The day autism was made into a fool

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) --  It was April 1, also known as "April Fool's Day," and I saw a 14-year-old boy make autism into a fool.

The 14-year-old is my son Jackson. On April 1 he was competing in the Chicago area as an Illinois state finalist for the National Geography Bee, representing his school district.

But before I tell you how he did, let me tell you more about how we got to this point.

Back in September 1996, Jackson was the last child born to our family. At the time, neither my wife Bobbi nor I had ever thought about autism, much less knew anyone who had lived with it. Over the course of the next 18 months, after he was born, we started to see signs of something different.

At Jackson's 18-month "well baby" check at the base hospital at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, his pediatrician told us his development process was behind considerably. Hearing it from the doctor wasn't a surprise to us since we noticed his abilities were much different than his older siblings' were at the same age.

So what did this all mean? We didn't know. But, thanks to the pediatrician, we were recommended to have further tests completed through the state and other sources. I can say it was learning experience for all of us as we went through the process.

For the first few years, Jackson was diagnosed as having "development delay" with "some autistic behaviors."

Whatever they called it, my wife and I didn't care -- we just knew we had to work hard as a family to keep Jackson advancing in everything. Everything new Jackson had to learn was a challenge for him, but he pressed forward and made many leaps and bounds.

When Jackson learned to walk, he was nearly 3 years old. We were on a camping trip to the Idaho mountains and for some reason he just finally decided to get up and go. When he was 4 years old, we got our first family computer, and within a short time, he had taught himself most of the alphabet, how to type and partially how to read. It was an amazing leap in learning ability.

By the time Jackson was 6 years old, he could not only read, but I'd also have him load software on the computer. He'd even help his mom with the computer when she had questions. It was like having a junior-sized techie in the house.

On the technical side with computers, Jackson's ability was far more advanced than even some adults. On the social and sensory perception side though, Jackson was behind other children his age. He had difficulty writing with a pencil, and his desire to be around crowds of other people just wasn't there. Sometimes, I think it terrified him to be around large groups of other people.

But as a family, we pressed on and so did Jackson. When he was about 9 years old, the way the world viewed the autism spectrum changed, and Jackson's diagnosis changed as well. He was now said to have autism, but was "high functioning." For us, leading up to that time, we already knew he had autism.

Yet again, no matter what the medical community was calling Jackson's condition, we just kept our nose to the grindstone as a family, doing whatever we had to do to keep our son on the road to progress. And truly, he has progressed.

Now, at just over 14 years of age, Jackson has made leaps and bounds in many, many ways.

I credit his mother, first, for being his "biggest fan." There is no other person in our family who has made more of a monumental effort than her to bring him to a point where when he enters ninth grade, he'll be doing the work like any other child his age.

I also credit Jackson's sisters, his grandparents and extended family members for encouraging him, helping him when he needed it, keeping him honest and genuinely making him feel like any other member of a family should feel. Much credit also goes to the school teachers and aides who made a difference in helping Jackson through schooling in Idaho, North Dakota, New Jersey and now Illinois. They have all been part of the building blocks of his progress.

Now, to get back to April 1 in Chicago. Jackson became a state finalist for the National Geographic Society's National Geography Bee after winning the competition at his school, and then taking a test based on geography that served as a "regional" competition which created 100 finalists for the state of Illinois.

In Illinois, for 2011, there were 532 school winners from around the state. Jackson's test results put him in the top 100, and according to school officials, he's only the second student in his school district to advance this far in the last decade. That is an amazing achievement, considering the thousands of students who have gone through his school in those 10 years.

At the competition, Jackson had an impressive performance, but he wasn't the overall winner. He correctly answered seven of eight questions and finished 14th in the state. Not bad for a kid who has persevered over much tougher things, such as simply learning to ride a bike.

So on April 1, I sat there and saw my son, in front of dozens of people, stand up and compete with the confidence of a motivational speaker. I sat and thought how ironic the journey had been to that day. I thought of all the things we'd been through with him and how he's been a conquering hero through it all.

"It's April Fool's Day," I thought, watching Jackson get yet another answer right. "But who is the fool now?"

Though April is Autism Awareness Month, I can tell you that every month for our family is Autism Awareness Month. When you think of autism, think of children like Jackson and families like ours who know the everyday challenges the condition can bring. We are stronger because of it and we continue to do the best we can.

On April 1, 2011, a great thing happened. I saw a boy with autism beat down the doors that supposedly stay shut for children like him. It's the day I saw autism made into a fool.