Scarlett's Village | AutismOklahoma Walk

I thought I would take this time to introduce myself and husband and give you a little insight as to why autism is very near and dear to our hearts. We are a blended family with 10 children and 2 of those children have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, one high functioning and the youngest is level 2 nonverbal. My youngest son was diagnosed on the spectrum in middle school and it was a learning experience for me to find the resources to make sure he was successful in life. I can proudly say that he is a very successful 23-year-old running an IT department for a major company! In the last 4 years we have adopted a little one who was diagnosed Level 2 Non-Verbal. Yes, I was educated on autism but it was a different situation than it was with my son. She needs more services and once again I found our family needed more education on how to navigate this different type of journey. There are very few resources to help our children acclimate to society's standards and it's a battle that us as parents face daily. How do you take a child out to eat dinner when the noise and all the surroundings overstimulate them to the point that they are having a meltdown and you have to turn around and go home because you feel like you are interrupting other patron's dinners. The looks given, the whispers you get, the "they need their butts spanked!" or "they need a time-out", but little do these people know that those things usually escalate the situation. What our child is looking for is a quiet calm environment and an environment that is familiar to them and that isn't it, but excursions like going out to dinner or to the grocery store, are essential for us to help teach our child coping mechanisms that she is going to need for the rest of her life to deal with societies norms. Please be patient with us as we help our children learn to adapt as we navigate this journey because it is stressful for all involved, or offer assistance instead of pointing fingers, we will be happy to help you understand all the different aspects related to autism, such as the sensory issues, the stimming, all the therapies we do on a weekly basis. We just want to educate as many people as we can about this neurological condition that so many people have, it's more prevalent than most people think. We enjoy meeting new people and raise awareness about all these amazing children and adults that have the most beautiful hearts and unique and wonderful view of the world!" Leroy and Emily Ezell