simplysilas

I'm a mother of 2 beautiful children, one of which is diagnosed Level 1 ASD, ADHD combined type, and ODD.
As a child, I struggled with understanding people and their intentions, and always believed that because I was supposed to listen to or respect a certain person, I had to, which got me into a lot of shady situations. As I grew older, I realized that making friends was hard for me, as I was always picked on for being weird, and I floated between typical cliques. I could fit in with anybody, yet still stick out as the sore thumb. They'd always get tired of me for some reason or another.
At the age of 28, after being diagnosed with Bipolar type 2, OCD, C-PTSD, ADHD, Clinical Depression, and Severe Anxiety, I started to fill out questionnaires and assessments for Silas to get evaluated for Autism, and I realized that a lot of the questions applied to me as well. I've since learned I'm Autistic with ADHD and C-PTSD, which tends to come with the territory of being undiagnosed your entire childhood.
The evaluation process with Silas started after he got physically violent with his teacher I'm Pre-K, after she tried to make him lay down for nap. We got him evaluated, but the doctor said despite the plethora of Autism and ADHD markers he had, the amount of trauma he's been through might be exacerbating the symptoms. She told us to do 1 year of trauma therapy, and it took 10 months to find a therapist who took his insurance and would see him in-office.
When we started going to her, he wouldn't talk at first because of how shy he is. It takes him a long time to warm up to people enough to even look at them, much less talk. She's very kind and extremely patient with Silas, and he has finally started opening up after almost a year.
We went back to the Autism Center for re-evaluation as planned, and that's when he got diagnosed officially. It was such a relief because I knew he would get what he needed - and IEP and resources for so many things, as well as accomodations in places other than school. He gets to be himself and not get in trouble for it like before.
The process of getting the therapist and then getting the diagnosis was treacherous. That wasn't even the hardest part, though. The worst part was how many times Silas had to get assessed and questioned and intentionally irritated in order to let the doctors and therapists see what's going on and do what he needs. He has struggled so much for so long in social, behavioral, emotional, and medical areas of his life, and he deserves a break. He deserves for people to understand him and how his brain works.
It makes me uneasy to know how it felt as a child and young adult to not have help when I knew deep in my soul that I was different, and that I was highly intelligent eothout the ability to understand that not everybody is also that intelligent, and it hurts me deeply to think there's lids going through that right now. If they could have the support I needed, that Silas is beginning to recieve, they'd have a much less traumatic life, as well as a more prosperous life.
Our plan is to help give autistic kids just that - the support and resources they need to have a more fulfilling life. Whether we help a child and their parents to obtain better resources for help to find suitable therapies, receive a service dog trained to the child's specific needs, or just donate to legitimate charities, helping is the goal.

Hi. I have high functioning autism. What this means to me is that I am aware of my condition and can still function in life, albeit awkwardly.

It took me decades to realize something was off. I come from a large family that fissioned early so it was something I had to figure out myself. And it was only after a couple of very hard falls that I realized: The world owed me nothing, and society was not going to change for me. If I wanted to be a part of society, I was the one who had to change.

It took me decades to inventory my toolbox and compile a set of tools to help me perform better. My desire is to share that knowledge with you and your family.

When I was young, I was most likely the most awkward child in public school that was not considered disabled.

How can I be disabled when I knew my multiplication tables at age five?

The answer to that question came when I learned about Gardner’s theory on multiple levels of intelligence. He broke it down into eight categories. Two of which are interpersonal and intrapersonal. These are not measured by tests. These are measured by life.

And life was hard as a kid. I could perform in class, but outside I was a mess. Things made sense. Other people did not.

I couldn’t understand why everyone else didn’t think like me, or see exactly what I saw. It took me a while to understand perception and individuality. I came to learn that each person was an accumulation of their experiences, and if I had the same experiences I might think the same.

I have been obsessed with strengthening my weaknesses, and although I am still quite autistic, and I am still an introvert, I can perform at levels that, when compared to who I was as a child, are quite remarkable.

My resume includes years of experience working as executive tech support for the largest conglomerate in the world (at the time) and a performance at Carnegie Hall.

I want to share this knowledge. By using this store, you are helping me to create tools you can use in your own life.

Someone from Simply Silas