Life with Brian and autism

Maureen Wellington

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At age 11, Brian, now 19 years old, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. During his formative years I did observe certain unusual behavior patterns. Whenever we were on the streets walking or driving and he heard loud sounds he would cover his ears. In kindergarten, he played by himself in a corner and didn’t seem to hear or understand what was going on around him. He repeated K and it was during that year that it was suggested that I take him to a specialist to find out what might be wrong with him.

Brian was first thought to have a learning disability and was sent for speech and hearing tests. The results showed underdeveloped auditory processing. The recommendation was that he be placed at the very front of the class in school where he can have eye contact to help him to understand what is being taught. I believed it helped somewhat but he was still very easily distracted which affected his progress in school generally.

Despite the challenges, he displayed some very artistic qualities that gained him a scholarship to a summer art program. His drawings were quite expressive and bore a super hero theme throughout. Some of them had a comical effect that had the family rolling over with laughter. I thought that he might become a Graphic Artist someday. However, his focus has now shifted to the computers and anything related. He still seems to be fascinated by the idea of super heroes. So whether he is watching the television, or he is on the computer, there is usually a good guy and a bad one.

Today he has grown into quite a young man. He speaks and reads very well, his social skills have improved but mostly among older persons especially males. He sometimes complains that his peers especially, make fun of him and call him names and that upsets him. So he carries a very defensive air about him that can easily be misconstrued.

My struggle with Brian over the years has primarily been his disposition to being very angry, frequently. It has gotten increasingly difficult with him since he got older. He no longer wants to live at home with our family and so I am caught between letting him go, as he wishes, or have him remain at home and continue to face the angry outbursts.

He has been out of school for over one year now and is at a disadvantage not having access to a facility that provides the kind of support that he needs. His belief is that he is now a man and should do whatever he wants, whenever, and however, and should not be told otherwise by me or anyone else.

My aim however, is to assist him in sourcing suitable accommodation and to be enrolled in a program that will cater to his academic, vocational, and social needs. I believe he has great potential, but needs to be in the right environment that will help to enhance his strengths. I am hopeful in this regard and will do whatever lies within my power to help him realize his full potential so that he can make his contribution to society.

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