“All three of my children have autism. I tell them, you may have autism, but don’t let autism have you. Don’t let your autism determine your life.” – David, Father (pictured above, with son, Daylin)
“My wife and I first came to The Children’s Center with my daughter, Ta’Nijah, who was five at the time (now 11) and suffering from emotional stress. When she was diagnosed with autism, I was in disbelief. I didn’t know what autism was. But then I did some research and saw that she had a lot of the conditions associated with the disorder.
Then when my boys started having extreme behavioral problems, I knew where to turn to. Davin (age 10) and Daylin (age 5) had every bad behavior in the book: tantrums, outbursts, violence… everything. They were diagnosed with autism and began services right away. What we have experienced here has been way above my expectations. The Children’s Center is helping my children to thrive despite their autism, not just to survive with it.
Since the kids have been here, I started attending Mighty Men events. Mighty Men is a group of fathers who get together to discuss the challenges we face in supporting our families. We give advice to one another and also have events to bond with our children. In October, we had a bowling night and in December, we took the children to see a movie at the IMAX theater.
The most important thing I tell Ta’Nijah, Davin, and Daylin, is that even though they have autism, they can still live normal lives. They can have careers, marriages, and kids. The Children’s Center is helping my kids to create bright futures for themselves. And Mighty Men is helping us all realize we aren’t alone in our struggles.”
