The Early Days of Autism: Meet Parents Like You

Nobody knows about the ups and downs of this diagnosis more than parents who have gone through it themselves.

Four families have graciously offered advice in a roundtable discussion and opened their doors to our cameras to show you how autism has challenged and brightened their days.

Listen to the podcast. You can also find short documentaries on the families in the video section of this article. Watch the smaller version to your right or download the larger versions by clicking on "Videos" in the Resources section.

Meet the Families:

Dianna Jiang: Dianna and her husband came from China only five years ago. Their beautiful daughter Sophia (5) is non-verbal and full of smiles and hugs--especially for her mom.

Susan Fentie: Susan and her husband Dan have five children. Their two youngest sons, Kyle (14), and Keith (11), are both on the spectrum. Kyle is moderately affected and loves his video games and DVDs. Keith is non-verbal and is always wearing a huge smile.

Keith was briefly institutionalized when his IBI was withdrawn due to the age six cut-off, and his aggression became out of control. The Fentie's co-founded the Ontario Autism Coalition, a lobbying group that was key to lifting the age six limit.

Michael Pallett: Michael and his wife Kelli started Parents Listen to bring as much information on autism as possible to parents through a series of guest lectures. Their last speaker was Julie Matthews, a Nutrition Consultant that specializes in ASD, on Saturday December 1st at Ryerson University in Toronto.

They have a son on the spectrum named Jordyn (4). They are using the Son Rise program with him. Jordyn loves tickle fights and Baby Einstein.

Tina Marano: Tina and her husband have two sons, Zachary (9) and Joshua (8). Zachary is on the spectrum and Joshua is typical. Zachary loves to play his pianos (he has two) and is one heck of a speller.

email this print this add comment