welcomes The Joseph Thomas Foundation -by Stephanie Prosser with Amanda Morgan 2. Autism Support Groups for Dads 3. June 3rd Monthly Meeting-John Thomas 4. Abilene Dream Center- by Stephanie Prosser HOPE ARTICLES: 1. Dear 'Daddy' in Seat 16C Flight 1850 From Philly-by 2. What I have Learned- by Paige 3. Mirror, Mirror- by Juile Fraser THE WALK NOW FOR AUTISM 2014 What a great ending to April’s Autism Awareness month! The Annual Autism Speaks Walk Now for Autism held at the Abilene Zoo was a blast and a wonderful celebration. This year REACH and its booth’s participants were caught “red-handed”, er, uh,…and blue, and pink ! REACH for a Difference loves connecting with families and keeping them close to our hearts! So this year we brought back “Painted Hands”, a great activity from the past that allowed us to get close with the people who were truly interested in our resources and services! This year we had attendees paint their hands and leave their prints on a drop-cloth with their names beside their hand print. This family collaged cloth will be used as our tablecloth for future conferences and events! We always want to showcase what matters most to us when we are out and about in ACTION; and that is the needs of the ASD families in our community! This year we were extremely excited to have our one of our Partners join us in the education and awareness celebration! Sara Collins CEO of REACH invited our green thumbed partners Hug a Root Family Farms to join in on the festivities and offer an educational and fun activity for those who stopped by the REACH booth! Created by Josh and Pamela Casey, Hug-A-Root Family Farms is an organization of people in the Abilene/Big Country area of Texas that are concerned about the quality of food we eat. REACH and Hug a Root combined forces to provide supplies and materials for Pamela Casey of Hug a Root to offer a mini garden complete with gummy worms and frogs for the kiddos to dig in and practice planting seeds. Each family could take with them a personalized plant potted/planted by their child to keep and watch grow right along with their child! Hug a Root provided tools, seeds, and plants for the fun, and came energized and full of smiles! Hug a Root’s presence was truly appreciated! It’s cool to see how people and organizations that aren’t necessarily directly related to Autism can learn about ASD, educate, support others, and GROW (no pun intended)! Everyone had a blast! What we loved most about the Walk this year is getting to see everyone just coming together to show support and enjoy who they are! LOTS OF HUGS AT THE WALK FOR HUG A ROOT FAMILY FARMS YMCA HEALTHY KIDS DAY 2014 WITH REACH Thank you Britney Roberts for representing REACH for a Difference at this year’s YMCA Healthy Kids Day! It was a free day of family fun! With a Fun Run, Karate, Cheer, and Dance Demos, Swim Lesson, Baseball, and Summer Camp registrations, Local vendors, an open swim and bounce house, with plenty of arts and crafts and prize giveaways! KEEP YOUR EYE OUT FOR NEXT YEAR! REACH RANGERS YMCA SPONSORED BASE BALL TEAM REACH for a Difference is proud to sponsor YMCA’s RANGERS baseball team! Go guys Go! WEST TEXAS DISABILITY CONFERENCE 2014 ABILENE TX-by Stephanie Prosser During this amazing local event we were invited to learn, collaborate, and organize in order to build a stronger West Texas for people with disabilities, their families, and professionals that serve them. Whether you were a parent seeking services and supports for your family, a consumer interested in changes in Medicaid, or a self- advocate looking for ways to get active, they had something for everyone! The organizers of this conference included: The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD), Community Now! (CN!), and Texas Parent to Parent (TXP2P). Co-Hosting was the ABLE Center for Independent Living, Burkhart Center for Autism Research, Disability in Action, LIFE/RUN Center for Independent Living, Panhandle Center for Independent Living, Texas Panhandle Centers Behavioral and Developmental Health, West Texas Community Network. The Conference began Friday evening with check in and registration. Hosts were on hand to welcome everyone to a beautiful reception and excellent networking opportunity that was followed by an interesting “Interactive Advocacy Exercise”! The exercise was a fun, productive way to practice speaking with legislators in a variety of situations. It helped participants to prepare for self and group advocacy during the 2015 Legislature. Participants were given a legislative topic to debate for with pretend legislators, and were required to utilize their best advocacy efforts to lobby for change! Techniques, communication skills, and presentation skills were first presented by Featured Guest John Thomas to prep the audience for the task at hand! John Thomas is from Abilene, Texas. He is a Motivational Speaker, Training Facilitator, Project Manager, and Marketing Consultant. John recently founded No Podium Needed and is President/CEO of the Joseph Thomas Foundation, which he and his late wife started in memory of their son. This organization raises money for children with medical issues in and around the Big Country. In addition, he