Jack’s Story

When Randy and Kim realized that their son Jack was autistic, they made the commitment to care for him personally, a central purpose of their lives. They tried to have him educated in a traditional school setting where he could be around other children and have the same opportunities for learning and socializing. However, despite the Wolfs’ and the school district’s best efforts, it did not work out. The bright fluorescent lights, noise, and hustle and bustle of other children created an environment that for Jack was chaotic. The Wolfs realized they needed to pace Jack in a special school. Unfortunately, the nearest facility was an hour and a half bus ride from Naperville—longer in bad weather or heavy traffic.

While Jack loved the school, the travel was a drain on him and his family. The distance made it difficult for Randy and Kim to be involved in Jack’s education. It was at this point that the Wolfs came to the realization that what had been given to them as a problem was an opportunity to create greater good for the entire community. They began to envision a place in Naperville that would provide children severely impacted with autism a school, recreational opportunities, a sense of community, and an overall better quality life. They formed the Turning Pointe Autism Foundation to move forward with their plans—to create a setting that will become a turning point for a better life for families with autistic children.

Ben’s Story

Ben was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 ½ years old and is severely impacted by the disorder. Ben is non-verbal and requires a lot of sensory input. He has no safety awareness and no daily living skills. Because Ben is non-verbal sometimes he uses his behavior to tell the people around him what he wants. He bangs his head or punches himself in the head when he is mad or frustrated. What comes rather naturally for most children is a cause for celebration with his parents, who have learned to take nothing for granted when it comes to accomplishments for their son. Ben needs to be taught everything, even learning the simplest task is an enormous achievement for him.

Ben is full of energy and keeps both his parents busy and challenged. Children with autism are not good sleepers, so that means that his parents don’t get much sleep either. Ben needs constant motion and it doesn’t matter if it is swinging, spinning or jumping, as long as he is moving he is happy. Ben is strong-willed, extremely fast, very determined and doesn’t deal well with change. He loves water, both to drink and to play in.

The family’s lives revolve around Ben, his moods and his schedule. They have to plan very carefully what they do and where they go as a family. They often sacrifice family parties because Ben won’t be able to handle the crowd. Ben can’t connect with his cousins and it’s been difficult for some family members to accept Ben because he is different. Autism never rests and especially not on the holidays.

Having Ben in their lives has opened the family’s eyes to the world of special education. He has received speech, OT, PT and social work services since he was 13 months old. They wish he was making better progress and they are constantly challenging the School District to do more for him. Ben is also in the minority when it comes to learning style. While most children on the spectrum are visual learners, Ben is an auditory learner. Thus he is at a disadvantage in the typical classroom which is geared to visual learning.

Living with a child severely impacted by autism is hard. As his mother Michelle states, “People have no idea what it is like- expect the unexpected, take nothing for granted, always have a back up plan.” Until you have lived with a child who is severely impacted by autism like Ben, it is difficult to truly understand the challenges these families face on a daily basis.