Dear Family and Friends,
The Iowa Walk Now for Autism Speaks 2012 is only two months away! Team Brycen 2011 did a fabulous job of fundraising and was one of the largest teams walking last year. We hope to be able to do the same for Team Brycen 2012. We currently have over 20 family members/friends signed up to walk on Saturday, June 9 in support of Brycen and others across Iowa that are battling an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Autism Speaks has walks across the country throughout the year and dedicates funding to provide research to find causes, prevention, treatments, and a cure for Autism. They also use funds to advocate for awareness of Autism and educate families and providers through various tools available on their website. Donations go directly to Autism Speaks and none of it is given to Brycen or our family, but we know that any and all research that is funded now can give us answers in the future or prevent another family member/friend from being diagnosed.
It has been almost 3 years since we first heard the words “Autism Spectrum Disorder” and “Brycen” in the same sentence. We’ve had our ups and our downs, though we’re happy to share that the ups seem to be conquering lately! Since last year’s letter went out, we were moved again for Mike’s job very unexpectedly though it has come to be one of the best moves yet when it comes to Brycen’s services.
Brycen currently attends kindergarten. He is in a mainstream classroom for part of the day with the assistance of a 1:1 associate. Other parts of his day are spent in the special education room where he receives more specific help with the kindergarten materials and with the school therapists. In addition to school, Brycen has been receiving Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy at a clinic multiple days per week. He also continues to receive respite and SCL services to give us a break from his ongoing needs and to work on community, safety, & socialization goals. Brycen has the most phenomenal team surrounding him including his teachers, associates, therapists, case manager, and many more. He is one lucky kiddo & everybody seems to just fall in love with his contagious giggle & adorable smile!
Over the last year, Brycen has accomplished far more than we ever anticipated! I’m not even sure where to start because it really has been a huge year as far as his development is concerned. He received his new Alt-Chat Communication device last spring and it has helped him to have more control over being able to communicate with us, make choices, and he has even started using it to make some general comments. Brycen is still non-verbal, but he has begun to imitate more sounds & words that we and his immediate staff are able to understand. He learned how to pedal his bike with training wheels last fall. He began writing his name and he has even learned how to spell and “read” many words! He was given a Weighted Compression Vest that helps keep constant pressure on his torso to encourage staying calm and decreasing his self-stimming behaviors. Brycen also overcame his fear of riding the bus and now loves to ride the bus home from school twice a week. The best news we have to share is very recent! Brycen has begun potty training in the last week! The special education teacher & associates have worked hard at school on getting him into a routine and gave us some great tips to try at home. He has exceeded our expectations in the past week and even had an entire 24 hours with no accidents!
As you can see, Brycen has come a long way since being diagnosed, and more so in the last year! One of the reasons he has come this far is because research that has been funded by Autism Speaks has given us the tools & statistics to determine how best to treat his symptoms. Autism Speaks has advocated for medical & other funding for those with Autism therefore giving us the opportunity to provide Brycen with the therapy he receives right now otherwise the cost of an hour of Speech, OT or PT can be around $100 by itself! Included in this envelope is a donation form for Team Brycen 2012. Every dollar counts toward funding research for a disorder that continues to grow faster than research can keep up with right now! Please help not only our son, but all of the children of the future so that someday when a family hears “Autism”, they will also hear the word “Cure” in the same sentence! Donations with a check can be either sent directly to the address on the form at the Autism Speaks office in California or they can be mailed back to us. If you are interested in making a donation online, please contact me for the link to the Team Brycen 2012 fundraising page.
Thank you in advance for your ongoing support of Brycen and many others across Iowa!
Mike, Melissa, Brycen, and Aubree Timmer
