It was December 3rd, 2014, Molly Korte had just given birth to her and husband Brian’s third child. A beautiful baby boy that they named Jacob. They couldn’t be happier, Brian’s new business, Brickworkz Lego Mosiac’s was taking off and their girls were excelling in and out of school. Life was good. As their son Jacob grew however, Molly began to notice behavioral differences between Jacob and their two girls. He did things at his own pace, at first they would joke about it, referring to Jacob as their “Jimmy Buffett baby” because he took his time with everything. He sat on the ground preoccupied by doors that he would open and close all day long. He also interacted with other children differently. The girls loved their play dates, there was always a lot of interaction between their daughters and the other children. Jacob on the other hand would sit in a room full of kids grinding his teeth, not showing an interest in playing with any of the other children. Molly and her husband Brian were worried about his isolation and anxiety at these play dates but thought that it was “a boy thing.”
As time went on and the behavior continued they began to worry. They went to the doctor for a regular 12-month checkup and asked about Jacob’s behavior, they were told that Jacob was “developmentally delayed.” In the spring of 2016 they went back to the doctor for a skin rash he was suffering from. The doctor asked Molly to come into her office. Her heart sank, she knew she would not like what was coming. The pediatrician referred her to a specialist because she “had every reason to believe he is on the spectrum.” Jacob was officially diagnosed with autism on June 30, 2016. Molly will always remember that day. It was a day that changed her life in profound and unexpected ways. The diagnosis was the catalyst that started a movement.
Aftermath of the diagnosis.
The diagnosis at first was devastating. Her thoughts raced and emotions flared. In the immediate aftermath of the diagnosis Molly, like many parents of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, felt isolated and scared. Her emotions raced between sadness, fear, anxiety and confusion. The first few weeks and months were overwhelming.
These emotions are not unique to Molly, Brian and Jacob. Parents of autistic children worldwide are forced to deal with people questioning their parenting skills. They have to listen to ignorant people say things like “he/she looks so normal,” or “my niece behaved that way and my sister put him on a vegan diet…problem solved, have you tried that?” When an autistic child is having a meltdown their parents have to deal with the dirty looks and judgement thrust upon them by people who just don’t have a clue. Autism is so misunderstood.
This total lack of understanding is a source of frustration and anger for many parents of autistic children. Some parents don’t want their kids playing with autistic children for fear of them “catching autism” for example. While realizing that this type of ignorance existed Molly found herself wanting to shout to the world “WHY, why in the 21st century, is there still this stigma and fear of autism? How can other parents possibly think their kid can catch autism from Jacob?!?” She knew that something had to change. She knew that her and Jacob needed to be heard and that awareness had to be created. Deep down she knew that she had to not only be a part of that, but to be a leader.
Clarity, acceptance, action.
Molly was in search of something, anything really, that would put her mind at ease and give her direction. She sought out answers and a clear path…