founded the Lee Elementary children’s program, which provides Christmas gifts for the school’s underprivileged children. John currently serves as Governor of the American Advertising FederationDistrict 10, the youngest Governor in the history of the 10th District. In 2009, AbileneBiz magazine named John as one of their “20 under 40” up-and-coming business leaders. The first night was a great kick-off to the Conference and the informational workshops that would be given the next day! Saturday began with a wonderful breakfast and continued registration. We were given a welcome by Rodney Hanneman of the CTD Board, and Joe Tate of Community Now! Along with Jeanine Pinner (TXP2P). Keynote Speaker John Thomas gave a riveting speech with a personal touch on Advocacy and Communication and we all were privy to a special video message from Representative Susan King (HD71) who stressed the importance of knowing your legislation and getting active. The latter part of the morning was focused on Medicaid Managed Care. Experts weighed in on big changes coming our way in Medicaid. Topics covered and included service delivery in rural areas, and what are “Community First Choice” and “PASRR” and what do they mean to the client. A Q&A panel followed with participants discussing their personal care, and the care of their family members. Speakers for this portion of the conference were: Kelley Longhofer (Amerigroup), Ceseley Rollins (Superior HealthPlan), Debra Smith (Health & Human Services Commission), and Garth Corbett (Disability Rights Texas). The afternoon began with lunch and several Self-Advocacy Presentations. These presentations are a favorite of mine! There is a huge take-away from hearing the life stories of those with disabilities and firsthand accounts of struggles and victories! These were true problem- solving stories from people with disabilities and family members. Speakers included David Chapple, Jake Pinner, Michelle Dooley, and Silvia Vargas. We were able to hear firsthand accounts of college transition stories, nursing home and assisted living experiences, navigating services, and discovering relationships! Personal accounts were followed by a series and menu of afternoon workshops to choose from. The workshops were as follows: Workshops: Funding Resources: What Every Family Should Know! Develop a vision and learn where to turn for help. Join us to review a variety of resources for families.- Cindi Paschall (CN!) Introduction to Organizing for Change: Learn about the types of power and how to apply power to influence issues. Group activity: Take your Power back. Joe Tate (CN!) and Sarah Watkins (CN!) Behavioral Intervention: Identify issues, learn about resources and services, how to navigate systems and advocate for your child: Dr. Wesley H. Dotson (Burkhart Center) Legislative Issues: Make your voice heard at the Texas Capitol! Learn the top issues in 2015 from CTD’s policy pro. Dennis Borel (CTD) Centers for Independent Living (CILs): What are the CILs and what services can they offer you? Michelle Crain (LIFE/RUN CIL), Leah Beltran (Disability in Action), Marilyn Hancock (ABLE CIL), Doug Hammett (Panhandle CIL) Voting Rights & Accessibility: Several primary elections were decided by less than 100 votes. 2014 is a huge year in Texas elections. Know your rights and be sure to vote.- Chase Bearden (CTD) The Conference ended with a brief wrap up and a word to participants on following through with a small exercise, envelopes were given out to attendees, and we were instructed to address them to ourselves that will be mailed out by hosts at a later date. In those envelopes we wrote down key-points of things that we learned/discovered at the conference that we would like to follow up with and explore further! The West Texas Disabilities Conference was a huge experience and a great success! May Monthly Community Action Meeting-James Harless by Stephanie Prosser James Harless, 22 is now a fairly contented local college student here at TSTC, but the academic road to where he currently resides wasn’t smoothly paved. Growing up and going through the school system was difficult for him for various reasons; whether it be uncooperative teachers, undereducated staff in the areas of special needs, or ill equipped counselors, James often found himself on an educational rollercoaster. A constant place of refuge in his life is his mother Vicki Harless, and his grandparents; whom James says “to this day, the relationship with his grandparents is irreplaceable.” James, transitioned from High School to College, starting out at Cisco Jr. College, and then on to Abilene Christian University. Harless has overcome a bevy of obstacles in order to get to where he is currently, TSTC, in pursuit of a Computer Networking degree. Harless is a computer whiz. He began reading MS DOS manuals at age 5… “for fun!” He also really enjoys the Roller coaster Sims Games, and his mother utilized this as a reinforcement tool growing up. The most impactful of all was James’s candid approach to life. Having Asperger’s, James spoke of being misunderstood, of his frustrations, and his victories over disciplining himself in his school endeavors and concurring life responsibilities. Overall