Dale gardner autism pix and biography

I knew when she was 18 months old. It was devastating to look at autism again. Many, to this day, have to fight for their child to receive the right education and support. Dale is now increasingly independent and eager to get involved in the world. I live with my daughter Amy and our dog Thomas — we call him Terrible Thomas as he is really naughty.

Dale gardner autism pix and biography

Her autism is more mild. She is a very able and mature child. We tried to use her passion positively. But as he grew up, things changed a little. He got a new dog. He named his golden retriever dog Henry after one of the trains in Thomas the Tank Engine show. Henry was a train he really loved. He loved trains. With Henry, he could do anything. Communicate, make eye contact, learn to go potty, eat proper food, take a bath and even say the words "I love you".

It is very hard for people who has autism to show feelings, especially love. When Nuala heard those words, oh, they were music to her ears and the words she'd finally wanted to hear. When he grew up, of course he acts like a normal teenager. Hanging out with friends, chatting and so on. He became the person Nuala wanted him to be. But Henry has come to an end.

He was driving his parents, Nuala and James, to breaking point. But then they found Henry, a golden retriever whom Dale named after his favourite train in Thomas the Tank Engine, his childhood obsession. When his engineer father James, 48, pretended Henry was speaking, Dale responded and began to show him affection. Eventually, Dale started to show his parents affection and began to express emotion, something autistic people often have difficulty with.

Slowly but surely, he left his isolated bubble and joined the real world. It sounds crazy but Henry was like a furry telephone: a way for Dale to communicate. Now Dale is living, for all intents and purposes, a normal life. He completed his education in a mainstream school, has travelled to parts of Europe and America and is studying for National Certificate in Childcare.