April is Autism Awareness Month. To kick it off, FUSA President Alex Cucchi ’15 invited his mother, Marina Cucchi, to speak about her son Thomas and the family’s personal story with the disorder.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the term for a group of complex brain development disorders. The disorder is characterized, in different degrees, by difficulty in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. ASD is also associated with intellectual disability, difficulty in motor coordination and attention, and some physical health issues. 1 in 68 children will be diagnosed with ASD this year, and it is 4 out of 5 times more common in boys. Autism is the highest growing developmental disorder in America, and at the moment there is no known cause or cure.
At first, Marina says she was in denial. She saw all the signs but did not fully start worrying until others pointed out and asked what was wrong. She says that Thomas wasn’t yet speaking, and was walking on his toes. He did not allow himself to be over-stimulated and avoided things like hugs, and loud noise. Although his birth delivery was perfect and there were no birth defects, it was at two years old he was diagnosed on the spectrum with Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
It was tough news for the family to hear and Marina said that at first she was angry. She had questions, she was confused, and she didn’t know what to do. “Would Thomas go to school? They couldn’t answer me. Would he ride a bike? They couldn’t tell me.” Taking matters upon herself, Marina buried herself in research and decided to become educated. She discovered different tricks and techniques to help her son, like giving him gummies and taffy so that he would work his jaw muscles.
Thomas was placed in early intervention where children learn things like how to talk, how to hug, eye queues, and sign language. The family even learned bits and pieces of sign language, and did everything they could to create the best environment for Thomas. It paid off, too. Marina had her favorite moment in 1999 when Thomas said his first full sentence at the age of five: “Happy New Year, I love you.” Now, 16 years later, Thomas has graduated high school and is studying engineering design. He is brilliant and thriving to the best of his ability.
If there was just one takeaway from Marina tonight it’s this: her son doesn’t have problems, he’s just different. She wanted everyone in the crowd to know this, and she instilled the ideas in Thomas’ head, as well. “I broke it up into pieces so he could understand he wasn’t stupid, he was actually quite brilliant,” she said. “I told him that he didn’t have a disability, he was different in his own way.” She explained it by also stating that autistic children simply see things in a different light. “Just be kind,” she told the crowd tonight. Everybody is different and everybody is unique- this fact does not change when it comes to those with autism.
Marina also shared that Thomas dealt with bullies and kids treating him differently before, regardless of community support. She said, “Most autistic kids do not have friends.” The family is longing for the day Thomas gets a phone call from a friend asking to catch a movie or to just hang out. She says this is her one wish.
After the talk, Alex Cucchi took the microphone once more to get another round of applause for his mother saying how great she and his father have been. He finished by saying “Thomas has been a blessing for us, and he’s certainly given us a new perspective.”
Thank you for sharing your story, Mrs. Cucchi and Alex! Think of their story as we kick-off into Autism Awareness month this April, and remember to wear blue tomorrow as we “Light It Up Blue” worldwide.
**All information on autism from AutismSpeaks.org**