The Mckelvey Family

"Ask Alec", that is what we say quite a lot in our family. Alec is 17, and when a question comes up in his area of expertise, you can be confident that he will know the answer! But it wasn't always that way. When he was three years old, we worried that he might never speak again. At the age of one, he had started talking and then, mysteriously, lost all language and personality. Outwardly, he looked ill with dark circles under his eyes and frequent colds and flu.

Our previously healthy, laughing and lovely baby had become a stranger in his own body. We were devastated when we finally got the diagnosis of autism.

It has been a long road. In the beginning, at three and a half, Alec had 40 hours per week of behavioral therapy for three years. After that, he had therapy every day after school for his entire elementary school life. Also, since the age of three and a half, Alec has been on a special diet. At the age of 6, he was diagnosed with a form of colitis. Through the benefits of his diet and treatment for the colitis, his health has steadily improved. He is the frequent recipient of perfect attendance at school. In the past 7 years he has only missed two days of school for illness.

Now he is the mascot for his high school football team. His expertise is history and he loves to dress in costumes of historical characters. So dressing up as a cowboy for his high school is a joy for him. We hope it might turn into a career someday. Perhaps he can de a docent at a historical site or perform in the theater. Either way, he is one special guy. But I would not wish for anyone what we have gone through to get here. We were lucky to have the will and the means to get this far. That is not to mention the hours and hours of hard work put in from Alec himself.

So much more could be done in the field of autism. In Alec's case, I truly believe that his autism was acquired after birth. It could have been prevented. Genetic research alone is not going to solve this problem. I am forever thankful for Thoughtful House and the work being done there. There are real families out there who need help now. Thoughtful House is providing that help. Autism research needs to ask and answer the question on every parent's mind... "Could this happen to me?"