the things that helped him most is the people in his life who went above and beyond their duties to ensure his success and well being, and those who took the time to listen and allow him to have a voice. James says “there are no short cuts”, “ I still have to work hard.” His mother once asked him the popular question what would you like to be when you grow up?” James’ reply was “a Senator” . With the added caveat “Although I try to hold myself to a standard, and can’t be bought off as easily!” When asked if he could be neurotypical the answer is a very truthful and matter of fact “No”, and we at REACH for a Difference feel exactly the same way! We just want to thank James for coming and sharing his story with us! It is a blessing and inspiring to hear what ASD life is like from the mouths of those who live it! I truly enjoyed James speaking about his years in school, therapies, and the research he was a part of; as well as learning about the mentors & caseworkers who supported him throughout his educational experience from elementary until now. This was his first time to speak in front of a crowd and he was awesome! Our own, John Mark also spoke during the meeting about growing up with Asperger's, his two children that are on the spectrum and his life in general. He’s a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to Autism hands on! It was wonderful to hear about his family unit as a group of individuals on the spectrum, and how they laugh and joke “just like anyone else”. He gave a sobering lesson on the educational system as a whole, and areas of improvement, as well as transitioning into the workforce, and social issues. I loved the meeting and was excited to see all of the new faces and families. Coming together to learn together is what it’s all about! TASTE OF ABILENE 2014 KERI GETS CRAFTY! Thank you Keri Meuth for this year’s beautiful centerpieces and participation in the Annual Taste of Abilene! Taste of Abilene is an annual showcase of some of Abilene’s finest restaurant & caterers. This event is presented by the Abilene Rotary Club and the Abilene Restaurant Association. Taste of Abilene benefits local non-profits and community organizations. The event was revived in 2006 and has raised more than $100,000 collectively, to benefit community organizations and culinary scholarships. REACH for a Difference loves participating in these type of community events! It’s a great way to showcase who we are and what we do; and get in touch with the community! We can’t wait for next year! REACH Support Group welcomes The Joseph Thomas Foundation -by Stephanie Prosser with Amanda Morgan Director of Support Services Every Monday morning from 9:30-11:00 am at Mezamis Coffeehouse, Amanda Morgan of REACH for a Difference and a group of ASD moms get together to share their lives with one another over a nice cup of Joe. Morgan started our much needed REACH Autism Support group a little over 3 months ago. She wanted a safe place for moms of children with autism to support each other and share in their experiences. “The support group is important because it’s important to have someone else who can relate to your child with autism. When sitting down with moms and talking to each other you find out how they may have handled a situation that you are currently dealing with. Really it boils down to finding others you can relate to and not feeling alone in this confusing world of autism” says Morgan. “I think it is more of the relief of others understanding and not feeling like you are the only one who has dealt with a behavior or situation, Amanda exclaims. I know we feel relieved when others say their child has done something similar at one time or another. “Also, for others who have children that are a little older, they can give insight to how the behavior changed or how they dealt with a situation. It’s great that if one mom doesn't know how to handle something or who to contact, another one does! It isn't about Sara and I shelling out all of the information, we ALL truly support each other!” Along with the opportunity to share with one another, Amanda brings in a wide variety of topics and educational tools for the ladies. Monday May 12th, the group was honored to host motivational speaker and fellow non-profit owner guest speaker John Thomas of the Joseph Thomas Foundation. The Joseph Thomas Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that helps provide help for medically fragile children of the big country. Their mission is to “Outshine Medical Disabilities”. The foundation was created in honor and memory of John’s son: Joseph was a special boy. He needed constant medical care, like most kids with special needs do; and we know firsthand how hard that can be. With the foundation, John and I plan to help families who need medical equipment, supplies and other medical needs. We feel we can use our knowledge as an outreach and help other families in need. The foundation’s main fundraiser every year is the Joseph Thomas Triathlon. For those who cannot make it in person to the Monday morning support group meetings, Amanda also has an online FB Support Group page which is set to private. Mothers who are interested can become members of the