ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A high school senior project has become a new resource for families across the region with children on the autism spectrum.
Aiyanah Reed and her 5-year-old cousin Elijah have been close since he was born. As a toddler, she noticed he would line up his toys in a specific way, make loud noises or hum and tap his fingers. Eliajah was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 ½ years old.
To Reed the way Elijah expresses himself has always been familiar, but she recalls a trip to Chuck E. Cheese a few years ago when Elijah was making a lot of noise and a little girl asked why. “I told her, yea he’s autistic and this is just how he regulates himself, this is just what he does and she was like okay, and she just went about her business so just seeing another child accept it so quickly is just very important,” Reed says.
That experience inspired Reed to write a children’s book about Elijah. “It’s like a snapshot of his daily life, his routines, things he goes through with autism,” Reed explains.
The book, “Elijah is More Than Just a Word” was originally a senior capstone project, but after a friend shared it with staff at Golisano Children’s Hospital, it is now offered as a resource to parents in the developmental and behavioral pediatrics program.
Caroline Bamburoski, a nurse practitioner at Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health, says having the book available to share with families will be beneficial, “I think there is sometimes a moment of, oh gosh this isn’t what I was expecting for my child or for their future and what does this mean for their future,” she says.
Reed says she wanted children to see that autism is normal and should be accepted, but she was not expecting the book to reach so many people.
As Elijah grows up, Reed says the book might turn into a series, but for now, she hopes it helps local families foster love and understanding for those on the spectrum.
For more information about the book, click here.
What started as a senior project is now helping local families understand autism through Elijah’s story WHEC.com.
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