Date post: | 18-Jul-2015 |
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Education |
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“LIFE IS ABOUT THE JOURNEY. AND AS LONG AS I HAVE MY
FAMILY WITH ME, I AM HAPPY TO BE ON THIS JOURNEY.”
-ASHLEY HUSEMOELLER
TYSON- THE GENTLE GIANT
Tyson is a middle schooler, who loves to keep things clean! He is known for his sweet nature, love of hugging, and deference to his little sister Zoey.
DANE-THE FLASH
Fast, wild, funny, a true middle child! In second grade, Dane can be very quiet, very obnoxious, sometimes devious and a little “bizarre”.
ZOEY-SPONTANEOUSShe is chatty, bossy, in charge and very spontaneous! She likes to keep her brothers in line!
She is the youngest, the only girl… and the only child without Autism.
“WE DO THE BEST WITH WHAT WE HAVE”
-ASHLEY HUSEMOELLER
Like every family, the Husemoellers
celebrate the little moments… with two
boys who have Autism… their little
moments may look a little different.
A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH!
• The other day, Tyson was Face-Timing with my mom… and he was able to hold a conversation! He could look at her and answer her questions! And it was not a fluke! He did it again later in the day!
TYSON WAS DIAGNOSED AT AGE 3… THERE WERE A LOT OF “NEVERS” THAT HE
HAS OVERCOME.• “He will NEVER say I
Love you”
• “He will NEVER be able to talk”
• “He will NEVER be normal”
•“I still remember the first time he
called ME Mama. It felt
great!” Using the Aristocats, Ashley worked to teach Tyson how to say Mama…. Every time the baby kittens would call “Mama, Mama, Mama… she would respond with a Yes…” Soon, Tyson began to correlate the kittens calling mama, and his ability to call mama….
• “We just could not believe this was
happening again… with Tyson it was much
easier to accept. But with Dane, we just did
not think it could happen.”
Dane’s diagnosis was initially much harder
to accept.
SOON… ALONG CAME ZOEY!• Zoey has become a huge
supporter and teacher to her brothers.
• Dane is more verbal because of Zoey.
• She keeps her brothers in line even Tyson… who is 3x her size
• She takes care of them!
AUTISM CAN BE TOUGH ON A COUPLE… BUT THEIR MARRIAGE IS STILL STRONG.
“We are good about talking about it.”
“13 Years and no secrets.”
“We support each other, even if we disagree with the
punishment.”
THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES AND SACRIFICES…
• We have definitely had family members who do not always
understand what we are doing… or why we are doing it… or questioning
our decisions. We have stopped going to church. We need to plan
outings. Taking all the kids together to get ice cream is a major
accomplishment! Especially if they are all happy there at the same
time!
MEDICATION WAS A VERY HARD DECISION TO MAKE. BUT BOTH THE BOYS HAVE HAD IT FOR A FEW YEARS
AND IT HAS REALLY MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR THEM.
There are some tough decisions….
FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE A VITAL PART OF THEIR JOURNEY.
Regular Monday Movie Nights with Good Friends who love and understand their life…
Wonderful Grandparents who help with babysitting…
and provide love and support for their family…
SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? JAY AND ASHLEY ARE NOT SURE YET…AS THE BOYS AGE, MOVING TOWARD EASTERN NEBRASKA IS A POSSIBILITY. THERE ARE SERVICES AVAILABLE IN CITIES LIKE LINCOLN AND OMAHA THAT WILL OFFER DANE AND TYSON INDEPENDENCE AS THEY GET OLDER. WHILE THEY HAVEN’T MADE ANY DECISIONS YET… THE FUTURE IS VERY MUCH ON THEIR MINDS.