page and discuss issues freely amongst one another to share in support 24/7. The facebook support group also has a wealth of information, resources, and educational tools! Come Join Us! REACH ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP FOR DADS REACH for a Difference Autism Support Group for Dads Reach for a Difference is excited to announce that there is now a REACH for a Difference Autism Support Group for Dads. John Mark McDonald will be the REACH volunteer in charge of this group. We are so excited to have Mark share his experience of being a father of two children on the spectrum. Thank you Mark for continuing to help families that have a family member(s) with autism. If your husband is interested in speaking to other dads please have him join this group. We have had several men reach out to us and thought this would be a great addition to the support REACH is already offering the community. A bonus it will be different from our mother’s group because men communicate differently than women do! To visit our REACH SUPPORT GROUP FOR DADS SEE US ON FACEBOOK! Community Notice! REACH would like to inform everyone that Childcare for our Monthly Community Action Meetings is cancelled for the Summer Months. We are also in need of volunteers! Our community meetings are the first Tuesday of every month from 6pm7:30pm. If you would like to volunteer please contact us at reachforadifference@gmail.com The Abilene Dream Center-by Stephanie Prosser I had the privilege of touring the Abilene Dream Center the other day with my new friend Don Fletcher! I got to see their home facilities and their work shops. The Dream Center makes gorgeous handcrafted crosses which are sold to help raise money for operations, as well as scrumptious banana bread baked daily! What impressed me most about the center was the participants open hearts, honesty, and the love that they shared. The gentlemen were all working together for the betterment of one another, the facility, and the community. You could tell that the people there are truly transformed individuals and great men of Christ! Your past does not determine your future! Don made us this wonderful cross for REACH for a Difference. It is so wonderful to connect with other organizations in Abilene that are dedicated to changing lives for the better! Thank you Don for our beautiful cross, and for all that you do! Check out the Abilene Dream Center at www.abilenedreamcenter.com they have an amazing discipleship program for those who struggle with addiction and homelessness. They have many fundraisers throughout the year in which you can lend a hand or make contributions to aid in continuing this amazing cause! The Abilene Dream Center is a 9 month discipleship program geared in to assist those who struggle with addictions, homelessness, brokenness, and anyone who is looking for a change in life. Society says, "Once an addict always an addict, but Jesus says, "I am The Truth and The Truth will set you free." We are not a 12-Step program, we are a One step program... Out of the darkness and into the Light! "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 The Dream Center’s Vision is "Restoring Hope, Transforming Lives, and to Experience True Freedom in Christ!" They believe that if an individual is going to truly make a life time commitment to change, they will need more than a 28 day program. The Dream Center believes: True freedom comes from an experience and over the course of 9 months our students encounter what they will need to continue on in a successful Christian life. Without self-discipline an individual will not carry out the things he or she is taught and apply it as a lifestyle. Here at the ADC they will not on ly learn, but learn to apply what they are taught as their new journey as a follower of Christ begins. Abilene Dream Center 2802 Old Anson Rd Abilene, TX 79603 (325) 437-6577 Dear 'Daddy' in Seat 16C Flight 1850 From Philly http://www.goteamkate.com/1/post/2014/01/dear -daddy-in-seat-16c-flight-1850from-philly.html 01/09/2014 804 Comments Dear 'Daddy', I don't know your name but Kate called you 'daddy' for the entire flight last week and you kindly never corrected her. In fact, you didn't even flinch as you could probably tell that she was not confusing you with her own 'daddy' but instead making a judgment regarding your level of 'safety' for her. If she calls you 'daddy' then you better believe she thinks you are alright. I sat Kate in the middle seat knowing full well that there would be a stranger sitting next to her for the duration of this flight. I had to make a quick decision and based on her obsession with opening and closing the window shade I figured she might be less of a distraction if she sat in the middle. I watched the entire Temple basketball team board the plane and wondered if one of these giants might sit by Kate. They all moved toward the back. She would have liked that, she would have made some observations that I would have had to deal with but she would have liked those players. I watched many Grandmotherly women board and hoped for one to take the seat but they walked on by. For a fleeting moment I thought we might have a free seat beside us and then you walked