At first glance, Jennifer Adams-Tuckers family looks pretty standard- a mom, a dad, two girls, and two boys. However, when three of your four children are diagnosed with autism, your story is anything but standard. And thats the story that Jennifer wants to share with others to prove that individuals with Autism can shine, achieve, inspire and can overcome societal obstacles to accomplish amazing things.
Prior to her son, Darryl Jr., being diagnosed with autism, Jennifer was not at all familiar with the condition. I think the only thing I had seen on Autism was a video I had seen a few years ago. The day Darryl Jr. was diagnosed with Autism was scary. I was in this white room with the doctors just telling me he probably wont be able to this, this, and this. It was just all really negative, Adams-Tucker said.
She looked to her husband for support. I looked at Darryl with tears in my eyes. Darryl looked up to the doctors and said Thats okay, hes still my boy! These were the words that would carry her through a variety of emotions, but at that point she realized that she and her husband needed to do their research.
She found that Autism is a general term for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. Approximately 1 in 88 children in the United States has an Autism Spectrum DisorderASDs are almost 5 times more common among boys than among girls and they are reported in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.
Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs of Autism and symptoms of Autism tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age. For this reason, early diagnosis and treatment is essential for developmental progress to be made with Autistic children.
This is where First Steps came into play for Jennifer and her family. First Steps is a statewide early intervention system that provides services to children with developmental disabilities from birth to age 3 and their families. It was great. They came into my home and provided my children with the therapy that they needed.
In addition the therapy, another key to managing the process of raising a child with Autism is finding a support system. This was especially true for Jennifer after her youngest two children, twins Danyelle and Dominique, were diagnosed with autism. I knew the signs and was more prepared for the diagnosis, so it wasnt as hard at first. But then I realized, this is still difficult, and I need support.
Families for Effective Autism Treatment (FEAT) of Louisville is a non-profit organization that actively supports and funds Autism programs for the entire family. Created for families, FEAT of Louisville is dedicated to easing the Autism journey through ongoing support, education and programs. Much of our work is done by volunteers to assist in growing our support programs and services.
Jennifer knew that the support that she had received from various Autism outreach programs had helped both she and her children immensely on their journey, and she wanted to serve as an advocate for the special needs community. Jennifer had been keeping a journal, a letter to her children, detailing their individual strengths and talents, and their struggles with autism. After some encouragement from family and friends, she had it published to serve as an encouragement to other parents of Autistic children.
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Louisville woman uses inspiring personal story to spread Autism awareness [Family & Parenting]