I am the parent of a 15 year old autistic son who has beat the odds. He has been mainstreamed since kindergaten. This young man didn't speak until he was 5 years old. We had a nuerologist tell us that he would never walk or talk and to find an instution to put him in. I hear all of these parents on your show of how hard it is to raise children, and sometimes I truly laugh out loud, you don't have a clue how hard it is until you have a child with special needs, even with him being mainstreamed he is still picked on and bullied by alot of his peers for being a little bit diffrent, but he such a forgiving soul that he has taught my husband and I more than we realized, he explains to us that they were just raised that way and can't help it and for us not to take it personal because he doesn't . I have never really had a forgiving heart until he taught me.
This young man of ours makes A's and B's. He has never made a C since he has been in school. He also plays in our High School Band in the percussion section. He has done an excelent job and has so much school spirit it would put the cheerleaders to same. We recently went to Floridia with the band and they were picked to march in the Disney parade.
When were told he was autistic we didn't know what it was, but I began a research and a commintment to him and many others just like him to find out what worked for him and how to teach him, to me we all learn diffrently some just a little more diffrent that others.. His goal is to go to Oklahoma Universty. He would love to do something in sports like a sports casters. Who knows but he has beat the ODDS.
