Welcome

This is a growing resource center for persons interested in Autism. My family has been touched through our son Gerik. He has been diagnosed as Autistic. He is a beautiful, non-verbal, 10 year old child who would be considered, by those who know about such things, as a runner but does not intentionally hide. This area of our site is devoted to helping those who have also been touched by Autism. Please let us know what you think and make suggestions. We are glad to try to special order anything. Just send us an email with your request. We do accept school po’s.

April is Autism awareness month

A Few Helpful Links:
www.autism-society.org
www.arcwa.org
depts.washington.edu/uwautism
www.shoeboxtasks.com/

A journey with Gerik

Williams family on road to help son with autism
By MIKE JOHNSTON
Daily Record, April 19th, 2003
Ellensburg, Wa

Gerik Williams is a 10-year-old boy with bright, blue eyes that grow large and inquisitive when he watches bubbles float in the air. His laugh comes with a warm smile and a missing tooth that makes you want to rub his mop of dark, blonde hair and tell him he looks like a young Huckleberry Finn. But Gerik, most likely, would give no hint he was listening to you, wouldn't look you in the eye and would offer no response acknowledging that you were even in the same room. Gerik, the son of Rolf and Michelle Williams of Clerf Road, was diagnosed with autism when he was 5 years old, but has received educational and developmental therapy since he was 20 months old. "That's what makes it so hard, sometimes, when I look at Gerik," Rolf said. "He's a happy, active 6-year-old boy who is physically normal as far as you can see. "But he won't look at you and doesn't talk to you and doesn't interact with you like another 10-year-old boy because he's in his own world, a world he likes very much." When Gerik was 18 months old, he wasn't talking or walking and this delayed development led Michelle and Rolf to Gerik have him evaluated. Gerik qualified for special services. Early childhood development services were utilized through Ellensburg and Kittitas school districts and physical and life-skill therapy from Kittitas Valley Community Hospital. Help in the diagnosis came through Children's Village in Yakima and the Children's Hospital Autism Clinic in Bellevue.

Changing lives

Rolf said Gerik's challenging condition has changed how the family operates, how it lives and how he, Michelle and their 9-year-old daughter, Jordan, see life. He said it can be hard and also brings a sense of joy. "Sometimes I struggle with the child he could have been," Rolf said slowly. "But we are all on a journey with Gerik. A journey of finding a pathway into his world and a way for him to be in our world." Michelle said the family's challenge is to use consistent, intensive educational techniques at home that develop Gerik's communication and daily life skills. "For children with autism, people have realized that their intelligence is not dictated by their level and ability to communicate," Michelle said. "I know Gerik is frustrated that he can't get out what he wants to communicate. And we get frustrated, at times, because we can't get into his world." Research is ongoing into the cause of autism, a mysterious developmental disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. Some experts believe children can have a genetic predisposition to autism, and environmental factors are probably involved or, at least, may trigger the disorder. According to the Autism Society of Washington, the disorder affects one in 300 people, a statistic from the federal Center for Disease Control. Most experts also believe this rate is a significant increase from much lower rates in past years.

Effects

Autism impacts the brain's normal development in areas of social interaction, communication and the organization of mental decisions to accomplish actions in sequence. But everyone with autism is not affected in the same way. It is called a spectrum disorder because it can disable in varying degrees a number of speech, interaction, social and motor skills. Many skills can be affected or only a few. In March Gerik began receiving educational training five days a week at home using a technique called applied behavior analysis. Michelle, Rolf and a tutor, Amy Mohler of Ellensburg, have been trained in the technique through the University of Washington's Autism Center, part of the university's Center on Human Development and Disability. Michelle and Rolf said they are very fortunate that a trainer with the center, Derek Lucky, lives in Ellensburg. He is available to give training once a week to Rolf, Michelle and Amy rather than the three, along with Gerik, having to travel to Seattle. Although they had to wait a year for the services that are in high demand, Rolf and Michelle said a weekly drive to Seattle would have been very difficult.

A step at a time

Lucky, a behavioral consultant and intern with the Autism Center, said he developed a curriculum specifically for Gerik after an evaluation at the center and visits at home. "It's an intensive and structured program of repeated trials to strengthen his responses and behavior and positively reinforce them," Lucky said. The skills taught include those used in play and social interaction, language and daily living. Each desired action is broken down into small steps with a reward for each step accomplished. He said Rolf and Michelle have sought out the best services they could get in the area and are committed to being closely involved with Gerik's therapy. He said the couple have gone to the next level with the Autism Center to help Gerik with in-home therapy. Gerik is now in kindergarten at Kittitas and is assigned an aide who helps him daily at school. Kathy Zanolli, who has a doctorate in psychology and behavior analysis, is the Autism Center's professional training director. She said some autistic children with severe disabilities have learned how to communicate through typing, pictures and other non-verbal means. The said the earlier intervention with services the better for the child. "The use of the behavior therapy has shown good results, on the whole," Zanolli said. "Applied behavior analysis has, in some cases with young children, helped them make dramatic gains and even helped them catch up with their peers in some skills." She said this is the hope that some parents have for their autistic children. But she said the specialized training and consultant services are costly and are not funded by the state to school districts or other state institutions. Insurance usually doesn't pay for the services, either. "Getting access to these services can be a very difficult challenge when they are not widely available," Zanolli said.

Small victories

Michelle said everyone and every agency they have worked with has been as helpful as they can. The realization is that work with Gerik will take time and changed expectations. "We are looking for small victories, one after the other, over time," Michelle said. "And our goal, just like any other parent, is to help him achieve a level of independence, self expression and a sense that he is worthwhile in our society." Michelle said there is no "silver bullet" that parents may desire that will somehow "fix" their child. She said autism is not something you have, it is something you are that makes you unique. "But you are not broken. Yes, you have needs, but it doesn't mean you must always fit society's mold," she said. Michelle said their journey with Gerik also is an effort to find a pathway to discover who Gerik is and keep that uniqueness alive. Rolf said helping Gerik has meant rearranging furniture, keeping breakable and harmful things out of reach and sight and always planning ahead for trips to the grocery store, restaurants and nearly anywhere. "We always try to find Gerik-friendly places that don't put him in situations we can't handle," Michelle said. Life with Gerik can be an emotional roller-coaster, Michelle said, but she is thankful for the great support of extended family members and friends. "I've learned, and I keep learning, how good it is to take the time to enjoy every moment," Michelle said. Rolf related that one of Gerik's teachers said she doesn't know exactly what Gerik's life is supposed to teach us, but he is here to teach us something. "Gerik is such a cool kid," Rolf said with a broad smile. "He has taught me so much about me, about my need to slow down and use more patience every day. And just rejoice with the life you do have. "We have a playful, healthy, happy 10-year-old boy."