Three women commit to developmentally challenged programs
Caring for an individual with a developmentally challenged diagnosis, such as autism, can affect families and friends in different ways, according to the Autism Society of America. It can put a strain on relationships, finances, work and other aspects of life.
The best way to stay above stress and avoid conflict is through education. Educating each family member or friend of the diagnosis and challenges they may encounter can help create a network of support.
Brittany Stanton
Brittany Stanton is a certified occupational therapy assistant providing services to children in the Bowie and Cass counties’ school districts. She is married with one daughter, Aria. She specializes in helping children with developmental challenges of all types.
“I help kids of all ages with different things like handwriting, eating, behavioral issues and socializing,” she said. “I travel to the different school districts to help the kids where they are.”
Brittany knew at a young age that she wanted to be in the medical field from watching her mother, Stacy, struggle with Multiple Sclerosis.
“I knew I wanted to help people and I love kids. I have always loved kids,” she said. “When I was young, I would babysit all the time.”
But her service to the developmentally challenged community does not stop there. Brittany has a dream of one day owning a business that employs those who are developmentally challenged. She has already taken the first step and has opened a storefront.
“As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to have a store where special needs adults could learn work skills, peer interaction, money management skills and more,” she said. She opened Sweet & Sowers Creations this year with her mom and sister, Courtnee. She will need to have a certain number of sales per week to hire someone to work parttime.
“They would help us make the things we sell in the store. It could be the gift baskets, T-shirts, jewelry, decorative signs and so much more,” she said.
Brittany credits the children she works with every day, as well as the teachers and parents that she interacts with, as the reason for staying involved with this community. She said, “Even though we
may seem divided at times, whenever one of our own needs help we all come together as a family and support one another.”
DeLayne Bias
DeLayne Bias is a married mom of son Logan with one more on the way, Jack. Her experience with the developmentally challenged started at a young age with a neighbor. Zari was a young girl living next door with the inability to walk or talk. DeLayne spent time with her, reading to and talking with her.
“As I got older, I would sometimes help her family with bathing her and feeding her through her trach tube,” DeLayne said.
This stuck with her for many years. She credits her nephew, Chance, as her inspiration for staying involved with the special needs community. He was born with a condition known as Joubert Syndrome, a genetic disorder that can affect the cerebellum, an area of the brain that effects balance and coordination.
“He has really inspired me to stay involved and try to make a change in the community,” she said. “He was born with 6 toes on both feet, a cleft lip and palate. He cannot talk or walk on his own yet but is so good at sign language and just received his speaking device.”
DeLayne said she has always enjoyed working with people and children from all different backgrounds and needs different than her own. She works as a self-contained special education aide in the LibertyEylau Independent School District, where she helps children with different challenges every day.
“I will dedicate my life to serving this community. I want to try to make the world an easier place to navigate for them,” she said. “The world is not handicap-friendly, by any means.”
DeLayne said there is more room to grow in making our community, state and the world more acceptable to those who have developmental disabilities. She dreams of a time when there will be more places that offer adult changing rooms, more Braille options, and most importantly, more understanding of those who are different.
“Everyone needs love and understanding, no matter who it is,” she said. “I believe there is power in people that can recognize a disability and be understanding enough to treat them as a human being.”
Desiree Soco
Desiree Soco, a Louisiana native, is mixing up a little creativity with her son, Tayton, and daughter, Morgan, both of whom have been diagnosed with autism. She knew right away that something was different about her son.
“I remember when he was just a baby in the hospital, and everyone was telling me that he wouldn’t be able to do anything. And they told me to pull the plug,” she said. “But I knew he was different. I look at him now and celebrate his accomplishments.”
Tayton spent a good part of his 15 years immobile and unable to communicate.
But today, after a lot of hard work and dedication, he is walking and talking.
“He is still getting therapy services to help him get better, but my fiancé, Scott, and I are so proud of how far he has come,” Desiree said.
Her daughter, Morgan, is also autistic though not on the same level on the autism spectrum as Tayton. She had mobility and ability to talk at a young age.
“It was easier to see those signs in my daughter after having experienced it with my son,” she said.
Desiree and her family have been a part of this community for about four years. They have struggled with finding the right educational opportunities for the children, ultimately deciding to home school.
“When the school district took away self-contained classrooms, they tried to introduce my son into the rest of the school. That did not work for him because he was on a different learning level,” she said. “Being around too large a group is a sensory overload for him.”
Desiree said she had no idea how home schooling her children would affect their abilities, but she took the challenge head-on. What worked would often reveal itself in surprising ways.
Desiree had always made little things for herself like lotions or bath bombs because she enjoyed making them.
“One day someone asked me, ‘What is that smell?’ And I told her that it was my lotion that I threw together,” she said. “She liked it so much she asked if I would sell it to her. That inspired me to start making more of them.”
The surprising thing about this hobby was that her two children enjoyed making products with her.
“Tayton enjoys it the most and it is so good for his fine motor skills to make the soaps,” she said. “Morgan likes it too, but she has started making jewelry more.”
Desiree noticed that Tayton has started being more social when they are at events selling their ‘Colorful Creations.’ She is proud of how far her children have come despite the obstacles they have faced. She dreams of having a ‘kids’ corner’ one day where children with developmentally challenges can truly be themselves.
“I want a place where kids with sensory issues or developmental issues can go and experience the same things as any other kid in our community. A place where they can make robots and build with LEGOs, or pour paint on a canvas,” she said.
She continues to hold the vision close to her heart and be an advocate for anyone who struggles with caring for a child with these challenges.
She affirmed, “Broken crayons still color.”
(April is Autism Awareness Month, created by the Autism Society of America in 1970 to educate the community about autism as a developmental disability. This disorder affects 1 in 54 children annually and is difficult to diagnose. Typically, signs and symptoms are noticed by medical providers during wellness visits. Symptoms can be physical, learning, language, or behavioral issues and are often noticed by parents or caregivers at an early age. Visit autism-society.org online for more information.)