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Thunderbolt NEWS May 2016
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AF family shares experience with child’s autism
by Courtesy photo trum disorder, is a developmental disorder
PRERANA KORPE which can affect social, emotional and com-
Dawson Stock with his parents Jennifer Stock and Maj. Michael Stock. Dawson was munication skills.
Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs diagnosed with autism weeks before his third birthday. He is currently enrolled in
speech therapy, occupational therapy and applied behavior analysis. Early detection and treatment is criti-
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Four-year-old cal to the care of children with autism,
Dawson Stock loves music and instruments; Dawson’s parents decided to schedule a examination. Just weeks before his third according to Lt. Col. (Dr.) Eric Flake, the
his mother says he is obsessed with the visit with a behavioral health nurse prac- birthday, Dawson was diagnosed with au- director of the Developmental Behavioral
violin. He knows the alphabet forward and titioner and took Dawson to Fort Belvoir tism spectrum disorder. Pediatrics program at Joint Base Lewis-
backward and is ready to read. Dawson is Community Hospital in Virginia for an McChord, Washington. The reason why the
teaching himself the sign-language alpha- Autism, a general term for autism spec- greatest emphasis is placed on identifying
bet. He knows his numbers and how to add. autism in children as early as possible is
Dawson is a high-functioning child. to begin teaching children the bene ts of
healthy social communication and to avoid
This was not always the case. In the the adverse consequences of social avoidant
fall of 2014, Dawson’s parents had noticed behaviors.
something was off.
As soon as Dawson was diagnosed, he
“Dawson would not answer to his name was prescribed a combination of occupa-
and eye contact was rare,” said Jennifer tional therapy, speech therapy and applied
Stock, Dawson’s mother. “He had (little) behavior analysis.
to no interest in properly interacting with
children his own age and (he was) extremely “If there is one person in this world who
hyper.” has been the most amazing, it was our
behavioral nurse practitioner, Dr. Jennifer
According to his mother, Dawson would Hensley,” said Maj. Michael Stock, Dawson’s
engage in very little verbal communication. father. “She is one of the greatest humans
on earth. She diagnosed Dawson … and
“He babbled at an age he should have took him in like one of her own kids.”
been talking in fragmented sentences,” she
said. “After having three older children, I Diagnosed on a Tuesday in October 2014,
had learned many techniques to use when Dawson was actively engaged in occupa-
my kids misbehaved — time out, counting tional therapy by the following week.
or a disapproving look —however, none of
those worked with Dawson. He just didn’t Enrollment in speech therapy and ABA
understand. followed. Once Dawson was fully enrolled
in all three therapies, his regimen consisted
“Having my older boys helped me see
sooner that Dawson needed special help.” See AuTiSM, Page 22
