On February 19 2016 I celebrated my son Conor's 20th birthday. It was a big day and we had a lot of fun despite his severe autism, intellectual disability and seizures. It was Conor's challenges that prompted us to seek our family doctor's guidance about his lack of key development milestones at the age of 1 1/2 years. After referral to a pediatrician with a background in developmental delays, several types of testing to rule out possibilities and formal testing for autism he received his initial autism disorder diagnosis the day after his 2nd birthday. Over time the seriousness of his autism disorder deficits, related intellectual disability, self injurious beghaviors and seizures including full, tonic clonic, grand mal seizures have become more difficult for him and left no room for any illusions about the hard realities facing him every day and into his future here in New Brunswick, Canada. We have made much progress in early autism intervention and some progress in our schools but for adults with severe autism disorder and related disabilities there are no MEANINGFUL supports available here in New Brunswick the province that constantly promotes its community and inclusion values.
At age 20 Conor is not a child although he still has the rest of this year and one more year of school left before he transitions to full adulthood. Here in New Brunswick Canada where our pre-school children enjoy the benefits of an early intervention program which has achieved some international recognition, including from the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, and some improvements in our school system there is nothing available to help my son and others who suffer from severe autism disorder and the related disabilities that often accompany it ... intellectual disability and epilepsy.
I am not by any means giving up the fight for Conor's future. I will enjoy my son's presence in my life and help him with every ounce I have in me Following are some pictures, beginning with his "new blue shirt" photo from this past Friday, showing the joy of Conor that I continue to benefit from every day and will continue to fight for while I can.
At age 20 Conor is not a child although he still has the rest of this year and one more year of school left before he transitions to full adulthood. Here in New Brunswick Canada where our pre-school children enjoy the benefits of an early intervention program which has achieved some international recognition, including from the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, and some improvements in our school system there is nothing available to help my son and others who suffer from severe autism disorder and the related disabilities that often accompany it ... intellectual disability and epilepsy.
I am not by any means giving up the fight for Conor's future. I will enjoy my son's presence in my life and help him with every ounce I have in me Following are some pictures, beginning with his "new blue shirt" photo from this past Friday, showing the joy of Conor that I continue to benefit from every day and will continue to fight for while I can.
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