Walk For Autism helps rural areas

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Living with autism or caring for someone who does can be a difficult thing to do.

That’s why organizations across the country have autism walks to raise awareness of the disability and raise money for autism initiatives.

Ann McGill sat down with a mom in Charleston who organized one of these walks.

Adria Cooper-Nesmith and her husband Tron have three wonderful children.

Their daughter Adriana is the oldest, now 21.

Their sons, Tron, Jr. 14, and Andre, 13, are both on the autism spectrum.

“Of course, it was devastating the first time and even more devastating the second time, hearing that not only one of my children was diagnosed with autism but both,” said Cooper-Nesmith.

As a caseworker with the Department of Social Services working with children of special needs, she knew it wouldn’t be easy, but nothing could prepare her for the difficult road ahead.

“So as you could imagine trying to juggle those appointments every week, as well as work and my daughter’s extracurricular activities, in addition to other just daily living activities, it was definitely very challenging,” said Cooper-Nesmith.

Working with her pediatrician, they found the resources to help her sons be their best.

“Both of them participated in ABA therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy as well as physical therapy,” said Cooper-Nesmith.

Cooper-Nesmith says she doesn’t know how she would have made it without the of her mom, but soon, she found herself having to pay it forward.

“My two nephews, they are twins, they’re now 9 years old, but when they received their diagnosis and they live down in Georgetown county,” said Cooper-Nesmith.

After learning resources were limited in Andrews, where her brother and his wife were raising their sons, Cooper-Nesmith started organizing a walk there to help families in Georgetown and Williamsburg Counties.

“They’ll be able to ask questions of the various providers and get information that they may not necessarily have known about,” said Cooper-Nesmith.

It’s a situation she wishes no family had to go through, but she wants people to be encouraged because help is available.

McGill: “So this has been quite a challenging journey so with all you’ve been through, what words of encouragement or what advice would you have for parents who may have to go through what you’ve gone through?”

Cooper-Nesmith: “I would say breathe, number one. Because it’s difficult hearing that your child is diagnosed with autism or any disability, to say the least.”

She says scream, yell, cry, go through the range of motions then, get busy advocating for your child, to mold them into the best version of themselves that they can be.

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