Each autistic person has their own strengths and challenges. We are
proud to share their stories in support of our continued work to
increase understanding and acceptance, across the spectrum and
throughout the life span.

Meet Walter R., 5: [link removed]

My name is Cortney R. I wanted to take this opportunity during World
Autism Month to introduce you to my son, Walter. There are so many
ways to describe this little boy, but the first five words that come
to mind are loving, energetic, brilliant, charismatic and
entertaining. This little ham will do just about anything to get an
applause, so being the center of attention suits him very well.

We received Walter's autism diagnosis on his third birthday. Although
he is considered nonverbal, it doesn't mean he can't communicate or
express himself. Thanks to his wonderful team of therapists and
teachers, we are learning to communicate through American Sign
Language and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). We are even
learning sign language as a family so we can all better communicate
with one another.

Walter craves a lot of sensory input, he always has, so we try to be
as active as possible. He loves going to the trampoline park and to
the outdoor park - he lives for swinging and sliding. At home he is
almost always snuggled up to a "puppy," which is one of the words he
can say clear as day and it melts my heart each time.

I cannot wait to see where this journey takes us and just how much
Walter will continue to thrive. For now, I plan to continue sharing
his story and being transparent about our journey as a family because
awareness and truth is the best way to create acceptance for people
with autism.

Learn more about Walter's journey in this Q&A with his mom,
Cortney: [link removed]

In your experience with Walter, how important is early diagnosis and
intervention services?

I wish we could have started applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy
sooner. We have seen so much growth in Walter since we intervened with
services. Most facilities in our state (Washington) will not start
services without a diagnosis, so due to COVID-19, it took us over a
year to get an official diagnosis. Today, Walter absolutely loves his
therapists, and it has been such a wonderful feeling seeing him
connect with someone and discover a love for learning.

Did you realize something was different about Walter before his
diagnosis? If so, please share some of your experiences and how the
diagnosis came about.

My husband knew early on that there was something different about
Walter. He hit every milestone up until his 2-year checkup. That's
around the time when we noticed a speech delay, but his fine motor and
all other skills seemed absolutely fine. He would make eye contact and
was always having to be the center of attention. His pediatrician
never saw any signs of autism and gave us goals for working on his
speech. After this appointment, we started gradually seeing more signs
that he was on the spectrum (hand flapping, repetitive sounds and tons
of sensory seeking behavior). This boy would put everything and
anything up to his mouth to feel the texture.

What were your initial thoughts when you first received Walter's
diagnosis?

It was such a relief to receive his diagnosis because it meant that we
could start therapies and finally see light at the end of the tunnel.
It was not hard news hearing that Walter is autistic, but it was hard
to accept that our son's life is going to look a lot different than
what we expected. We also realized very quickly that we have a lot to
learn in order to help him succeed and reach his full potential.

Tell us about some of the struggles Walter faces on a daily basis?

The biggest struggle has been his diet. Being such a sensory seeking
little human makes for a very picky eater. Thankfully, he loves fruit.
He also loves McDonald's fries. What a shocker for a 5-year-old boy,
right?!

You mentioned Walter is nonverbal. How has he learned to communicate
and how has that improved since his initial diagnosis?

Improving Walter's communication is our main goal because it has been
his biggest struggle by far. He knows what he wants to say, I can tell
by his facial expressions and body language, but he just does not have
all the words yet. Thankfully, we have started working with Picture
Exchange Communication System in ABA. He's also learning American Sign
Language as another way to communicate. Walter is a visual learner, so
this was such a big step for us. He is now getting comfortable looking
through his PECS book and will make food and activity requests with
pictures. He will also sign to say things like, "more," "all done,"
"help" and "open." We learn a new sign each week through therapy,
however I try to sign as much as possible since we are trying to learn
as a family.

What are some of Walter's biggest strengths?

His memory is remarkable. I had ordered some alphabet magnets for our
fridge not thinking about it too much. He played with them on and off
for a day or two. I was cooking breakfast one morning and Walter had
them all lined up and in alphabetical order around the kitchen table.
His favorite thing now is to pick whatever letter he finds first and
will complete the alphabet from there. He can say all 26 letters and
will gladly point them out to you when you ask.

What advice would you give to other parents who have a child/children
on the spectrum?

Trust your intuition and ALWAYS advocate on behalf of your child.
There is so much to learn about autism and as parents, it's crucial to
be educated even if it is something as simple as listening to a
podcast ("Moms Talk Autism" is by far my favorite.) Most importantly,
know there is a great community out there and so many resources.

Also, remember you are not alone. Being an autism parent can be very
isolating. We live a completely different lifestyle than other
parents, so it is very important to stay strong and have a support
system.

Please describe some of the therapies and services that Walter
receives. How have those services positively impacted his life?

Once we received Walter's diagnosis, he was enrolled into an early
intervention program through the school district. He goes to school
four days a week for three hours each day and has his para educator
with him the entire time. He does occupational and speech therapies
during his school day and then he goes to his ABA clinic for another 3
hours after school. This has been our schedule since the beginning of
the school year in September and he is thriving. He is very much
schedule-oriented, and that has been a big piece of this puzzle. We
like to throw random occupational therapy appointments in the mix and
will go hang out with some therapy llamas every once in a while. I am
hoping with a new referral we can start an equine therapy program over
the summer since he will not be in school.

What is your connection to Autism Speaks and how have we provided
support to you and your family?

I started following every and any autism page I could find once I knew
what our journey was going to be. I wanted to be as educated and
informed as I could possibly be. I always go to Autism Speaks first.
It was comforting to me to read the introductions of all these
miraculous little beings and know that we were not alone.

What are your hopes for Walter's future?

For him to be happy and successful. Not only that but for him to have
the confidence in knowing he can do whatever he wants and that we will
support him along the way.

As I'm sure you know, April is World Autism Month. As a mom of an
autistic son, why is kindness important to you and what does the month
mean to you and your family?

This is my favorite question so far. I had briefly enrolled Walter in
a pre-k class prior to his diagnosis when he was 3. I had informed the
facility that he was nonverbal, that I was extremely nervous and to
call me if he got upset or if they felt I needed to come and get him.
I picked him up after four hours and the first thing the "teacher"
said to me was, "Your child is full blown autistic." Not kind, not
even a little. I will never forget this conversation and her tone that
was filled with annoyance. The most irritating part of hearing those
words come out of her mouth was the fact that Walter was standing
right there, and she talked to me like he did not exist. That was his
first and only day at that school.

A lot of people hear the word nonverbal and they automatically assume
he doesn't talk and simply doesn't understand. That could not be more
inaccurate. Walter is very receptive when it comes to what is being
said to and about him. He is extremely intuitive and sadly knows when
he is unwelcome. Kindness means everything to me as parent, it is a
core value that I try to instill in my children and something that
makes such a huge difference to these sweet souls we are raising.



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