Living with autism
Young adults talk about dealing with fast-growing developmental disorder
Daily Mountain Eagle
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Although others may view autism as a disability, Chance Trimm sees it as a gift. In fact, he believes the world would be a better place if everyone was autistic.
“I think autistic people are easier to deal with than the non-autistic. The non-autistic are conformatery. They are everybody else. It’s nothing more than a popularity contest,” he said.
For most of his life, Chance has been told that someone else’s way of doing things is right and his is wrong. He had many clashes with his teachers at Addison High School because they objected to him getting the right answers using his own methods. He also has disagreements with his mother about the proper way to do chores.
However, in Chance’s mind, there is no right way of thinking. He uses the example of the ancients, whose buildings are still standing thousands of years after construction even though their techniques are different from those used in modern architecture.
“I just say as long as you get it right, you’re right. It doesn’t matter what road you travel,” Chance said.
Chance, 23, has Asperger’s syndrome (AS), a neurological condition similar to classic autism. Some symptoms of AS include an intense interest in a single subject and problems with social skills.
Unlike many autistics, people with AS often have extensive vocabularies and a formal manner of speaking. Chance calls his version of English “aristocratic vocabulary.”
Like others with AS, Chance has a difficult time understanding the emotions of others. He said family arguments are particularly frustrating for him.
“When somebody gets mad at me emotionally, I can’t deal with that. I don’t get emotional angry. I just get realistic angry,” Chance said.
Chance said autistic people speak a different language than non-autistics. He understands most words at face value. For Chance, the sport of football is played with a ball that can only be touched with one’s foot. So the members of American football teams are more like “pigskin players” to him.
Asperger’s syndrome has given Chance a unique comprehension of languages. He speaks a number of different languages, including Russian, French and Spanish.
He hopes to make use of his talents one day by becoming an American diplomat who travels the world in the name of peace.
“Most non-autistics don’t even want to travel the world. The ones that do tend to want to go to popular attractions. I want to visit the people and party with the people all over the world. I will say, ‘Hey, I’m Anthony Chance Trimm and I’m an international citizen,’” Chance said.
Chance sees autism as a special culture whose members have much to offer to the world if they can only find acceptance. He disagrees with celebrity Jenny McCarthy and others who are seeking a cure for autism.
“She (McCarthy) is a non-autistic who can’t tolerate autism. I say, I want to find a cure for the non-autistic. A cure for autism is a disgrace to God’s creation of the intelligent design,” Chance said.
Taylor Davis
Taylor Davis, a fifth-grader at Bagley Junior High School, is constantly on the move and her conversations tend to be one-sided toward topics that interest her, including her favorite singer Taylor Swift.
Although these traits are common in 12-year-old girls, they are also signs of Taylor’s Asperger’s syndrome.
Taylor was diagnosed with the high-functioning form of autism when she was 6. Her symptoms included poor eye contact, repetitive behaviors and delayed development goals.
Her mother, Diane Davis, knew Taylor needed help but she didn’t want to believe that her daughter was autistic.
“I don’t think we started Taylor’s therapies as soon as we should have because I was thinking, ‘Well, let’s give her a little bit longer. She may get better. I went into denial. For a long time, I said I thought she had ADHD and it was really bad,” Davis said.
For a while, Davis blamed herself for Taylor’s condition because she was 40 years old when Taylor was born and her husband, John, was 52. Then she went to a few autism support group meetings and saw many young mothers there with autistic children.
Although Davis has accepted Taylor’s autism now, she continues to worry about her daughter.
Like most children with autism, Taylor has no fear of danger so she requires constant care for her safety.
Her parents once had to stop her from jumping off a deck at their home. All doors at the house are double locked and Davis has even put objects in front of Taylor’s bedroom door at night to make sure she doesn’t get up without anyone hearing her.
The Davises rarely make plans that don’t involve Taylor. If they want to do something together, they must go while Taylor is in school.
Diane Davis is hesitant to leave Taylor with a sitter or let her spend the night at a friend’s house.
“Taylor begs to go home with other girls, but I just don’t think their mothers would understand how to watch her,” Davis said.
Davis also worries about the way other people perceive Taylor and her unique behavior that comes from having autism.
“Because they look normal, other people don’t understand their needs or why they act like they do,” Davis said.
Davis is concerned about what will happen to Taylor when she is no longer there to be her daughter’s protector.
However, in the meantime, she takes comfort in watching Taylor enjoy her favorite activities, such as swimming and riding horses at EASI (Equines Assisting Special Individuals).
She advises other parents of autistic children to learn to take each day as it comes.
“Get over the grieving process, start those therapies and hang in there with it,” she said.
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