Ellis and Elizabeth are siblings who were both diagnosed with autism in 2019. While they share similar interests, like family humor, determination, and a love of animals, they also have their own stories to tell. The road has not been easy, but both Ellis and Elizabeth have learned to navigate life despite their disabilities.
Ellis is a caring young man who enjoys telling jokes, laughing at his grandaddy’s jokes, and teasing his family. He is an animal lover, so much so that his grandma always carries cat food in her car for him so he can feed any stray cats he encounters. Ellis is extremely gifted and does math in his head so quickly, he often skips the steps and going straight to solving the problem.
What is most amazing about Ellis is his capacity for caring for others. His grandma shares, “Knowing my grandson will make the sun shine brighter, the birds sing louder, and the day more rewarding.”
Elizabeth, like her older brother, also has a great sense of humor and a love of animals. She is also very compassionate and once asked her grandma to buy food for a homeless man whom she talked with for nearly 20 minutes.
She is great at teaching herself new skills, like when she taught herself multiplication at the age of 4! She has also learned how to write songs and create YouTube videos. Elizabeth always carries a notepad and pen so she can draw pictures and will leave her artwork at everyone’s seat at a table.
Shortly after her first birthday, Elizabeth began early intervention through BabyNet and went to occupational, speech, and ABA therapies. Today, Elizabeth is talking (despite doctors’ predictions) and is in a gifted program at school. She is truly a light in the world.