Written by: Christine
Clyde was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3 years old. Since his diagnosis, he has received both private speech therapy and speech therapy through school and private occupational therapies. We have tried many times since he was a toddler to find a decent outreach program where he could interact with others with the hope of developing friendships without much success.
We counted down the days until his 13th birthday so he could start attending the SOAR events. He started really participating and being active with the group right before this past Thanksgiving. In the short time he has been with the group, we have noticed a huge increase in his self-esteem. He is becoming more independent and willing to try new things. Foods have always been difficult for him, but now that he is around others and seeing them try new foods, he has been interested in also trying them. He does not like everything he tries, but he’s trying them!!! More than that, he is starting to make connections with others.
He now looks forward to events in hopes that certain individuals will be there so he can hang out with them. So far, he says his favorite event has been going to the movies to see Sonic the Hedgehog 3. I personally would say the most important event he has attended was this year’s Friendsgiving dinner. This is where he started developing connections with others and he really enjoyed cooking and helping in the kitchen. He even made a point to go into the kitchen when it was time to eat and came out with a plate full of foods I had never seen him try before. If I have seen this much growth in him over the last few months, I can’t wait to see his growth in the next year!
