If there’s one thing Kim Saucier wants people to know about her son it’s that in a lot of ways, he’s a typical 5-year-old.
“He’s a happy child, very loving and always has a smile on his face,” said Saucier, a Summit resident. “And he thinks there is nothing in this world like his daddy (Stacey Saucier). He adores his daddy.”
But in many ways, Taylor is not a typical little boy. Taylor has autism — a neurological disorder that causes problems with socialization and communication.
April is Autism Awareness Month, and Saucier said she and other members of the Parenting Awesome Kids (PAK) support group aim to educate others about the disorder.
One of PAK’s members is Billie Nance of McComb, whose 6-year-old grandson, Phillip, has Asperger’s Syndrome, a milder form of the disorder.
For Taylor and Phillip, routine tasks can be challenging. Children with autism don’t process information properly. They don’t have a concept of danger or fear. Sleep disturbances are common, and autistic children get over-stimulated easily.
Some are moderately autistic, like Taylor; others are mildly affected, like Phillip. Still, others are severely autistic and have a difficult time functioning at all.
“I think a lot of people have a stereotype of autism, and it’s not true,” Saucier said. “These kids are so different — you may have a room full of autistic kids, and every one of them may have different characteristics.”
One thing all autistic children have in common is that they learn differently than other children.
“I think there’s this misconception, and people think these children don’t want to be ‘normal’ children,” Nance said. “They want to be a part of things. They just don’t know how.”
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At 5, Taylor is just starting to say a few words.
“He just started in the past few months attempting to communicate,” Saucier said. “He does say a handful of words now.”
Both boys’ days are marked by speech, occupational, physical and behavioral therapies — along with schooling.
“Taylor has a hard time focusing,” Saucier said. “He is in public school right now, but he is in special education class and has a one-on-one shadow.”
Phillip is taught at home using the Montessori method, which helps him learn at his own pace.
Nance said her grandson has a great group of peers, and he’s a member of the Boy Scouts.
“He’s had friends that didn’t distance themselves. They truly accept him for who he is. He’s got really good friends,” Nance said.
Even so, there is a nagging fear of most guardians of children with developmental disorders.
“All of us as parents with children with this disorder, we all have a fear of who will take care of our kids if something happens to us — because they do require so much care,” Saucier said.
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Taylor and Phillip are not alone. The Autism Society of America estimates the disorder affects one in 150 children, and the numbers keep growing.
A diagnosis doesn’t come easy — Taylor’s took two years. It was only through Saucier’s research and persistence that Taylor was identified as autistic.
“It takes forever. It helped because I am a nurse; I had some medical background,” Saucier said. “Taylor started to have some problems at around 1 year old. Developmentally, he was starting to fall further and further behind.”
Saucier believes an overload of vaccines had a hand in Taylor’s autism, but she’s quick to point out that she doesn’t oppose vaccinations.
The link between autism and vaccines is the subject of worldwide debate and hasn’t been proven. But the mother said she has all the proof she needs.
Taylor was progressing normally until he was 12 months old and received his Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccination. He developed a rash and fever afterward — a typical reaction — but within days stopped babbling and making eye contact.
“I do not believe that vaccines cause autism. I believe that certain children have a genetic predisposition, and I think vaccines are a trigger because there are too many coincidences that show otherwise,” Saucier said. “I’m not against vaccinating, I just think they need to make them safer. Don’t give them so many at one time; spread the schedule out.”
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Nance and Saucier have a specific goal for Autism Awareness Month — and after.
“Obviously there’s a ton (of children) out there undiagnosed, and there are a lot of children thought to be bad children. There’s a lot of people not getting reached,” Nance said. “Our goal is not just to help our children. We would like to help a community of children.”
Assisting those children starts with education.
“One of the best pieces of advice I can give parents is to educate themselves on what’s out there and what programs are offered,” Saucier said. “Read every piece of literature you can get your hands on.”
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PAK meets the third Thursday of every month at J.J. White Memorial Presbyterian Church in McComb. For more information, call 657-5957 or 341-1176.tact.
“I do not believe that vaccines cause autism. I believe that certain children have a genetic predisposition, and I think vaccines are a trigger because there are too many coincidences that show otherwise,” Saucier said. “I’m not against vaccinating, I just think they need to make them safer. Don’t give them so many at one time; spread the schedule out.”
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Nance and Saucier have a specific goal for Austim Awareness Month — and after.
“Obviously there’s a ton (of children) out there undiagnosed, and there are a lot of children thought to be bad children. There’s a lot of people not getting reached,” Nance said. “Our goal is not just to help our children. We would like to help a community of children.”
Assisting those children starts with education.
“One of the best pieces of advice I can give parents is to educate themselves on what’s out there and what programs are offered,” Saucier said. “Read every piece of literature you can get your hands on.”
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PAK meets the third Thursday of every month at J.J. White Memorial Presbyterian Church in McComb. For more information, call 657-5957 or 341-1176.
