STEPHEN

If you don’t know my brother Stephen, at first glance you might think he is a little crazy. If you try to talk to him, you most likely will not get a response. When he is left alone he can be found jumping up and down, making noises, and flapping his arms. Well, he is not crazy, he is Autistic.

All About Stephen

Loves:
- Music (listen and sing)
- Movies especially Action
- Books
- Food
- Swinging
- Spongebob
- Long road trips
- Beach
Dislikes:
- Brocolli
- Dressing up like a Girl (lol)
- Being forced to do something
- Getting in Trouble
- Seeing someone sad
Strenghts:
- Great Memory
- Forgiving
- Good Singer
- Very Obedient
Weaknesses:
- Sweets
- Too loud sometimes
- Scared of making a mistake

Stephen came into our family when he was 9 years old, in July of 2002. It was scary for our family because we did not know anything about Autism and we did not know what we were in for. We quickly learned what a special spirit Stephen had and has been a blessing to our family ever since.

I have been watching my brother Stephen for the past five years now. It has been so much fun to work with him and to get to know his unique personality. When he first came to live with my family he was very dependent on us. He needed someone to bathe him, dress him, fix all his meals, and clean up after him. He also did not know how to read or write. The hardest part was that he could not communicate with us at all. If we said anything to him, he would either say nothing at all or he would just repeat what we said like a parrot. Stephen has come a long ways in the last five years. It has been so rewarding to work with Stephen on goals and to see him pass those goals off. Since he came to live with us he has learned to read and write. He can now take a shower by himself and pick out his own clothes and dress himself. He can make his own cereal in the morning and make simple meals for himself like sandwiches. His chore after school is to put the dishes away and he does pretty good. I am also teaching him to do his own laundry. He can communicate a lot better now by making choices that are given to him, or answering yes or no questions. After working with him all this time I have a greater understanding of Stephen and Autism. I also realize that Stephen has a very unique personality with likes and dislikes like everyone else. I believe that Stephen and probably most people with Autism understand almost everything people are saying to them, they just do not know how to communicate back.