thedrifter
12-31-03, 07:27 AM
Marine by day,Super Dad by night Marine juggles career, two children with special needs.......
Submitted by: MCAS Miramar
Story Identification Number: 20031230181617
Story by
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Cpl. Kristen L. Tull) -- At first glance Savine and Jacob look like any ordinary six and four year old, but their normalcy runs only skin deep because of a disorder they both have: autism.
One Miramar Marine quickly learned that autism affects every aspect of the entire family's life.
According to the National Institute for Mental Health, autism is a neurological disorder that typically appears during the first three years of life. It affects the brain's processing of the five senses impacting the normal development of the brain. This results in difficulties in the areas of social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication skills and leisure and play skills.
The severity differs for each child. Some children may have a severe case of autism and never say a word, while others are able to obtain doctorate degrees. There is no known cause, but the disorder appears to be hereditary. Parents who have one child with autism have a higher risk of having another child with autism.
Known to Savine as "Daddy Justin," Cpl. Justin Schreiter, G-6 operations clerk for Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, recently married Victoria who had two children from a previous marriage.
"If you have autism, you don't see me as a person talking to you, you see a shape, connected to another shape, that makes sounds, and moves, has a scent and may even touch you," said Victoria. "The average person processes all of this very quickly and realizes everything's connected. They don't," she said. "They have to process everything, with all of the senses out of tune. It's very confusing to them."
The Shreiters met posting ads on the information super highway.
"I met her on Yahoo Personals," said Schreiter. "We talked for a while, and then decided to meet. We've been together ever since."
Victoria let him know right away that she had two children with autism.
"I had no idea what it was. She said it was a disorder that affected how they learned and interacted with other people," said Schreiter.
When it came time for Justin to meet Victoria's children, she had no doubts he would interact well with her children.
"I could tell by Justin's character, he would be great with my kids," said Victoria.
"I had no experience with children. I knew they were autistic, but I had nothing to compare them to. They seemed like a normal four and six-year-old to me," said Schreiter.
But, they're far from that. Savine, a beautiful little girl with long blonde hair, attends therapy five days a week after school instead of going outside to play. Savine, who was originally non-verbal and disconnected from human contact, has made great progress and is now diagnosed with high-functioning autism. She once could not even tolerate a human voice singing. Now she sings along with her mom in the car on the way to therapy, is up to grade level in her academics, and now has a few children she considers good friends in her class at school.
"Our goal for Savine is to be able to take care of herself and now, Jacob," said Victoria. "Because of the different therapy she goes to, Savine is progressing very well, and we're pretty confident she'll be able to do that."
Jacob is four and learning how to use a Velcro board with pictures of things such as water, pretzels and a ball in order to communicate what he wants. Jacob was diagnosed with autism at 18 months and according to Victoria has not made the gains Savine has, and is more severely affected by the disorder. He does not have many language skills, has not developed "normal" toy play and cannot yet understand most basic requests that are made of him.
"He isn't expected to ever be able to take care of himself," said Justin.
"They are also on a special diet, the gluten and casein-free diet, which doesn't allow them things like wheat, oats or dairy products. When we go to McDonalds, I order them a double cheeseburger happy meal. They get the meat, drink, fries and toy, I get the bread and cheese," said Justin.
"This diet is part of the Pheiffer treatment program. After a lot of research of the different biomedical theories that are out there, this is the one we felt had the most concise testing, with years of research behind it," said Victoria.
"When it comes to the food they eat, we can tell if they ate something they weren't supposed to by the way they respond and act," said Justin. "They will be more distant, compulsive and not as focused," he said.
"We're pretty limited as to where we can shop for groceries or go out to eat, but the results are well worth it," said Victoria.
Victoria is a parent coordinator at a center where parents go once they find out their child has autism, or other developmental disabilities. She helps direct them on where to go for resources and what to expect in the intake process.
When she's not at work, she's attending conferences on the newest therapies, serving on the Board of the San Diego Chapter Autism Society of America and taking the children to the therapies her husband can't.
"I joined the Marine Corps to pay for school. I'm still able to go, but only one class at a time. Right now my family comes first. When my children get situated and I feel comfortable that they are well on their way in therapy, I'll take more classes. Right now, I'm in a therapeutic program offered at Grossman College," said Schreiter.
"Justin gives 100 percent to the Marine Corps as well as his family," said Ken Verdoliva, G-6 Operations officer.
Verdoliva says Schreiter is one of the best Marines he's ever worked with.
"I've never once had to look over his shoulder or wonder if he got the job done," said Verdoliva.
"My work section really works with me," said Schreiter. "There are days I need to leave early in order to make it to (Savine and Jacob's) therapy, and as long as I get my work done, they don't have a problem with letting me go."
