VIDEO: Autism: A look from inside the family

June 21, 2008 09:54 pm

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By Ellen Geib
OG Contributor
I haven’t always been comfortable talking about autism and its presence in my family.
But because of my exposure to people with special needs, I’ve been able to develop the gift of helping others — especially those with autism. And through the process of accepting my personal situation as an older sister of two siblings on the autism spectrum, I have discovered my life’s goal: Helping others gain knowledge about autism and helping families affected by autism.
The Autism Research Institute defines autism as a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth to 2 1/2 years of age. But autism is so much more than that textbook definition.
It has been a part of my life since my brother’s and sister’s diagnoses more than 10 years ago. They both had been typical and attentive children, but shortly after the age of 2, their development regressed and our family was never quite the same.
My younger brother, John, has moderate autism and my younger sister, Carrie, has Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism. Because of that, every day is filled with numerous challenges.
I spent most of my life dwelling on the frustrations and embarrassments of living in a family with special needs. But after a while, I realized that I would never be entirely happy with my situation unless I grew to accept my siblings for who they are.
Living with autism means that my family has had to approach life differently. That’s meant numerous visits to doctors and an in-home therapist coming for as many as 40 hours a week.
We’ve also invested a lot of time in applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy. This type of therapy breaks down everyday tasks into steps that someone with autism can understand. ABA also provides a controlled environment, which is very important when teaching autistic children.
More changes came with the arrivals of various medical treatments such as chelation and auditory, visual and occupational therapies. My brother and sister have made a lot of progress through available therapies, and my family has realized that autism is treatable and that the kids have a chance to live more “normal” lives.
My family’s new outlook has spread to my personal life. With the personal knowledge and drive to see families like mine succeed, I’ve found my life’s goal. I have a passion for spreading the “good” word about autism and other special needs and for helping those affected by the disorder.
I’ve decided on psychology as my major for college — I’m moving on this fall to study at Cedarville University. But I couldn’t wait to get to get started in my newfound direction, so I decided to make autism awareness the focus of my high school senior project.
I talked to the local autism support group and to Dr. Paul Peirsel, who has been medically treating my siblings.
First, I created a video about my family and our positive outlook on autism. Then I presented my personal view of autism and teamed up with Peirsel, who presented a medical view.
The program I developed — “Autism: Hope” — was presented at the Downtown Mall in Meadville, and was recorded and broadcast on local television.
Autism makes my family unique. We have an unquenchable passion for talking about autism and all the hope there is for these children to live more normal lives.
It still presents many challenges, but they can be overcome through hope. My family has found that hope through behavioral and medical therapies — and our positive outlook.
Autism may be represented by the news or a textbook as just another disorder affecting people today, but it’s more. When I was younger, I couldn’t understand the good that could come from autism. It’s not the end of the world, and it has shaped my life for the better.
My goal is to increase autism awareness, and the hope that can be associated with it. I have a desire to continue to spread autism awareness and to help those affected by the disorder — both children and their families.
I want to see the word “autism” erased from the dictionary, because I believe it can be treated both medically and through various therapies. In the future, I want to see kids affected by autism live the lives they were meant to live.

Geib is a 2008 Meadville Area Senior High School graduate and the producer of “Autism: Hope.” She’ll be a psychology major at Cedarville University.

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