Country Zest & Style Fall 2022 Edition

RIVER

By Tiffany Dillon Keen

Editorial note: Country ZEST photographer Tiffany is the mother of six-year-old River, her sweet son who has been diagnosed with autism. She said his special needs were obvious to her by the age of two months when “he didn’t look at me directly.” She deals with him with love and kindness and sent this story along for others who might need more information.

According to Child Find: Under federal law, public schools must look for, find, and evaluate kids who need special education. Child Find covers children from birth through age 21.

I’d like to raise awareness for fellow parents who are noticing early signs of autism but have no clue where to begin helping their child navigate this journey.

Parents go through many emotions after the diagnosis, especially denial at first, but securing early intervention is extremely important. My advice would be for parents to consult their pediatrician; our wonderful doctor, Jennifer Barron, immediately connected us with Child Find in Warren County.

River with Patrick Faga on the porch of the Upper Crust.

Photo by Dillionkeenphotography

River was evaluated and found eligible to receive services through the Warren County School System. He attended preschool with the county for free at the age of two and received speech therapy and occupational therapy, both of which we were unable to afford on our own. We also use a program called Project Lifesaver with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. This wearable tracking device provides River with an ankle bracelet in case he were to wander away—especially since he is non-verbal.

With time, patience, and an open heart we came to realize that autism can also be a blessing. River thinks outside of the box and surprises us daily with his intellect.

Recently, we got River involved with A Place to Be in Middleburg, because he’s very musical. He loves his teacher, Brandi Hanson, and enjoys playing the drums. I’ve learned how critical it is to allow your child to show you what interests them. This year we adopted three elderly rabbits which turned out to be the perfect autistic sensory pets, since they do not make noise, move slowly and are very soft to the touch.

River is thriving with the help of family friends and especially teachers who have helped us along the way.

TECH CAN HELP

Patrick Faga of Middleburg was at a makeshift desk on the porch of Common Grounds recently. After a chat we heard about his venture to create an educational app to help learning challenged children with constructive video games. This is a technology company that uses smart devices to drive the building of hard skills which are pivotal to early development in an entirely new way. “Our core technology drives learning by enabling users to ‘work’ for screen time by completing learning tasks they’re familiar with,” Faga said, referring to flashcard matching or listener-responding. “This process turns screen time, which is usually neutral, into something that is incredibly positive because it’s paired with the learning that is crucial for development.” Details: https://firstworkapp.com

by Connie Carter