real talk Autism

We find ourselves meeting parents and/or grandparents who are starting on the journey of Autism. In those moments, we feel compelled to share our experiences and knowledge to reduce their anxiety and give them hope. We never have enough time to share all they need to know. Parents that we meet question who should be helping them with the valuable information they need. So many are concerned and do not know how to begin to advocate for their child. We understand that raising an Autistic child can be overwhelming. Real Talk Autism is an online resource that can provide hope and confidence for parents with Autistic children. This is our opportunity to provide real tools to navigate Autism, real time information, and share our story.

REAL TALK NAVIGATING AUTISM

Parents with any concerns about the development of their child should seek a professional for testing and proper diagnosis.
Learn about evidence-based therapies used to treat Autism.
Children with special needs are eligible for a free appropriate public education and related services throughout the nation.
State funded benefits for families and individuals with disabilities. Read more.
Day Hab programs are an option for children who age out of their local school district. Learn more about Day Hab programs.
Parents must make a decision regarding becoming the legal guardian of their adult disabled child.
University of Washington Haring Center/EEU on early intervention. Learn more about their successful program.
Applied Behavioral Analysis focuses on how behavior works and how it affects learning. Read more.
Learn more about special needs Wills and Trusts.

rEAL TIME INFORMATION

state resources
U.S. State Disability Agencies and Services Directory
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Texas State Special Olympics 2024-San Antonio, Texas William, Warren, David McCary (Uncle/Assistant City Manager-San Antonio), Don Read more about the North America Special Olympics. Connect with a program near you.
Research Updates
Stay informed on the latest research and treatment options for Autism.
AUTISM AND POLITICS
National news.

REAL TALK ABOUT US

Warren's Story-In the Beginning
Warren was born in Seattle, Washington, June 24, 1992. Warren was born with perfect "APGAR" scores for a newborn baby. He progressed like his brother until he was 10 months old. Shortly afterward, his progress began to stall and even reverse. By age 13 months he was not making appropriate connections with his environment, began stemming with his hands, walked on his tiptoes, arms were always in an upward position, and had limited communication and eye contact. At 18 months, we had Warren evaluated by a speech therapist. She shared that Warren had “global issues and that a team of professionals should evaluate him.” She recommended Boyer Children’s Clinic. Boyer Children’s Clinic is an organization with over 70 years of success helping children with neuromuscular disorders and developmental delays. Their team of professionals diagnosed Warren as “Developmentally Delayed.” Warren was immediately enrolled in their early intervention program. Warren began receiving therapeutic services three days per week. At this time, Warren walked with his hands clasped and arms bent upward at the elbow, walked on his toes, and had to have an adult hold on to him due to elopement concerns. He also received speech and occupational therapy at Boyer Children’s Clinic. Warren also had private therapy with a sensory integration therapist two days per week. While attending Boyer I met other mothers whose children were receiving services. They encouraged me to consult with Dr. Steven Glass, a Pediatric Neurologist, and a highly sought-after regional specialist. He diagnosed Warren with PDD/NOS–Autism at the age of three. He gave me his professional and heartfelt advice, “You will need to be his advocate!" We were fortunate to have Warren accepted into the Experimental Educational Unit (EEU) at the University of Washington. The EEU has provided for over 50 years of inclusive education to children with (various disabilities) and without disabilities (typically developing children). The program promotes the development of children’s cognitive, motor, communication, and social interaction skills with educational and therapeutic interventions designed for each child. The program is structured to provide each student with the foundation for successful learning (in an inclusive environment) in elementary school and beyond. Warren was in the first class of the DATA Project (Developmentally Appropriate Treatment for Autism) which was started at the EEU by Dr. Ilene Swartz. This program is for children on the Autism spectrum who were students enrolled in the EEU. Their day was extended to focus on blended strategies such as ABA, Early Childhood Special Education, discrete skills, and skill sets to promote independence in the classroom environment. The DATA Project has over 20 years of success working with children diagnosed with Autism. One of the most memorable breakthroughs with Warren came through music. One day Warren was trying to communicate something, but it was difficult to understand. I struggled to understand his words, but it became clear that he was singing/reciting the words to a song. He kept saying, hap…al…ay! I began singing the chorus of a song and he started smiling and his eyes lit up. Then I started on the last phrase in the song…And now, I am happy all the day! He looked at me with such joy! The song was a hymn we sing often in the church titled “At The Cross.” This moment taught me even more about the power of music. I was convinced he could and would do much more. I began singing to him and using it as a communication tool.
University of Washington College of Education featured an article on our family.