"I don't know how he does it, balancing his responsibilities at home with the needs of the Marine Corps, without a single complaint," said Verdoliva.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/4CC3CA1D38072F4F85256E0C007FD5B3?opendocument
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
Submitted by: MCAS Miramar
Story Identification Number: 20031230181617
Story by
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Cpl. Kristen L. Tull) -- At first glance Savine and Jacob look like any ordinary six and four year old, but their normalcy runs only skin deep because of a disorder they both have: autism.
One Miramar Marine quickly learned that autism affects every aspect of the entire family's life.
According to the National Institute for Mental Health, autism is a neurological disorder that typically appears during the first three years of life. It affects the brain's processing of the five senses impacting the normal development of the brain. This results in difficulties in the areas of social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication skills and leisure and play skills.
The severity differs for each child. Some children may have a severe case of autism and never say a word, while others are able to obtain doctorate degrees. There is no known cause, but the disorder appears to be hereditary. Parents who have one child with autism have a higher risk of having another child with autism.
Known to Savine as "Daddy Justin," Cpl. Justin Schreiter, G-6 operations clerk for Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, recently married Victoria who had two children from a previous marriage.
"If you have autism, you don't see me as a person talking to you, you see a shape, connected to another shape, that makes sounds, and moves, has a scent and may even touch you," said Victoria. "The average person processes all of this very quickly and realizes everything's connected. They don't," she said. "They have to process everything, with all of the senses out of tune. It's very confusing to them."
The Shreiters met posting ads on the information super highway.
"I met her on Yahoo Personals," said Schreiter. "We talked for a while, and then decided to meet. We've been together ever since."
Victoria let him know right away that she had two children with autism.
"I had no idea what it was. She said it was a disorder that affected how they learned and interacted with other people," said Schreiter.
When it came time for Justin to meet Victoria's children, she had no doubts he would interact well with her children.
"I could tell by Justin's character, he would be great with my kids," said Victoria.
"I had no experience with children. I knew they were autistic, but I had nothing to compare them to. They seemed like a normal four and six-year-old to me," said Schreiter.
But, they're far from that. Savine, a beautiful little girl with long blonde hair, attends therapy five days a week after school instead of going outside to play. Savine, who was originally non-verbal and disconnected from human contact, has made great progress and is now diagnosed with high-functioning autism. She once could not even tolerate a human voice singing. Now she sings along with her mom in the car on the way to therapy, is up to grade level in her academics, and now has a few children she considers good friends in her class at school.
"Our goal for Savine is to be able to take care of herself and now, Jacob," said Victoria. "Because of the different therapy she goes to, Savine is progressing very well, and we're pretty confident she'll be able to do that."
Jacob is four and learning how to use a Velcro board with pictures of things such as water, pretzels and a ball in order to communicate what he wants. Jacob was diagnosed with autism at 18 months and according to Victoria has not made the gains Savine has, and is more severely affected by the disorder. He does not have many language skills, has not developed "normal" toy play and cannot yet understand most basic requests that are made of him.
"He isn't expected to ever be able to take care of himself," said Justin.
"They are also on a special diet, the gluten and casein-free diet, which doesn't allow them things like wheat, oats or dairy products. When we go to McDonalds, I order them a double cheeseburger happy meal. They get the meat, drink, fries and toy, I get the bread and cheese," said Justin.
"This diet is part of the Pheiffer treatment program. After a lot of research of the different biomedical theories that are out there, this is the one we felt had the most concise testing, with years of research behind it," said Victoria.
"When it comes to the food they eat, we can tell if they ate something they weren't supposed to by the way they respond and act," said Justin. "They will be more distant, compulsive and not as focused," he said.
"We're pretty limited as to where we can shop for groceries or go out to eat, but the results are well worth it," said Victoria.
Victoria is a parent coordinator at a center where parents go once they find out their child has autism, or other developmental disabilities. She helps direct them on where to go for resources and what to expect in the intake process.
When she's not at work, she's attending conferences on the newest therapies, serving on the Board of the San Diego Chapter Autism Society of America and taking the children to the therapies her husband can't.
"I joined the Marine Corps to pay for school. I'm still able to go, but only one class at a time. Right now my family comes first. When my children get situated and I feel comfortable that they are well on their way in therapy, I'll take more classes. Right now, I'm in a therapeutic program offered at Grossman College," said Schreiter.
"Justin gives 100 percent to the Marine Corps as well as his family," said Ken Verdoliva, G-6 Operations officer.
Verdoliva says Schreiter is one of the best Marines he's ever worked with.
"I've never once had to look over his shoulder or wonder if he got the job done," said Verdoliva.
"My work section really works with me," said Schreiter. "There are days I need to leave early in order to make it to (Savine and Jacob's) therapy, and as long as I get my work done, they don't have a problem with letting me go."
"I don't know how he does it, balancing his responsibilities at home with the needs of the Marine Corps, without a single complaint," said Verdoliva.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/4CC3CA1D38072F4F85256E0C007FD5B3?opendocument
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: