I’m the mom of Kobe Thomas. Starting off I had concerns with Kobe’s development when he was about 10 months old. He wasn’t as verbal as other children, he didn’t really respond to his name, and he rarely looked me in the face. A lot of the time I would find Kobe staring off into ‘space.’ I brought these concerns up to his pediatrician who did assessments herself and we knew he might be autistic. I reached out to different facilities and was referred to Nationwide’s Autismin Maumee where Kobe was finally diagnosed when he was two. Of course, Kobe was born right around the time of the COVID pandemic, so we were placed on a waitlist for most services for 6 months to a year.
Kobe has been suspended from 4-5 daycares. He has been to two preschools and will be transitioning to a third preschool this year. He has an IEP and was in a full special ed class. We are trying to get him into ABA therapy, but his father and I both work full-time and are both living in separate households, so it’s been a struggle.
He has also been having issues with severe behavior issues for the last 6 months. He has had issues before, but we are now more concerned about others’ safety as well. Currently his father and I are working with local organizations to find help for that. I want my baby to receive as much assistance and resources as possible. While most of Kobe’s therapy services are covered by my employer insurance and Medicaid there are still many out-of-pocket costs to pay for all the resources he needs.
Going into this I wasn’t fully aware or didn’t fully educate myself on the amount of help he would need so right now we are catching up and trying to help assist Kobe in becoming as great as possible. There are times I feel guilty regarding that, but he shows me every day I’ve still done a great job. He’s extremely bright, smart, funny, and kind.
We were looking for additional resources, not covered by insurance, to help within daycare and at home since we weren’t able to get him into an autism-based daycare yet. The Suzanne Tyner Fund provided us with the means to purchase assistive devices. I am profoundly grateful for the assistive devices provided by Avenues for Autism. Each tool has been transformative in helping Kobe navigate his daily life with greater comfort and confidence. Thanks to these supports, Kobe can better engage with his environment, experience fewer outbursts, and express a greater sense of calm and well-being. These devices have not only improved Kobe’s quality of life but have also given our family a greater sense of hope and empowerment.
Story by Brittney (Kobe’s mom)