Our Family

The McCary's-Pilar, Don, Warren, and William III
We are the McCary family. My husband and I met and married 41 years ago at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. After Don graduated from college, we moved to Wichita, Kansas, to work for Boeing, where our oldest son William was born. We transferred to Seattle, Washington for Don's job when William was 13 months. Warren was born 2 years later. We lived in Seattle for 9 years then moved to Carrollton, Texas (suburb of Dallas). Currently, Don is a Senior Project Manager working in the banking industry. We have been living in Texas for 24 years with our two sons. But we are still Oklahomans at heart! I worked for the local school district for 12 years. I started as a Special Education Aide and ended my career as a Recovery Credit Lab Teacher of Record. I resigned from my position when Warren graduated from high school. Our older son William graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was a walk-on the football team. He is a Buckeye! He earned a Master’s degree in Mechanical and Energy Engineering from the University of North Texas. He is currently a Sr. Energy Engineer for an energy consulting firm. Warren is a member of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Male Chorus along with his dad and brother. Warren has a wide range, but he sings in the baritone/bass section with his dad. Warren is an active member of the local (Carrollton Cyclones) Special Olympics team. He participates in bowling, bocce ball, basketball, swimming, and track and field. He participates in area and state events. Warren has been a participant in the State of Texas Special Olympics Summer games in San Antonio, Texas. His events are softball throw and the 100m dash. He has won medals in each event! Warren has participated in 3 different day habilitation programs for adults with disabilities since graduating from high school. We are currently taking care of Warren in our home, meeting his needs daily and teaching him new skills. Warren has developed new skills and increased cognitive awareness through therapies provided by state funding. Warren has been receiving therapy services for over 15 years through CLASS (Medicaid waiver program). He has Music therapy for one hour during the week on ZOOM. He has instruments that he selects to play while singing with his therapist. His therapist has been successful using various techniques to increase his attention span and verbal communication. He also has Recreational therapy for one hour two days a week. Warren enjoys activities from walking around the neighborhood to bowling at Main Event, and grocery shopping for dinner on Taco Tuesdays (he loves tacos). He also loves baking peanut butter cookies at home. Warren gets additional exercise from swimming and other water activities with his Aquatic therapist. Warren meets his therapist at a city pool where she helps him with following directions, breath control, and lap swimming. He also receives state funding for respite and having a personal assistant. We are grateful for the state funded services that have had such an impact on his daily life. We are witnessing miracles from year to year!

REAL EXPERIENCES

DAILY LIVING EXPERIENCE
Graduation Day! This was truly a very special day. We knew that Warren would need assistance to participate in the graduation ceremony. His high school special education administrators gave us the option of a classroom aide or one of us standing in as his assistant. We all agreed that he needed that level of support. So, dad decided he would accompany Warren for the entire ceremony. His dad wore a red polo shirt so he would not stand out among the graduating class. Warren and his dad marched into the arena together. Warren was so excited! When he approached the administrator to submit his name card, his dad made the decision to allow Warren to walk across the stage by himself. This was not the original plan. Warren stood patiently until his name was announced. When he heard his name, he walked across the stage to shake the hand of the principal. I was in shock! His dad walked over to the opposite side of the stage to meet Warren as he walked down the steps. He explained later that he wanted Warren to walk across the stage independently. And he did! It was awesome! Warren still re-lives his graduation walk across the stage.
FAMILY EXPERIENCE
Warren absolutely loves horses. He has a diverse collection of various breeds of toy horses. He was so excited to watch family members ride a horse at a cousin’s retreat. He gave us every indication that he wanted to ride the horse like everyone else. We are always supportive of novel experiences that generate independence and normalcy. Riding horses can be an effective therapy for individuals with Autism. Therapeutic horseback riding (THR) can improve self-regulation behaviors, social communication, and sensory stimulation. Riding horses activates the vestibular system which can enhance the ability to focus, improved speech and cognitive learning.
SIBLING EXPERIENCE
Autistic individuals often stare into space or at an object, or people. Staring and lack of eye contact are behaviors associated with Autism. Warren lacked eye contact and stared into space constantly when he was younger. William and Warren took this photo together on Easter Sunday morning. William decided to stare into space to look like his little brother. Sibling relationships are so important for an entire family when one child has a disability.
THERAPY EXPERIENCE
One of the activities Warren enjoys doing in Recreational therapy is working with Legos (3 in 1). Working with Legos is noted for teaching spatial awareness, problem solving, technical skills, creativity, and attention to detail. Warren can read and follow the instructions provided to create the specific design. He needs minimal verbal prompting to complete multiple commands. Warren must read and analyze each step in the design process. He is encouraged to communicate when he needs assistance. Warren’s fine motor skills are strengthened as he manipulates the smaller size Lego pieces. The goal for Warren is to remain on task and task completion. Warren displays pride and a sense of accomplishment finishing this Lego project with his therapist.

THE LOGO

Autism is recognized worldwide by the symbol or icon of a puzzle piece. National and international organizations whose focus is Autism related use the puzzle piece to represent the complexities and individualism of the condition. Organizations such as Autism Speaks and Autism.org use puzzle pieces to represent the factors implicated in Autism. As a family, we agree that the puzzle piece (s) is an accurate icon for the issues associated with Autism. However, our experience involves more than just putting puzzle pieces together. As we reflect on our journey, we feel there are steps or links between each puzzle piece that must be addressed before the puzzle pieces can be linked. Hence the creation of a LOGO that is more representative of our journey.

CONTACT

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