Julie Parrish:
CLASS OF 1984
Sterling Heights High SchoolClass of 1984
Sterling heights, MI
Macomb Community CollegeClass of 1986
Warren, MI
Melby Junior High SchoolClass of 1981
Warren, MI
Elmira Elementary SchoolClass of 1978
St. clair shores, MI
Black Elementary SchoolClass of 1978
Sterling heights, MI
Julie's Story
Life
Holy cow!! When I think about how long it's been since graduation, I shudder. Twenty-two years now!! Well, besides turning 40 (and I know you all feel my pain -- hee hee), I've been busy with the same kinds of things the rest of you have. I've been married to my best friend, Mark, for 16 years now, and we have two boys, Steven who will be 14 this November and Brian who just turned 11.
One thing I've been extremely busy with is my kids. You see, my kids aren't like any other kids. Both boys are autistic. Steven is high-functioning and Brian is far more severe. It is a spectrum disorder. You can have severities ranging from very mild to pretty severe. Brian cannot talk, and changes in his routine can send him into a tantrum. He also loves to be outside but does NOT understand the concept of fear or danger. We've had to retrieve him from the middle of Schoenherr Road a few times. ...Expand for more
Needless to say, there are locks on every door in the house. We've also had to hide the keys because he will use them to get out. It's frustrating to me that he can figure out the function of a key and problem solve but he has no idea that running out in the middle of a busy road could get him seriously hurt or killed.
As you can well imagine, our lives are very rapt up in our two boys and helping them as best we can. I never dreamed my life would be like this........heck, I never knew what autism was. I know I am not the only parent out there with special needs kids. I'd like to hear from some of our classmates who are maybe in the same boat. Maybe it's not autism.....maybe it's a cognitive impairment. Anyway, there's no better way to spread awareness than by talking about it. With awareness there is understanding.
Take care and hope all is well with everyone from the Class of 1984!!
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