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Cheri

Autism Spectrum Disorders are the next step in human evolution!
Member Since:	June 12, 2007
Location:	Canada
Gender:	Female
Birthday:	February 25, 2007
Profile Views:	9

Bio:

Hello. I'm Speaking on behalf of my 10 year-old son, Lincoln, who has "Asperger's Syndrome." For those of you unfamiliar with this condition, it is an Autism Spectrum Disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate and understand the world around them. They lack the natural ability to understand and decode emotions and they often times have preoccupations with objects and/or ideas. You might say that someone with AS is wired differently than neurotypical people are. Aside from their nuances, Asperger's people are generally very bright. In fact, Asperger's Syndrome has been nicknamed "The Little Professor Syndrome." Researchers believe people such as Einstein & Michael Angelo had Asperger's Syndrome before it even had a label. Let me tell you a little bit about our son. When I was 7 months pregnant with him, a visiting evangelist singled me out of a crowd of 300. I had reluctantly gone to this event with a friend. While I was seated in the auditorium, the evangelist pointed her finger right straight at me and uttered, "The son you are carrying will grow up in greatness to the world!" And with her prophetic words began our journey. Our baby boy was born on September 1, 1996 and we named him Lincoln Thomas Hunt. Lincoln could read about 100 word flash cards at the age of 2 and also began to speak in full, complex sentences by the time he was 2-1/2. But, before he turned 3, Autism began its insidious attack on his brain & body. He could no longer read or identify the words on those same flash cards. He began to avoid eye contact and would not readily respond when spoken to. He would become preoccupied by spinning fans, whirly-gigs and tops. He could no longer relate easily to family and his face took on a blank stare. By the age of 4-1/2, we had him screened and tested, and he soon received a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome. Lincoln has had many therapies over the years including occupational, speech & language, neurofeedback, cranial, and social skills. He has made good progress and continues to attend a public school with a one-on-one aide to assist him. Lincoln has a rote memory that would put Shakespeare to shame! He loves to read field guides and memorizes the names and characteristics of animals & plants. He made it to 4th place in his school's spelling bee without any practice. He also has a collection of pond pumps, filters and plumbing parts and can put systems together with ease, as well as tell you "how" the systems work. Even with the progress he's made so far, Lincoln's future is uncertain. Independence & social integration will continue to be our goals for him, but he still needs to attain many skills that parents of "normal" children simply take for granted. There is hope that with the proper interventions and skills training, Lincoln could live a happy, fulfilling life. As parents, our wish for Lincoln is two-fold: 1) We would love to start a college savings account for him, but have not been able to so far. His therapies are very expensive, and the State of Arizona does not cover the cost services for Asperger's Syndrome (Lincoln would have to be severely autistic to qualify for financial help). My husband & I pay for Lincoln's therapies out-of-pocket. Cigna, our health insurance carrier, will NOT cover services for developmental disabilities! 2) We feel strongly that Lincoln would benefit from more neurofeedback (brain conditioning using electrical impulses). He had 32 sessions when he was 6, but his brain is changing rapidly and he is in need of more of this type of "brain training." We would like to purchase specific brainmapping equipment & software so that we can offer him more neurofeedback in a home setting (as opposed to driving to/from sessions). The equipment and software are very costly, but utilizing this high-tech approach, a person's brain can actually be retrained and normalized - it's absolutely amazing! Perhaps my wishes for Lincoln are too far-reaching, but my heart was compelled to write to you anyway. The words to the song, "Lean On Me" comes to mind: "Please, swallow your pride if I have things you need to borrow, for no one can fill those of your needs that you don't let show." For Lincoln's sake, we are doing the leaning right now. My husband & I truly believe he is destined for greatness. The world needs him - it is his destiny. Blessings to your wonderful organization! Cheri (& Tom) Hunt