RRCU Employee shares her personal journey with Autism in honor of April being Autism Awareness Month.

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My name is Kayla Raney. I have been with Red River Credit Union, serving our Paris community for a little over 5 years now. I have a 9yr old son Aiden, who is severely autistic (non-verbal). With it being autism awareness month, I wanted to take the time to share our journey in hopes that it gives support and awareness to others who might be experiencing or starting their own journey.

At the age of 2, we were noticing that Aiden was not meeting the growth and motor requirements for his age and decided to get further testing. We were referred by our doctor to meet with a diagnostic team. The diagnostic team came to the determination that Aiden was not autistic, but that he did have a severe sensory disorder and a low cognitive disorder. As a family we immediately started occupational and speech therapy and continued this until Aiden was the age of 5.

In 2018, Aiden’s school referred us to an autism diagnostic team, and it was then that they determined that Aiden is non-verbal autistic. Aiden’s autism is severe. He is still not able to voice communication nor grasp any sign language. He also has a sensory disorder and has a difficult time being in big groups of people or interacting with others that are not his family. Aiden has made progress over the years; he is now able to communicate his wants and needs through an iPad app. The app has pictures of everything that he needs such as, his favorite drink, snacks, family, etc. When Aiden selects the picture, it will then send it to our phone to let us know what he wants or needs.?

From first finding out Aiden had a sensory disorder to 2018 when we received the official diagnosis of him having autism, it felt like a complete rollercoaster of emotions. However, just having the support from my husband, our family, and The Reach Center https://www.parisreach.org/ has helped with our emotions tremendously. It was very hard at first, knowing that our son had a disability that prevented communication with our son; and we had no idea what to do or where to start. My husband and I did feel alone for quite some time when we first received his diagnosis. After doing some research we discovered The Reach Center, where the director, Krissy Crites immediately became family. Krissy started helping us get information for therapy, she attended all his “IEP” meetings, and immediately accepted Aiden into the Reach Program. Krissy and the Reach Center was there for us every step of the way. Krissy inspired me to join the Reach Center board, and to become open about our journey.?

I would like to encourage people who may not be aware about the signs of Autism to reach out and ask questions. Autism has such a broad range from being low to high functioning. Not one person will have the same diagnosis. I also want people to know that it is okay to ask questions. I am very open about our daily lives and our routines with Aiden, and one thing I have learned over the years is that SUPPORT IS KEY.

I am here for anyone who needs help finding information, or for advice on how to help show support or care to a loved one with ANY disability-not just autism. I have also created a support group on Facebook called “Aiden’s Musical Journey” to allow people to share their stories within a safe community. I have found this page to be very helpful along with The Reach Center.

Remember that you are never alone, and it is beyond okay to have a rollercoaster of emotions; we are all human. I am so thankful to have Aiden in my life, he teaches me things daily, and his smile just lights up the room. He is very loving and the sweetest little boy you will ever meet. I am hopeful that with me sharing our journey; it opens the door for communication and questions about autism!