Therapies

Meet Emily Bills --Autism recovery

The People That Inspire Humanity

Hey, my name is Emily. I'm 19 years old and I have high-functioning autism. I was diagnosed when I was 2 1/2, when my parents noticed that I stopped talking and developing normally. I never wanted to be snuggled. Loud noises scared me badly. I would parrot everything my parents said. I didn't like people in general. I'd have a hard time sleeping at night. I was a very picky eater, and didn't like things if the textures weren't right. I also didn't like it when things would suddenly change. Once I was diagnosed, I was put into speech and occupational therapy right away. My therapists thought that I would never be able to go to a mainstream school, learn how to drive, keep a job, or get married. I proved them wrong. I was put in an IEP program when I went to an autism preschool at 3 years old. I learned how to read when I was 4. I was good at remembering things with details. By the time I turned 5, my teachers ran out of things to teach me that were in their curriculum because I picked it up fast, so they started teaching me things that I would learn in kindergarten.

Now I'm in my freshman year of college,I changed my major this past semester to studying special education, and not social work. I work part-time in a call center for an anesthesia medical billing company as a billing specialist. I stopped being on the IEP program when I was in 9th grade. I have a driver's license, I graduated high school with a 3.2 GPA, I'm engaged to be married next fall to an amazing guy, who loves me and accepts me for who I am. I still have some OCD tendencies, and I still have some texture issues when it comes to certain foods. For the most part, people can't even tell that I have autism.

For you parents out there with children on the spectrum, don't give up on them. Help them reach for their potential. Look for the talents that they have, and help develop them. My parents didn't give up on me, and I'm forever grateful for them, because I get to live a normal life. I am getting married July 5th.
Thank you,
Emily