From The Chicago Tribune. In the picture, Camron Riley (left) and Corey Butler hug as they arrive at the Forest Park home of Debra Vines (background center) before meeting up with many friends at their prom in Hillside.Jason Harlan grooved to a private beat in his living room and showed his mother some of the moves he planned to use at his senior prom.
It might have been a scene repeated at many homes this prom season, with one difference: Harlan, 21, is autistic. His mother, Debra Vines, 50, was hosting a party on a recent Thursday for Harlan and his classmates, who were attending prom for students with developmental disabilities.
Vines has refused to let autism deprive her son of the same kinds of social interaction other youths require. Tired of the unsympathetic reactions she would get if Harlan covered his ears and yelled at the sound of police or fire sirens, or when he displayed other typical signs of autism, Vines launched Answer Inc. in 2007.
"The grocery store, the park, church, even birthday parties. Nowhere was safe," said Vines, who funds the organization through state grants and donations.
Answer Inc., supplies support, resources, training and advocacy for about 150 parents and caregivers of autistic people who range in age from 3 to 53. As the executive director, Vines creates venues that foster the inclusion of autistic persons into communities.
The Answer support group meets once a month at the Bellwood Library, Vines said, and caters to families living on the far West Side of Chicago, in Proviso East Township and neighboring suburbs.
"The unique thing about the Answer is that we have been able to reach out to minority families that lack the resources to get adequate help for their children," Vines said.
"I know there are many autistic children and adults in the black community that are kept hidden because their caregivers can't deal with people's reactions."
Jason has improved over the years; he no longer panics when he hears sirens, Vines said. Even though he still has a repetitive speech pattern, he has learned to respond to questions, she said.
Andrea Byas said before becoming a client of Answer Inc., she went through long periods of isolation.
"We've needed this for a long time," said Byas said, whose 30-year-old son was diagnosed when he was 3.
"They just told me he was in a world of his own," she said. "No one gave me a book or explained to me what life was going to be like."
"It's a long hard road, but things do get better," Byas said. "Sometimes you just need to hear that from someone who has been through it."
Vines said some families often feel alone and isolated because they don't have the resources or financial means to obtain the care their loved ones need or allow them to socially interact with others.
Answer Inc. tries to fill in that gap, Vines said.
"Sometimes the parents and the caregivers need a break," Vines said. "If you're not happy you can't make your child happy."
One of the symptoms of autism can be constant movement and little sleep, said Vines, who added that caring for an autistic person is a 24-hour job. Answer Inc. has a 24-hour support hot line for parents who are at their breaking point or may just need to vent.
"I go see parents and cry with them because I know their pain," she said.
Answer Inc. sponsored the prom for the students at Paec Education Center Ec in Maywood The organization also holds regular dances, and social events for children and adults with autism.
"Some of the parents had never seen their child dance," said Vines, recalling the organization's first peer dance last year. "Tears were in their eyes," she said.
The dances also include teens from the Maywood Park Youth Mentoring Program, which Vines hopes will help other youths get used to autistic people. She is also trying to raise funds for a summer camp and an after school program.
Jennifer Gorski, the director of the Developmental Disorders Clinic at UIC, said that social interaction and inclusion is key in the development of persons with autism.
"I think there's a growing awareness about autism that wasn't there in the past, but we still have a long way to go," Gorski said.
Some parents of autistic children feel they are looked down upon as bad parents because symptoms are misinterpreted as bad behavior.
"This may cause parents to avoid social interaction because it's easier," Gorski said.
Vines said there have been a incidents were police believed autistic people were being combative, so she has reached out to law enforcement in Chicago, Maywood and Forest Park and Chicago to educate personnel on the signs and symptoms of autism. Her organization is also an advocate for special education placement in school and individualized education programs that help assess students learning capabilities.For now, Vines runs the organization from her living room but hopes to secure office space and expand statewide.
"I'm the general, and my parents are the soldiers," Vines said. "Instead of being angry you have to fight. My hope is one day all of our children will be embraced."
