Jeanne’s Story – Autism Awareness Month

Jeanne is a twin. According to her mother, Jennifer, the two children couldn’t be more different. Jeanne’s parents knew things wouldn’t be the same, ever since she was diagnosed with autism at a young age.

Jeanne took a moment to describe how autism makes her feel different from others, so people who aren’t on the spectrum can understand.

“Having autism is really hard. When you’re frustrated it’s hard to calm down. It’s hard to socialize and do simple things like zip up your coat. It’s hard to have friends—I see other kids playing. Life doesn’t feel the same for me as it does for other people. But when I grow up, I want to have kids with autism, like me,” Jeanne explained.

“Autism has been a roller coaster,” Jennifer says, “ There have been a lot of ups and down, fighting and searching for services for Jeanne—no two days have ever been the same.”

Now, Jeanne and her family have found a place to receive the services the family needs at AccessCNY. Jennifer will be the first to say how happy their family is with their Community Habilitation services their staff, Kennedy and Heather, “Kennedy helps me and brings me out into the community,” Jeanne says. “We go to the mall, we swim and run, and we go to the library. Kennedy also helps me stay structured and organized and work on chores.”

“At AccessCNY, you can tell they train Community Habilitation staff. They are knowledgeable. They have a plan for the day’s activities and they are good at what they do,” Jennifer explained. She goes on to say that AccessCNY staff members were there for the family when Jeanne’s struggles were at their worst. “When we were at our lowest points Heather helped us so much. She helped us get an alarm system and other things in our home to keep Jeanne safe. She went out of her way to help our family—even helped us stay close to Jeanne when she was transferred to another hospital.”

“When people ask me where I should go for autism services, I always say AccessCNY.”