Mom's dedication helps twins with autism progress

The intro to a feature in the Martinsville Bulletin in Virginia:

Identical twins David and Isaiah Childress (pictured) show how children with autism can succeed — with years of hard work and parents determined to get their children the services they need.

At age 5, the boys were not talking normally, and past doctors thought, “If you’re not talking well by 5, you’re never going to talk,” said their mother, Desiree Childress of Henry County.

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects brain function, impairing a person’s communication skills and ability to interact with others.

Yet, on a recent afternoon at home in Bassett, 9-year-old David smiled and introduced himself much like any other child his age.

“Hi, my name is David. What’s your name?” he said brightly, as he played a strategy board game with his mother.

David, who is home-schooled, was eager to show how he writes his name in cursive and takes photos and videos with his digital camera.

Desiree Childress said she and her husband, Will, feel “very blessed” the twins have progressed from making no sounds whatsoever when they were infants to speaking in full sentences. Language comes naturally to most children, but not those with autism.

Their language skills still are behind their peers, Childress said, and nouns and verbs don’t always match. But with more practice, she added, “I’m going to get them caught up.”

Childress is a registered nurse who now stays home as a full-time mom. In addition to the boys, she has a 17-year-old stepdaughter and 13-year-old daughter.

Embracing the idea of “help me to help my kids,” she has gone through extensive training to learn therapies and teaching methods to use with Isaiah and David at home. She also offers free services as a disability advocate to other parents.

Childress grew up with a learning disability herself, so she knows the challenges of being different. Her dyslexia was not diagnosed until adulthood; instead, she was diagnosed as mentally retarded in second grade.

“My strength is that my mother fought just as hard for me as I fight for my kids,” she said. “She refused to put me in special ed and mainstreamed me all the way.”

She went on to graduate from high school with the highest possible diploma.

“Because of my experience, I know there’s hope past diagnosis,” she said. “I see my sons as a blessing, and not as something broken.”

It has been a “long, bumpy road,” Childress said. Along the way, the family moved across Virginia three times seeking educational services for the twins.

However, one of her favorite quotes is, “What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.” And because of the difficulties Isaiah and David have faced and will continue to face, she said, “My kids are going to grow up very strong.”