When I was in kindergarten I was diagnosed with autism.
My development began normally until eighteen months when I began to regress, losing the ability to communicate words I had previously learned and ceasing to have eye contact. My speech was so delayed that my seven-year-old brother, Chuck boasted to his friends, “I think my brother Ron is from Norway because he speaks Norwegian.” Through fourteen years of intense speech therapy, I was able to overcome my communication deficits and become an effective communicator of the gospel.
I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten- the great locust and young locust, the other locust and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. Your blessings will begin today. Joel 2:25
Every night my parents helped me with life skills. My mom used my special interest in prairie dogs to make learning fun. Through my parents’ care by eighth grade, I was mainstream education.
My junior year of high school, I was on the right track. I made the honor roll two straight semesters, was a star athlete, memorized over 2,000 Scriptures, and received Jesus as my Lord and Savior.