My sister is, and has been, an incredible inspiration to me, and I believe her story is a powerful one. At the age of 2, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although my parents were told that she would not be able to verbally express her own thoughts and opinions, and possibly not say much at all in her life, my parents brought her to a speech-language pathologist when she began to speak because they truly believed that she could learn more than what others had predicted or assumed. My parents believed that she had greater potential, so we as a family believed that we had to do everything we could to help her reach her potential in life.
Not only did my sister see a speech-language pathologist, but my parents also insisted on getting her the best support possible while she was in school as well as during the summer. This played a large part in her success. Every summer, a carefully-chosen support person came alongside my sister and my family, and after finding out what she struggled with the most socially and in language arts, we all worked on helping my sister’s language and social development. There was a continual progression in her learning, which gave her structure and consistency and overall success.
Seeing my sister learn and succeed in life has given me a passion and a drive for helping others reach their full potential, no matter what the diagnosis or diagnoses might be. I also recently got the chance to tutor her through Mind Over Learning in our Language Arts Program! From the time we were told she would not be able to express herself verbally, she has come so far. She is now using her language arts and social skills in an international program and will be attending UBCO in the fall to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree. I am beyond excited to see where else she goes and what else she decides to do in her life!