Oct 2003: “Look at that cord.” Younger barrels into this world straight into the NICU. We don’t know if his precipitous delivery inflicted long-lasting damage.
2003-2006: Identified as a sibling of an autistic child. Becomes a study subject. Is in and out of early intervention because he unqualified himself only to qualify again two months later.
Oct 2006: conditional autism diagnosis to continue services through the intermediate unit.
2007: Daycare teacher takes time off work to essentially shame the powers that be to increase meager services—and succeeds in helping the familial unit get a team together. Younger thrives.
2009: K-12; into the breach
Time passes. All kinds of stuff happens, good, bad, ugly, indifferent. The ongoing study reveals a spiky cognitive profile. His processing speed gets in the way of peer interaction. Nevertheless, he persists.
2014: Attends his first IEP meeting as a team member. Calls out another member for not recognizing his membership.
2019: Runs his first IEP meeting as team leader. Calls out another team member for questionable behavior.
2020-21: COVD reveals an academic rock star. Up until this point, sitting in a desk yielded him average grades; distance learning allowed him to wander through the house with his laptop, and further unburdened by sensory overload that comes with peopling, discovers he can not only learn, he can excel. Makes honor roll for the first time. (And is one of like 5 people who came out of COVD better off)
2022: Walks with his class. Begins college and Vo-tech for his super senior years.
2024: Earns his associates and collects his diploma. And is bound for Temple.
