About Matthew

Our son, Matthew, who’s name means, “Gift from God,” has truly been a blessing in our lives.  He was diagnosed at an early age with Autism, Macrocephaly, and Hypotonia and has significant developmental delays.  He has had years of physical, occupational, speech and behavior therapy and yet he is still years behind in meeting many of his basic milestones.  Although he is now a teenager, his cognitive and communication skills are closer to that of a 3 year old. He can’t read, write or spell, nor can he identify letters, numbers, shapes or colors.  He is unaware of dangers and deals with a lot of anxiety.  He is extremely verbal, has no filter, says everything he is thinking (which can cause your head to spin), and perseverates on certain topics and asks the same questions over an over.  His nickname at school is Smiley because he is Mr. Social and smiles all the time.  He has opened up our world to so many opportunities, brought us so much joy and often has us in stiches with his funny comments and mannerisms.  And then somedays, he lets his pent up emotions spill out, which is far from fun.  Being a parent of a special needs child is often challenging and sometimes lonely, but we are incredibly blessed with a supportive community that helps keep our spirits up and our hope alive. It is my desire that in sharing Matthew’s Story, I will be able to shed some light on our world with Autism and that I’ll be an encouragement to others who are on a similar journey.