“While we try to teach our children all about life,
our children teach us what life is all about.”
— Quote by Angela Schwindt and preface written by Ryan Hinds
MY MOM ASKED me to read her book to make sure I was okay with the things she wrote about me. That was hard to do. I learned about events I didn’t remember and things that were just embarrassing. I know I shouldn’t be concerned about the weird things I did back then, because I was ill. But I am embarrassed by them and would rather keep them in my past forever. I wish I could forget all the horrible things that happened and everything to do with autism.
While I want to provide hope and encouragement to others, I still have mixed feelings about telling my story. Who really wants every detail of their childhood out there for the world to see? I don’t want any future employers or prospective girlfriends to know I was once severely affected by autism. But more than that, I don’t want anyone to question the things my mom said in her book. Some will say I never really had autism or maybe that I was only mildly affected. I wish that were true.
Our story has a happy ending, but how many parents are still told there is no hope for their children? And how many kids will not get better as a result? My family never gave up on me because, like the title of this book, they knew I was in there. When experts told them I would never be okay and probably end up in a group home, they still didn’t give up. As a result, I was able to leave my autism label behind.
As much as I don’t want to admit to anything autistic, I know my story is important to help others realize autism is medical, treatable, and surmountable. I was lucky to have a family who fought back and never gave up on me. They were always there, no matter how difficult I made things for them.
NOTE FROM MARCIA HINDS – Ryan and Megan’s Mom
Check out this 90 second video of Ryan Hinds who is now an aerospace engineer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc__5tLnHqQ
You can do this and I will be here to help you anyway I can. If my kid can recover why can’t yours? Listen to the “experts” and then do what they say can’t be done. If you had told me that one day Ryan would be leading a typical life when he was that weird little kid, I never would have believed you.
Ryan began to learn and act more typical only after he received proper medical treatment combined with behavioral and educational interventions. To preview “I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE – Winning Our War Against Autism” go to Amazon or www.autismandtreatment.com.
ALONE there is little we can do about autism…
TOGETHER we will be unstoppable