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Cathy
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Cathy
I'm a professional
Since high school, being around individuals on the autism spectrum and/or with challenging behaviors has been part of my life. As a summer camp counselor in high school, my first responsibility was working with a student who had unique and extreme behaviors. At that moment, I knew that my life’s path had been determined. With a degree in special education, each of my teaching jobs in Illinois, Indiana and Colorado had me working with individuals (ages 3-21) on the spectrum. From the very beginning, I became involved with ASA. During the 1970s, so little was known about autism. The incidence was as high as 1 in 10,000, and information was limited to a small handful of books and articles. And nowhere in my formal education had I really received practical guidance and advice about autism. I was determined to learn, and parents associated with ASA became my first real teachers. Through their patience and guidance, I came to understand both the struggles and joys of raising a child with autism. Family members invited me into their homes where we would sit at their kitchen tables to problem solve and strategize. In retrospect, I realize how fortunate I was. In so many ways, they provided me with a better education then I could have gotten from any graduate program. And along the way, their children also became my teachers. These experiences from my early years have taught me many things. First, none of us are experts; we must always be learning. Second, the best source for credible information about autism is from individuals on the spectrum and their family members. And, finally, given strong programming, meaningful family and professional collaboration, and patience and solid determination paired with a true respect and passion for working with these children, family members and those on the spectrum can experience successful futures. I will forever be indebted to those first parents from ASA for all they contributed to my professional upbringing.
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