Florida family featured on TLC autism special Sept. 16

From The Herald-Tribune in Sarasota, Fla.:

For most of her life, Eve Walker (pictured) tried to stay out of the spotlight. Self-conscious and shy, she dwelled on what other people thought of her.

After she had a daughter with autism, she felt like people stared at her when she went out and judged her child's behavior.

But six years of dealing with supermarket meltdowns and accidental injuries have helped Walker overcome her insecurity. Now, she wants to share what she has learned about children with autism and help people understand the disability.

On Sept. 16, she and her family will be featured on a special about autism on The Learning Channel.

"I see there is beauty, too," Walker said. "I want people to see the good side of autism."

Walker saw an ad to apply for the show on The Learning Channel Web site about six months ago, and put together a letter explaining how the disability had affected her family.

The Charlotte mother knew early on that something was not right with Camryn (pictured), who is now 6. As a baby, she never learned to hold her head up. Doctors had to give her a neck brace to help her.

At 6 or 7 months, she was not babbling like other children. When her mother tried to hold Camryn, she arched her back like she did not want to be touched.

By the time she was 3 years old, doctors made the official diagnosis: autism.

The diagnosis hurled the Walkers out of a typical family life, forcing them to give up family vacations and dinners out with each other.

Their oldest daughter, 8-year-old Mason, finds herself often defending her sister to other children who do not understand her behavior.

"I tell people that she can't control how she acts," said Mason. "She acts differently when she gets excited, and other kids don't understand that. She can't help it."

Over time, the whole family has come to see the good of her daughter's disability, how her life somehow seems so peaceful and happy.

"She doesn't worry that she'll get picked for the team," Walker said. "She doesn't worry that a boy won't like her. I think that's awesome for her to never have to worry about those things."

A few months after she applied for the show, the producers called and told her they wanted to feature the family.

So for nearly a week, the camera crews followed her all around Port Charlotte, to a pet store, to school, to the carnival rides by the Town Center Mall.

It was a stark contrast to just a few years ago, when Walker used to avoid going out in public and broke down at dirty looks.

Now, she has learned to just ignore them.

Instead of worrying about what other people think, she buys her daughter T-shirts with a special messages: "Please be patient with me, I have autism."