up and sat down with your briefcase and your important documents and I had a vision of Kate pouring her water all over your multi-million dollar contracts, or house deeds, or whatever it was you held. The moment you sat down, Kate started to rub your arm. Your jacket was soft and she liked the feel of it. You smiled at her and she said: "Hi, Daddy, that's my mom." Then she had you. You could have shifted uncomfortably in your seat. You could have ignored her. You could have given me that 'smile' that I despise because it means; 'manage your child please.' You did none of that. You engaged Kate in conversation and you asked her questions about her turtles. She could never really answer your questions but she was so enamored by you that she keeps eye contact and joint attention on the items you were asking her about. I watched and smiled. I made a few polite offers to distract her, but you would have none of it. Kate: (Upon noticing you had an IPad) Is dis Daddy's puduter? You: This is my IPad. Would you like to see it? Kate: To me?????? (I know she thought you were offering it to her to keep) Me: Look with your eyes, Kate. That is not yours. Kate: Dat's nice! You: (Upon noticing that Kate had an IPad) I like your computer, too. It has a nice purple case. Kate: Daddy wanna be a bad guy? (She offered shredder to you and that, my friend, is high praise) You: Cool. The interaction went on and on and you never once seemed annoyed. She gave you some moments of peace while she played with her Anna and Elsa dolls. Kind of her to save you from playing barbies, but I bet you wouldn't have minded a bit. I bet you have little girls, too. Not long before we landed Kate had reached her limit. She screamed to have her seatbelt off, she screamed for me to open the plane door and she cried repeating, "Plane is cwosed (closed)" over and over. You tried to redirect her attention to her toys. She was already too far gone at this point, but the fact that you tried to help your new little friend made me emotional. In case, you are wondering. She was fine the moment we stepped off the plane. Thank you for letting us go ahead of you. She was feeling overwhelmed and escaping the plane and a big, long hug was all she needed. So, thank you. Thank you for not making me repeat those awful apologetic sentences that I so often say in public. Thank you for entertaining Kate so much that she had her most successful plane ride, yet. And, thank you for putting your papers away and playing turtles with our girl. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED –by Paige- Hope Center for Autism http://www.hopecenter4autism.org/what-i-have-learned/ Submitted by Paige Aidyn has taught me many things throughout his short 4 years of life. He was diagnosed with Autism when he was almost 2; and although we were fairly sure that’s what we were dealing with, it was still life-changing. It’s as if all of your hopes and dreams for your child go out the window, and new ones take their place. Thinking about the far future is no longer necessary. All that matters is today. What will he do today? What strides for improvement will he conquer today? When he said his first unprompted word (“more”), we threw a party. When he said his first complete sentence, I cried. I cry often for my son. Not because I am sad, although sometimes that is the case. But more because I want to do what’s best for him, and I’m always scared of making the wrong choice, or missing out on an opportunity that could have helped him improve his skills. I long to have a conversation with him. I long to know what he is feeling and thinking about certain things. I want to know what his dreams are. [quote float="right"]Acceptance to me is fully embracing the person, positive and negative, and with no judgment.[/quote]Without a doubt, the biggest thing Aidyn has taught me is patience. He knows his limits and what he is ready and capable of. And even if he can’t fully express it, I have learned wait. I give him little pushes here and there, must mostly I wait. Aidyn has taught me to have no expectations. Do I have wishes and hopes and dreams for him? Sure. But as long as he is happy and healthy, I will be happy. In his 2 years of early intervention, therapy and preschool, he has exceeded many of our hopes and dreams. He went from having zero words, to being ahead in his language. He can also read and spell (better than I can sometimes). We still have struggles. Social situations, family outings, and potty training (he is almost there!) are all things we are still working on. He is a very smart kid, and I know he will rise above these struggles someday. The next is acceptance. I think it’s hard for people who are the “outside”, people who don’t have a child with special needs, to fully understand the child/family that is dealing with the special need. They may empathize, but that’s completely different than acceptance. To me empathy implies feeling bad, and quite often, there is still judgment there. Our little family has experienced this many times, often from our own family members. Do I feel bad for having Aidyn in our family? Never! And so other people shouldn’t either. Acceptance to me is fully embracing the person, positive