Loudoun autism group lends support
By Elizabeth Coe
Two years ago, when Shelly Mills learned her son Nicholas had autism, she wasn't sure where to turn.
“I had no idea where to go to get information,” she said. “It's a scary thing when you have a child that is first diagnosed.”
To help prevent other families from facing the same dilemma, Mills and three other mothers of children with autism in Ashburn came together to form what is now the Loudoun County Autism Network .
“We try to find ways to support the parents who are struggling and don't know how to work with the school system or options for therapies,” Mills said. “It's just to support each other in any way we can.”
The group hosts monthly meetings and invites anyone, especially parents, to come talk about their experiences with autism, give advice and find out information that could help them deal with the disorder.
Autism is a growing problem nationally, and there aren't many local resources, said Aundrea Foster, one of the founders of the group, whose 6-year-old son has autism.
“We realized we have so much information between us, we're just hoping to make the process a little easier,” she said.
Ashley Routh, the mother of a 4-year-old with autism, also helped form the group.
"It's going to allow us to educate these parents on how to navigate the Loudoun County system," she said.
Jodi Folta, whose son Jack was diagnosed a year ago, when he was about 3-1/2 years old, said autism affects about one in 150 children -- one in 94 boys -- in this country. No one knows for sure what causes the disorder, but it is most likely triggered by a mix of a genetic predisposition and environmental factors.
Mills first discovered the signs when Nicholas was about 2 1/2.
I knew something was wrong,” she said. “He lost his language, he started grinding his teeth ... it was just clear that something had happened.”
Mills and Folta both said when they first pointed out these facts to their pediatricians, they assured them it was just normal “boy behavior” and nothing to worry about.
“[Doctors] don't want to jump to conclusions, but early intervention is the key,” Mills said.
All the women said they are hoping their experiences and all they have learned will help other parents whose children have been diagnosed recently.
Foster said she wants to help make the adjustments easier for others than they were for her.
“I was completely lost, and I was not sure where to go to find answers to my questions,” Foster said. “We want to teach these parents so they know they do have somewhere to go.”
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com