Troy and Tyler, who I nicknamed TnT, are twin 17 year old boys who are both autistic, and now share one other thing...epilepsy. I found out when Troy had his first seizure in October, that 30% to 50% of people who have a diagnosis of autism also develop epilepsy. Well in our case it's 100%. They really are not sure why. They think it has something to do with puberty and with all the hormonal changes.

But since then, we have found a wonderful doctor in Chicago at Rush Hospital. His name is Dr. Andres Kanner. Both boys are on medication for the first time in their lives, but we have noticed a very positive change in Troy. He was the one who was not social at all! It’s very exciting to me when people come up to me and say, "I never knew Troy had such a sweet smile,” or “He came up and said something to me!" There is always HOPE. Always. Sometimes, life just gets in the way and we lose sight of that.

All I can say to those of you who are just starting your "autism" journey, is try all things that you feel will help. Early intervention is KEY and there are many other families that share your journey. After all, the new stats are 1 in every 91 children are diagnosed on the autism spectrum and 1 in 70 are boys. You are not alone!

Lisa Nolley