and negative, and with no judgment. This can be hard. But as I keep trying to help Aidyn I find it gets easier, when we interact with other children with challenges, to be accepting of them and their families. The last is hope. Hope that there will continue to be new ways to help these little ones (and adults) with Autism, so that they can live to their full potential. Hope that information, knowledge, and stories will reach to the four corners of the Earth, so that people everywhere will be aware and become accepting of these beautiful creatures. Hope that my son will be able to grow up safely in this ever increasing harsh world. Hope that he will be accepted for who he is; that he will be defined but his strengths and not his weaknesses. Hope that he will rise above his insecurities and know that he may have Autism, but Autism doesn’t have him. Hope that he knows that I will ALWAYS love him. Hope that he knows he is a miracle to me. Hope… June 20, 2013 Mirror, Mirror- by Julie Fraser-Hope Center for Autism http://www.hopecenter4autism.org/mirror-mirror/ Submitted by Julie Fraser My son is now 15 and has Aspergers. We have gone from not being able to enter a store, due to too much stimulation, to a child that loves to volunteer for area organizations. He decided to enter his 8th grade graduation contest by writing a speech. For my son to write something on paper takes a long time. He has amazing ideas in his head and can even verbalize them but can never get it from the pen to the paper. His speech was chosen to be read at his 8th grade graduation. I wanted to share it with you as I hope it could give some other children some encouragement to just be themselves….. Mirror, Mirror What do you see when you look in the mirror? When I look in the mirror I see a teenager that is trying to do his best, though others have tried to knock me down. Yes, I have been called a Nerd, Geek, Weirdo and those are just the nice words. But what these people with harsh tongues don’t realize, is that I am different but in a good way. I am autistic. I have Asperger’s. I am not afraid to say it. [quote float="left"]I guess all of this makes me, me. I am proud of me.[/quote]Now, can you tell that just by looking at me? I am sure some people will say, yes I see it and maybe they can. In my eyes, I see someone that wants to be considered “normal”. I do look at things different than others do. I tend to enjoy my alone time. I can vision things in great detail in my mind. I can even put myself in another world. I go overboard or almost become obsessed when there is a topic I really enjoy. This makes me, me. I like who I am. Many don’t understand me. They say I need to do this or do that, just to be considered “normal”. I try, but I seem to constantly drift away from this so called normal. I tend to be negative a lot, which explains, why I am always being reminded to think positive thoughts. I have a hard time with change. I like my routine. I like being me. My Mom says I have come a long way, whatever that means. When I was little, they couldn’t even take me to Wal-Mart. It would cause too much of a stimulation and I would cry or get very naughty by screaming and kicking. I also used to hit my head on the floors and walls. I have no idea why, I just did I guess. When I was learning to talk I created my own language. I used my brother’s language and my baby language, by combining the two and came up with my own way to communicate. I could carry on conversations like you wouldn’t believe, though no one else could understand me. My family never gave up on me. They were always there to pick up the pieces or help calm me back down. Having someone there to watch over you and to keep you safe is very important in a child’s life. Again, my family never gave up on me. They helped me through each obstacle I have had to face. There are things I am still working on. School is a challenge for me. Reading and writing are my least favorite subjects. It takes my brain so long to get the thought from my head to my pencil to my paper. I love to do math, but again I can do the problems in my head, I just have a problem showing my work on the paper. I know I have things I need to improve on. I am not giving up. I like being me. I don’t enjoy being in front of people. When I get nervous, I tend to rub my hands together. This is one of the first signs my Mom and brothers tend to notice. I remember this one situation, where there was a lot of noise and commotion going on. It was some type of children’s program where all the kids had to sing. I was out of my comfort zone. I remember my brother getting up from his seat with his class and going to find my Mom in the bleachers to say that we need to get Jacob out of here. Now don’t tell my brother this, but I think he really cares about me. Yes, I still have problems when there is too much noise in a room. But, I am learning to handle it more and more with each situation. I guess all of this makes me, me. I am proud of me. My family is proud of me. I am finishing 8th grade. I am not sure many would have thought that would have been possible when I was younger, but I did it. So now look in the mirror and ask yourself…. what do you see? ~By Jacob F.