by Angela Blanchard
Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008
A mother's story
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - One Anchorage mother has a little boy suffering severe symptoms from autism and is searching desperately for help in handling him.
Every weekday this month, Rachel Flynn has been leaving work early in order to be waiting when her son gets home from school.
"I have to leave an hour and 15 minutes early," Flynn said. "That's going to wear on my finances."
Flynn shares custody of her three kids and this month she has them during the week. Two go to grandma's after school. But Flynn has been having trouble finding anyone to take care of her middle son, Avery.
She describes him as a handful. Avery suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on top of autism.
An evening with Avery begins each night around 4 o'clock, when the school bus drops him off in front of Flynn's Midtown apartment.
Avery was diagnosed with autism around age 3, but by now, it's clear he has a more severe form of the disorder.
At age 7, he's never uttered even one word.
Avery is a ball of energy. Flynn says he doesn't stop moving until he finally passes out.
"If he goes to bed any earlier than that he will wake up in the middle of the night," she said.
Once at home, Avery isn't much for wearing clothes. The touch of fabric is often overwhelming for children who suffer from difficulties with sensory processing.
"He would go to school naked if he could," Flynn said.
Avery isn't potty trained.
Flynn ends up changing a lot of diapers because he eats up to seven times a day.
One of Avery's favorite foods is Ramen noodles, although what he'll actually eat changes from day to day. He'd probably eat a lot more, but Rachel Flynn keeps the kitchen cupboards and most of the doors in the house locked.
All in all, she says, he's a handful. She says she thinks she probably suffers from depression because she worries about doing enough for her son.
Rachel Flynn is a computer technician by day. She says at this point she rarely has time for herself after work and in the evenings.
"I don't get out at all. I have barely any friends," Flynn said. "It doesn't help that I'm a geek too. Sorry, I love computers, what can I say?"
But there's something else Rachel Flynn loves and Avery is pretty good at giving it back.
"When he does give me some affection, I know that he appreciates me," she said. "He knows that I'm his mother and he knows that I love him and he loves me."
Avery is getting bigger every day and, Rachel says, his development isn't keeping up. One day she thinks he may end up in an adult care facility. But until then, Rachel says, she doesn't think about the future.
"I want to keep him with me as long as I can handle it," Flynn said.
Rather, she focuses on just living each day with her son to the fullest.
Flynn says she is searching for reliable child care to watch Avery after school and that if she cannot find any she may look into starting a nonprofit organization geared toward helping the families of severely autistic children.
Contact Angela Blanchard at ablanchard@ktuu.com
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