I’m happy to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Lisa C. We met years ago when my son Lucas went to the same school as Lisa’s oldest son Ethan. Two of Lisa’s three children are on the autism spectrum, but Ethan’s diagnosis is more severe. Lisa’s fall into the autism world happened when Ethan was around 13 months old, and through her job as an elementary school counselor, she was able to recognize some autism behaviors that Ethan had. Now as an adult, Ethan is living out of the home in a specialized autism placement and Lisa discusses her experiences with autism living facilities and the process she went through for Ethan.
Even as a young child, Ethan exhibited a certain degree of aggression, including biting, hitting, and self-injurious behavior. But as Ethan grew older and bigger, the aggressive behavior went from an occasional event to nearly hourly. Finally, the therapists suggested that a safer environment might help them try different plans or medication to improve Ethan’s quality of life.
One of the things that Lisa wants parents to realize is that the kids that have the most behavioral and medical needs will have to wait the longest for space in autism living facilities to open up for them. You can’t give up hope that a bed will open up for them. She encourages you to reach out to other parents in the same circumstances via groups on Facebook and connect with them. This will help you focus on every parent’s goal of making sure their child is safe, happy, and as independent as possible.
Today’s Guest
Lisa is a former elementary school counselor with a M.Ed in Education. She is now a full-time parent of 3 children, two of whom have autism. She has worked as a freelance writer for Central Penn Parent magazine and maintains a blog about the challenges of raising children with autism. Her blog can be found here at crogs5.blogspot.com.
You’ll Learn
Resources