Zack Miller, left, is awarded a certificate of honor from Riverside Fire Authority Assistant Chief Rick Mack on Friday morning at a Lewis County Autism Coalition Event at Centralia College. Early in the morning on Feb. 22, Miller alerted his family to a fire inside their home. Everyone was able to get out of the house safely. Mack described it as an act of heroism.
Tanner Calder, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18, talks about his experiences after graduating from Napavine High School and getting married while speaking on a panel at a Lewis County Autism Coalition Event on Friday morning at Centralia College.
Bill Weismann, facilitator for Lewis County Autism Coalition, talks about the history of the group prior to a panel discussion at an event on Friday morning at Centralia College.
For many parents, an autism diagnosis for a child can be an overwhelming and isolating experience. However, it can also open a world of possibilities in the form of socialization programs, treatment options and support groups, parents said at a Lewis County Autism Coalition Event Friday morning at Centralia College.
“Early intervention is key,” said Victoria Romero, coordinator of the coalition’s Link program and mother of an autistic child.
To recognize April as Autism Awareness Month, the Lewis County Autism Coalition brought together families of children and adults with autism, coalition members and advocates in the community to discuss the services available for children and adults on the autism spectrum and what services are still needed.
The coalition also took a moment to recognize an autistic adult in Lewis County for his bravery when his family’s home caught fire.
“I wanted to recognize an individual for an act of heroism, frankly,” said Assistant Chief Rick Mack of the Riverside Fire Authority.
Mack presented Zack Miller with a certificate in honor of his actions on Feb. 22.
Early that morning, Miller’s family’s home in the 500 block of South King Street caught fire. Miller was sleeping in a bedroom close to where the fire started.
“Something awakened Zack and he launched into action,” Mack said.
Miller first tried to put the fire out, but it had already spread.
“But he didn’t panic and he didn’t stop,” Mack said.
Miller woke his family, all of whom evacuated the home with no injuries.
Based on autism prevalence rates in the United States, the autism coalition estimates that as many as 267 children and 1,104 total Lewis County residents are on the autism spectrum, whether or not they’ve received an official diagnosis.
Part of the coalition’s work, said Bill Weismann, of the Autism Coalition, is to help identify children on the spectrum and coordinate services for their families.
“We’ve made significant progress in the last seven years,” he said.
The coalition offers programs including: The Link, a partnership with Centralia College that connects parents with professionals and resources; social skills training; a parent support group; the Summer Spectrum Program, a 10-week program to strengthen autistic children’s social skills; Summer Spectrum Day Camp; and SMART, or the School Medical Autism Review Team.
Romero said she first received information about the SMART program from Lewis County’s In-Tot Developmental Center, and was referred to a specialist from Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, who evaluated and diagnosed her son at Northwest Pediatric Center in Centralia. Her son was diagnosed at just 2 years old.
“I was able to start learning about autism right away,” she said.
While early-intervention has been proven to help children with autism, not all people on the spectrum are diagnosed as children.
Tanner Calder spoke Friday about being diagnosed with autism at 18.
“I didn’t get as much of the opportunities that their children had,” he said of the morning’s other speakers.
Because the spectrum is so broad, Calder said it is sometimes difficult to explain his difficulties to people who aren’t familiar with autism. Calder is married and works, but also becomes easily overwhelmed, he said.
“It’s a situation where it’s hard to put into words,” he said.
Through the autism coalition, Calder said he has come a long way since his diagnosis.
“Autism isn’t a disability,” he said. “If you give people the opportunity, they can grow.”
The coalition also has an annual conference on autism. This year’s conference is scheduled for Oct. 27 at Centralia College.
Megan Berry, who has a daughter on the autism spectrum, went to the conference for the first time last year.
“It was very uplifting,” she said. “There’s so many resources in our community.”
Berry said she struggled to find support for herself and her daughter immediately after her diagnosis.
“At that time, I just felt so alone,” she said. “Lewis County has come a really long way.”
While the Autism Coalition offers many services for children and adults, parents said there are still services needed in the community.
Berry suggested programs to educate children and teachers about autism and how to approach children on the spectrum.
Parent of two autistic boys Rachael Riffey said she appreciated the services available through the Autism Coalition for each of her boys, but said the area still lacks enough programs for teens.
Overall, speakers on Friday stressed that an autism diagnosis does not have to be negative, and that parents and their children aren’t alone.
“I love my boys. They’re the joy of my life,” Riffey said. “They have opened my world.”
