Autism Story | Treatment Works | A Great Need | Consideration Amount | Pledge Card
Sam & Mandy's Story
They now had it all – young, just starting out, and a new baby boy – a lot of work, but life was good!
We must tell you about them. A local couple, we will call them Sam and Mandy, got married out of high school and wanted the American dream – a house, good jobs, and a family. Sam went to work in the coal mines during the same month that Mandy found out she was pregnant with their first child. They had struggles, but it was all worth it when their baby boy Kyle arrived.
Kyle was a healthy, happy baby – the bond was unbreakable – he was his father’s “little buddy” and his mom’s “handsome man.”
However, life for this family drastically changed when they noticed that Kyle’s speech stopped and he no longer looked them in the eye. All he wanted to do was rock and stare into space. They went in search of help.
Doctor after doctor – time off work – travel expenses - the next year was very difficult. Just to get Kyle evaluated was not only a waiting game, but it was expensive!
Sam could not get off work the day that the doctor finally told Mandy that her beloved son was a child with autism. What were they going to do now? Sam and Mandy wanted the best for Kyle. Mandy researched a proven method for the treatment of autism called Applied Behavior Analysis. However, they found no programs locally that could help their son. They could not afford to relocate to another area for the treatment that their son needed and deserved.
Sam just wanted to play catch with his son in the backyard, but instead Kyle wanted to watch the ceiling fan go round and round for hours.
Mandy just wanted him to stop banging his head against the wall over and over.
Why could they not toilet train him? Why could they not control his tantrums? Why did he bite and scratch the family? Why did he not notice when Sam and Mandy cried? Their little boy was a child with autism.
They now piece together services in hopes that Kyle can progress. They fear they are missing his critical developmental years due to a lack of programs closer to home and financial constraints.
We’ve Heard this Story Before.
Sam and Mandy’s story is unfortunately similar to many families in our area. Parents are faced with the devastating news that their child is a child with autism and the needed services to help them are not available in Kentucky.
In the spring of 2008, the leadership of Highlands Health System was approached by several families from local communities seeking Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a proven evidence based treatment for their children diagnosed with autism. ABA is based on decades of solid scientific research, and has shown great results in helping children and adults with autism develop important life skills, successful integration back into public schools, improved IQ scores, and the best opportunity at a greater quality of life. These families could not get this treatment in and around the state of Kentucky.