04/01/2025
April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance month. Autism is a spectrum and everyone has their own experiences. For me, it’s the month of my baby sister! This month, we celebrate Christie’s birthday and we get to honor and celebrate what makes Christie, Christie! Christie was diagnosed with autism when I was about 10 years old. Little did I know then what that would mean for me. I frequently am asked why I became a speech language pathologist and my answer is simple: my sister and my mom. Christie is my best friend. I couldn’t be prouder of how far she has come. When she was younger, she presented with several challenges including receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language difficulties. She had to build her functional communication skills. Although these photos represent the best times, every day has presented its own challenges. My mom fought every day to make sure Christie had every bit of support she needed to thrive in any situation. My mom is such an inspirational advocate and has helped shape me into the SLP and advocate I am today. Christie has come so far and is now enrolled in college. Christie has shown so much courage and resilience; we could not be prouder. College has presented Christie with new challenges. As she is living on her own on her college canpus, she currently works on her executive functioning skills (e.g., planning, making decisions, time management) and making/maintaining friendships. Every day there is a challenge to overcome and Christie continues to make us proud! Christie’s life has looked significantly different than mine or our other sister, Cassie’s….but we truly wouldn’t have it any other way. So this month, and every day, we celebrate who Christie is, how far she has come, and what her future holds.
