Thomasville group to offer parental support program for parents of children with autism

THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) - Parents and caretakers now have the opportunity to be a part of a support group for raising children with autism. StepNStones nontraditional school is creating a program that allows parents to lean on each other as they navigate life through the unique eyes of their kids.

There is so much beauty in raising children who are neurodiverse, and there are also some challenges. But Step’NStones has created a program for parents who feel alone with raising these neurodiverse children to be included in a support group for children with autism.

“There are other people who also have neurodiverse children, children with autism and just be able to relate and then also to be able to generalize some of the things that the kids do in therapy, they do at home too, so we help support them with that.” Assistant Director and Occupational Therapist Shauna Bell said.

Parents, caregivers, guardians and even people in the community are welcome to the program. Bell says most parents feel like they’re on an island and that no one else experiences the problems they are - in fact, that’s the reason the parents I spoke with say why they joined.

“It felt good to just hear everybody’s stories and not feel like you’re alone. For a long time, I felt alone in doing this and that I don’t have a village, and this is the village that you need,” said Phillip Arthurs and Lynn Clark, parents who are in the support group.

“For us, we didn’t have any close friends that had children with autism, so it’s like you’re starting this out by yourself. So, coming here talking with other people, you’re like oh our kid does that, our kid does that, and now it’s gotten to the point where autism is becoming more prevalent, people we know who are having kids after us are finding out their kids have autism but now, we can help them,” said parents Destiny and L.J. Albury, who are in the support group.

The Clark family says, that over the years their child has been misdiagnosed and misunderstood, but thanks to this program, they now have a place where they can come, and other parents can relate to them, and they help each other through.

“Being patient, taking the time to put myself in his shoes and looking at the world like he would. People would say oh he’s throwing a tantrum, but we can understand that tantrum by understanding what’s going on in his mind, and that he’s actually just overstimulated and not just a bad kid,” the Clarks said.

The Albury Family is from the Bahamas, and they say they came to Thomasville’s Step N Stones Academy for the proper help for their son. They first spotted the signs of autism in their child when he was 15 months old.

“He stopped talking like he could not communicate with us. They gave us a checklist to mark off the milestones like what he was doing at this age, and I could not check off anything and that’s when we looked at each other and said something is not right,” the Alburys said.

But both families say they have found the beauty in seeing the world through the eyes of their children. They now know how to have more patience with their children, know how to choose activities, and understand how their brains work.

“So we’ve learned to adjust to him and he’s learned to adjust to us too,” said Destiny Albury.

She credits her son’s progress to Step N Stones and thanks them for providing a safe place for them to meet, learn and interact with other parents through the support group.

“I thank God for them because if it wasn’t for them, Payton would not be where he is today,” Albury says.

Step N Stones will have an autism Awareness Festival on Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ritz Amphitheater in downtown Thomasville. It’s a family-friendly event with lots of activities, food, entertainment, a silent auction, games and fun. There will also be a parent support group at the festival.

The parent support group is open to anyone who is a caretaker of someone autistic.

To learn how to register for the group, contact StepNStones on their Facebook page, Step N Stones Autism Academy and Therapy Services, or give them a call at (229) 227-1433.

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