Hearing the diagnosis of “autism” begins the journey to see and learn about life from a unique perspective. For us, that journey started right before Miss Lily Mae's third birthday. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 68 children have autism. Thousands of Minnesota families are faced with the challenges of navitaging an autism diagnosis each year.
Fortunately, evidence shows early intervention can result in dramatically positive outcomes. Given the right tools and support, those living with autism can make great strides at any point in their lives. This could not be demonstrated better than watching Miss Lily's growth in this short first year of our journey. Let me explain.
At age two, Miss Lily was starting to sing notes to her favorite Disney songs and even sing "I love you" to Trevor and I. That lasted only a month before she stopped. She stopped talking all together and stopped trying to communicate. She closed inside herself and left us without any resources to help find the door and open her back up. She didn't look at us anymore and showed no emotion or interest in engaging in life.
By the time we got her diagnosis we already knew the words before they were said. But what we didn't know is how amazing the next year would be, thanks to that diagnosis and support we recieved from Fraser. What we didn't know was that on her fourth birthday, she would sing with us as she blew out her birthday candles and unwrapped each gift with pure excitement as she smiled and labeled each item recieved.
As the largest and most experienced provider of autism services in Minnesota, Fraser can help those with autism and other special needs reach for a bright future, a future full of excitement.
This April, I will be raising support and awareness for Minnesota families affected by autism at the Fraser Walk for Autism. Your support will help provide life-changing services to thousands of Minnesota families. It will help unlock children like Miss Lily across our state and provide families with the support they need to thrive.
Please consider making a gift today! Each dollar makes us one step closer to creating bright futures for children and adults with special needs.