With encouragement from my colleagues at Children’s Therapy TEAM, I am beginning a Shining Star series in my weekly blog. Periodically, I will spotlight individuals in our community who I think are inspiring. This week I’m highlighting 22-year-old Molly Ivy (diagnosed with Autism at the age of two) and her mother Nancy Wells.
Having treated Molly several years ago, I could not be prouder of the young woman she is today. Molly finds particular joy in expressing herself through writing. She feels that her Autism actually helps make her more creative. She shares, “Frankly, I like going for what people don’t expect in stories like writing about magic and creatures of other worlds.” Molly drew on her creative gifts to publish her own book, “A Journey Long Magic”. Molly’s mother shares, “There are no limits to Molly’s abilities as a writer.”
However, long before Molly’s mother Nancy ever felt a sense of peace about her daughter’s well-being, she recalls her tendency to “worry and obsess about what had yet to be accomplished.”Before she embraced what she refers to as the “magic” of having a child with Autism and the wonder of each phase of life, she was relentless in her mission to find answers.
When Molly was a toddler she seemed to go through what her mother observed as an overnight change. She had loss of speech, sensitivities to almost everything, sudden meltdowns and sleeplessness. She ate dirt to the point that Nancy had become concerned about possible lead poisoning. She would sometimes hurt herself or others when she was in settings that she found unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Leaving the house, no matter where the destination, was overwhelming for Molly, and as Nancy noted, “disastrous for everyone” in the family.
At the age of two Molly began speech therapy and occupational therapy. Nancy contacted Dr. Ivar Lovaas from UCLA after an area psychologist recommended “The Me Book”. Dr. Lovaas and Nancy had weekly conversations which helped Nancy troubleshoot adapting a space to work with Molly in the home. Dr. Lovaas created a modified version of his ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) program for Molly. This program included a team of therapists to help family members and caretakers implement the program.
Continually seeking out new options, the family enrolled Molly in Auditory Integration Therapy as well as mental health counseling when she was 4 years old. Nancy shared, “We did see improvements. The Auditory Integration Therapy really helped her hearing and light sensitivities.” When I asked Nancy about her biggest worries for Molly as a child with autism, Nancy commented on her concerns about Molly’s safety and vulnerability. She shared, “She was non-verbal until 5 years old and an easy target for harm of all kinds.”
With ongoing progress in her therapies, Molly blossomed. As her communication improved, she was able to articulate her thoughts and feelings. This opened up a whole new world of insight for her family. Nancy vividly recalls when her then 17-year-old daughter shared, “I think I will become an adult and will never have had a friend.” Convinced that local high school options were not a good fit, the family contracted an education consultant to search for a better option. They discovered a private Massachusetts boarding school for individuals with disabilities called Riverview School.
Molly’s time at Riverview proved to be what Nancy referred to as the best four and half years of her daughter’s life so far. Reflecting on her time at the school, Molly shared, “They taught me about all kinds of things and we went to lots of places. Before I went there I was isolated. Riverview gave me a normal life with lots of good friends. I still keep in touch with them on Facebook.”
Now back in Northwest Arkansas, Molly is a student with the AbleTalks Pilot Program. Through this program, Molly hones in on her career planning and goal setting. She also has regular opportunities to continue developing her language skills through work with a speech therapist. Reflecting on how far Molly has come, Nancy shares,“Molly has achieved a feat that many others chase their entire lives: the career of her dreams. She loves what she does and who she has become. What better blessing can a mother experience?”
Want to read Molly’s latest book? It’s definitely a magical page-turner! It’s available at Amazon.
Resources:
AbleTalks
Auditory Integration Therapy
Lovaas Institute
Molly’s Monters
Riverview School