Derby mother raises awareness on World Autism Day
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Tuesday is World Autism Day, and April is Autism Acceptance Month. One Derby mother whose child has autism says she hopes society will understand it more.
“And if we have a society that’s just more supportive of them and understanding of them, I think that’s always a great thing,” mother Kristin Sen said. “Also helping are our kids with autism, especially early intervention to make sure that they’re getting the services they need very early on. I really do think that helps with their success later on in life.”
Her son, Noah, is 13 and started getting services at Heartspring when he was 4. He used to have trouble with transitions, like getting into a car or going through the front door. Since then, he has made improvements.
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“They were working on these things to help him struggle less and develop some skills to be able to handle some of those emotions, and it was very positive,” Sen said. “Everything was reinforced by positive reinforcements.”
Sen says when he first started in school, Noah had trouble staying focused and participating in school activities. Now, that has changed, thanks to therapy.
“By the time he was in kindergarten, he was able to be included in some of the classes in kindergarten,” Sen said. “And so today, he is in only two curriculum classes, and the rest of it is all gen-ed with some supports, and he’s just doing a great job.”
Sen says her son Noah is polite, thoughtful, and artistic.
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“I think sometimes if you’re just seeing them in the classroom, or you’re just seeing them around, you might know that not know that a lot of these kids have lots of their own special talents that I’m sure that they would love to share with the world,” Sen said.
Heartspring is holding a fundraiser called CAREfest to continue to fund programs Noah attends, such as CARE Clubs and Teen Hangout. The event is on April 13 at the Heartspring campus.
8:30 a.m. – PedalFest Kicks off – 50K and 25K bike rides
10 a.m. – 5K Run & Family Bike Ride
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – DJ Carbon, Annie Up, Touch-A-Truck, Food Trucks, Family Activities,
Wagonmasters Lunch, Awards12:45 p.m. – Heartspring CARE Walk – 1mi awareness walk and celebration
Register and donate at: Wichitacarefest.org
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