Thank you for Loving my Son

My son, Clark, was diagnosed with Level 4 Autism, Non-Verbal when he was two, even though as a mom I knew something was different about him around the age of one.

Now, he is almost six, but is more on a 2-3 year old level developmentally, and is just now starting to say some words.

As Clark’s mom, I decided early on that I would not let society define my son’s potential or his limitations. We started therapy prior to his 2nd birthday in our home, but he wasn’t making progress as quickly as we would have hoped.

We prayed. What’s next for Clark?

Now he is 3 with limited words to express himself, so many more behaviors, and he could not receive anymore in home care.

We found out about an ABA based one-on-one therapy program/school that was in our home town of Hendersonville, NC.

Caroline Long founded St. Gerard House eight years ago after both of her children were diagnosed with autism. She dedicated herself to learning everything she could about autism spectrum disorder.

With the experience and knowledge that she received, Caroline decided to share that knowledge with families seeking autism treatment. This isn’t just a school. This is a home away from home for my son.

They LOVE my son, and they commit every moment to his success and growth. Even above and beyond that, they don’t tell me all the ways Clark is struggling, they remind me of how far he’s come.

They remind me of what’s to come if we don’t give up.

When we talk about what we are thankful for in our autism journeys, I wanted to share with you a video I did recently for Clark’s teachers(techs). Him and 3 of his classmates, along with their families, made this video to say thank you for everything the technicians do daily for our kids.

We picked a song called, You Say by Lauren Daigle, to help convey the message because Caroline Long and her staff remind our kids everyday that they are STRONG.

They are WORTHY. They are HELD. They should never stop BELIEVING.

When society sometimes wants us to give up and think our kids are less than, people like the staff at St Gerard House remind us that this is far from the truth!

Moms like myself are blessed to have a place like this for her child with autism, because its a reminder that there is hope and that we have come so so very far, and we aren’t done yet.

From a child that only spun in circles, squealing, and hitting his head against the wall, to now having a child that is starting to use some words to communicate, and isn’t having as many meltdowns, we are moving forward.

One step at a time. One moment at a time.

Like Kate said, we must CHOOSE Joy and have FAITH every day!

Thank you St Gerard House for your commitment and love for the children and families in your program and in the community.

Written by, Caroline Counts

(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Caroline Counts and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.)

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