Having a child with autism is no easy feat鈥擩asperite Grace Kohn can attest to that.
Her daughter Julianne, 20, was diagnosed with the mental condition 13 years ago. After hearing the prognosis, Kohn said she felt overwhelmed and confused.
鈥淛ulianne was originally misdiagnosed so we had a late start and at the time we knew nothing about autism,鈥� Kohn said. 鈥淭he disease wasn鈥檛 as well known or accepted back then as it is today.鈥�
Through numerous textbooks, pamphlets and courses, Kohn started to slowly come to grips with the challenges her daughter and the rest of their family would continuously face.
Today Julianne is fairly independent, capable of full conversations and she partakes in activities like skiing and horseback riding, but it wasn鈥檛 always like that. According to Kohn, by the time Julianne was seven she couldn鈥檛 speak or use the bathroom by herself.
鈥淔or two years Julianne had a feces smearing problem and there were just so many other things she did you wouldn鈥檛 even believe a human child would do,鈥� Kohn said. 鈥淭his is stuff that would push anyone鈥檚 buttons, but over the years she鈥檚 learned a lot and can do a lot for herself. She鈥檚 still on the autism spectrum, but it took a lot of work and patience to get her to where she is today.鈥�
In recent years as she reflected on all the ups and downs of parenting a child with autism, Kohn said she felt inspired to write a book about her experiences with the mental condition.
鈥淚 just remember everything being so confusing when I started and I want to help others feel not so lost,鈥� Kohn said.
The Children of Autumn: Autism-Here on Purpose was officially released July 19 in Toronto, where Julianne was born and first diagnosed with autism.
The book is written through Kohn鈥檚 perspective as a parent and follows her daughter鈥檚 journey to independence starting with some of Julianne鈥檚 first days at Jasper Elementary School.
鈥淭he amount of support I received from the whole Jasper community really helped bring Julianne to where she is now,鈥� Kohn said.
When Julianne was a student at the school about a decade ago, Kohn said the school allowed them to use a room where Kohn could conduct a specific type of curriculum for autistic needs, a skill Kohn acquired through a course.
鈥淎fter a month of doing this training Julianne went from speaking no words to knowing about 1,000 different words,鈥� Kohn said. 鈥淲e knew something was going right so we continued that for four years and she made a ton of progress.鈥�
As Kohn continued to patiently work with her daughter, she said she also noticed a change in herself.
鈥淔or years I was on a mission to find a way to heal Julianne and then one day the light came on and I realized she was actually helping me鈥攚hich is another reason why I wrote the book,鈥� Kohn said. 鈥淭he thing with these children is that you have to learn to become extremely patient and forgiving and because of that I鈥檝e become a better person.鈥�
As far as book sales or publicity goes, Kohn said that鈥檚 not what鈥檚 important.
鈥淢y ultimate hope is that it inspires people that either have a child with autism or work with children with autism,鈥� Kohn said.
The book is available through Amazon and will also be available at local Jasper stores in the near future.
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
