Julie Stephens's Page

Your Name

Julie Stephens

Where Do You Live

Greenwood SC

How Did You Hear About This Site?

Through the Greenwood High School Alumni website

Relationship Status

It's Complicated

About Me:

I am a SAHM to one child. Age 16. .
I love scrapbooking, Photography, making my own greeting cards,
I do homeschool Blake. I can my own veggies,jellies,jams, fruits & sme meats.

About Your Autistic Family Member:

My Autistic child is 16. His name is Blake.
Blake has several issues going on. he is very prone to have a "meltdown" at anytime of the day. He has problems with his sensory motor skills. he has CAPD..>Central Auditory Processing deficit. He is ADHD the variant form
Blake has a rare Blodd Clotting disorder.His liver does NOT make natural Heparine. Blake also has a Primary Immune Deficiency called SCID..>Severe Combined Immunodeficiency with Complete T-Cell Dysfunction He is NOT allowed to be in public. We have to give him his antibodies manually. It is done at home through Sub-Q twice daily.
Blake's strength is in reading, History & geography. If you can read it or it is on a map, chances are he has the book or the map!!! What is not on a map, he will draw & what is not in a book, he will try to make it be there!!!!
Blaek is obcessed with paper, maps, books of all kinds...right now he has his own library & it is building. He once had a teacher tell him that if the library did not have it, then you could find it in his b'room!!! he has the same books as the library!!!! No Joking. His reading level is 4th yr. college. Math............a whole different ball game!!! He cannot even look at a math problem (unless it is in complete word form) & correctly answer it!!! he is unable to make simple change nor can ne do any thing that makes him think "backwards". Blaek is very high maintenance.....he has to have 24/7 watch over him. he is independant with toiletry & dressing, but forget anything else....I clean my home at least 3-4 times a day just so people can visit me!!! He does have a PCA..but forget it if she doesn't feel like it. Some days I wish she did not even come!!!!

Favorite Thing To Do With Your Autistic Family Member:

Read, watch family movies, walk outside, go to teh park.

Thing You Hate Most About Autism:

NOT KNOWING......
what will come next,
when your child will have a sudden outburst
The behavior that is "normal for them" but enbarrassing for you....
I can't understand, why no one else can understand....the friends leave or they just "call" because they are afraid.
Not having anything that he can specialize in with out everyone staring!!
The Stares...he is human & I love him for who he is & who he represents GOD!!!
The murmurs... they say ignorance is bliss....I want to be ignorant to teh comments & stares & snares...I hate when folks whisper as if HE can't hear!!!!

Website:

http://www3.caringbridge.org/sc/blakester