WYOMING COUNTY, W.Va. – Ahead of Governor Morrisey’s proclamation recognizing Profound Autism Awareness Day on March 17th, WVVA sat down with a Southern W.Va. family to talk about their son, Dylan.
Dylan is a 10-year-old boy from Wyoming County who has profound autism. Although he’s nonverbal, his family said his personality speaks volumes.
“He is very smart, he’s clever, he is usually fun-loving, he has… laughing spells out of nowhere, which is kind of contagious, and he’s typically easy to get along with,” said Angel McCoy-Green, Dylan’s mother.
McCoy-Green explained that the spectrum of autism has a wide range, and no single child fits every trait.
“So, for some people, autism may be…a special unique personality trait, but for people with profound autism…it impacts your life in every way, and everybody has to adjust to that,” continued McCoy-Green.
And while Dylan brings love and joy to his family, their location brings some challenges in terms of his care, which McCoy-Green is hopeful for improvement of. The family is seeing a lack of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy clinics in the area, which are vital to both Dylan and his family.
“There is zero in Wyoming county, there’s none, we were waiting for Logan County to get something, I had read about some in Pikeville, Kentucky, so I had my eyes open all the time. I think there’s one in Princeton, but even the ones that are opening, the need is so big that there’s a waiting list,” said McCoy-Green.
McCoy-Green added that they’ve gone without a respite worker for three years, which is necessary for them due to Dylan’s need of 24/7 care.
Despite this, she told WVVA that Governor Morrissey’s planned proclamation recognizing Profound Autism Awareness Day is an improvement for West Virginians who have profound autism and their loved ones.
“It’s a small first step, I’m thankful that they’re recognizing that profound autism needs a little bit more awareness and I think it’s a good step in the right direction, there’s still lots more that needs to be done,” McCoy-Green said.
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