Soundslide: Michael's Autism World

Michael Swan, 13, holds hands with one of his aides, communicative sciences and disorders junior Brittany Anderson, in his home on a Saturday afternoon. Michael was diagnosed on the autism spectrum disorder as severely autistic when he was 2 years and 9 months old.

Lori Swan, Michael’s mother, was told he would never speak. He started speaking and gesturing when he was 8 years old. This is just one of the ways he has progressed, and he now is diagnosed as higher functioning. Michael has been enrolled in various therapies, has worked with different aides, and attends public school where he plays the snare drum in the band.

Michael has become more comfortable with people outside of his family, which typically is difficult for children diagnosed with autism because they lack the ability to create social connections. His parents want him to be as social as any other teenager his age.

Lori and her husband Gordon Swan are the founders of the Autism Foundation of Ingham County, which they decided to create as a resource for other families in the area.

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