Living with Autism Called for Numerous Changes

BY MELISSA CORONADO

COVID was a tragic year for most children that I know. Kids are behind on their studies and some have been held back a grade.

My son, Liam Stojnic, is one of those young students who suffered because of COVID.

Liam was attending Dallas Independent School District’s Oran Roberts Elementary in 2020 when his school closed and went virtual.

Going completely virtual wasn’t an easy task for him since my son is Autistic. He struggles with a learning developmental disability and has difficulties speaking. He’s been going to speech therapy since he was five years old and adding his therapist to virtual on top of school was stressful. It’s very difficult for him to sit still in front of his laptop and concentrate without being distracted.

So, after a week I realized I needed to be home Monday through Friday to help him with every assignment and speech.

It wasn’t easy!

I had to quit my job and break my apartment’s contract to save every dollar I possibly could.

Liam went from having his own bedroom, TV, game system setup, and a computer at our apartment, to sharing a room with me that barely fit my queen-size bed and our TV.

He wasn’t happy about that, but what kid-do would be?

Overall, we were blessed with a roof over our heads that was rent free, I loved that part.

Months went by and Liam turned in school assignments but deep down I knew he wasn’t understanding any of it. I ran out of ideas to try to help him understand the assignments to his level. It amazed me that my child was passed to the next grade when I knew he wasn’t ready.

They did it anyway.

Soon after schools reopened, I took it under my hands to change his school into a private school.

I found Oak Hill Academy, a school for Autistic children with different disorders. Some had speech, behavior disorders, and learning disorders.

This was the school I knew was going to help my child and it sure wasn’t cheap. $22,000 for the school year was what they were asking for.

I went forward with it, but the school recommended that Liam repeat the same grade and that I should hire a reading, writing, and math tutor as well.

So, I did.

I called every nearby tutor and prayed they’d take Medicaid insurance and I found nothing. The cheapest tutor with great ratings was about $150 each subject a month.

Liam’s weekly agenda was Monday school, Tuesday school and speech therapy, Wednesday school and Reading tutor, Thursday school and Writing tutor, and Friday school and Math tutor.

By the weekend my son was about to explode. I knew he couldn’t take on any more than what he was already taking.

As much as my son loves soccer and plays every year (other than the year 2020), he refused to enroll and just wanted to be home on the weekends to relax.

I didn’t blame him; I was exhausted too.

Melissa Coronado is a full-time student at Dallas College (El Centro). A lifetime Dallasite, she is a huge Dallas Cowboys/Mavs fan! The mother of nine-year-old son, Liam Stojnic (half Hispanic and European) and she is a phlebotomist at Hillcrest Medical in Highland Park.