Jordan’s Story Lori Coffman helped me understand the joys and challenges of raising a child with autism, her son Jordan Wohl having been diagnosed with it at a very young age. Coffman, a Wynot, Nebraska native, has three children. The older two in their thirties live close, her son near Chicago and her daughter in Sioux Falls. Jordan, the youngest at age 18, also in Sioux Falls, lives at LifeScape, a facility that serves the needs of adults and children with disabilities. The non-profit organization was created in 2014 when Children’s Care Hospital and Schools merged with South Dakota Achieve. Jordan has lived here since the age of eight, an extremely difficult decision for Lori but has turned out to be the right decision for everyone. “He struggled an awful lot over the years but he’s come a long way,” she explained of his time at LifeScape. “He really needs that structure. Structure is really important.” The Diagnosis Coffman explained how Jordan was developmentally delayed from a young age. He walked and talked much later than most children do and looking back, she remembers how he would rock back and forth in his high chair when he was ninemonths old. He didn’t sleep well, most often falling asleep in the evenings for a couple of hours to wake up at midnight and would be awake for the rest of the night. This was exhausting for Coffman as she was also working full-time outside the home. Another symptom Jordan displayed was lack of interest in toys that most little boys his age would play with, such as trucks and blocks. He wanted to play with shoes, and he had an obsession for umbrellas. Coffman and her husband Jeff soon decided to take Jordan to a doctor to find the underlying reason for his behavior. “We started with a pediatrician, then went to a pediatric neurologist, then pediatric psychiatry, but the pediatric neurologist was actually the first one that made the diagnosis of autism,” she explained. Jordan was diagnosed before the age of four with high-functioning autism. She explained how she doesn’t think there are any two forms of autism that are identical as there are a vast range of symptoms. You can have autism and be a genius and you can have autism and be severely retarded or could be anywhere in between. Challenges Jordan loves animals! Finding daycare was a challenge, especially after Jordan’s primary provider moved out of town when he turned four and he had become attached to her. It was then that Jordan started going to Early Childhood Development at Stewart Elementary School and his behavior problems started to surface. Jordan started to display aggressive behavior throughout his early years of school. When his behavior became more aggressive, his pediatric psychiatrist in Sioux Falls brought up the possibility that the LifeScape facility might be beneficial for him. When Jordan’s step-dad, Jeff, passed away, Jordan’s behavior became more challenging and regular habits such as going to the bathroom became more difficult. Developmentally he started going backwards; Coffman and the school system agreed to Jordan trying LifeScape. He was 24 HR EXPRESS LAUNDROMAT Lori and Jordan at her daughter’s wedding. Relax At Diggers Casino & Bar Next Door While You Wash & Dry! 2020 Elm St. - Behind Walgreens Laundry Machines To Fit Any Size Load And Budget HERVOICEvMARCH/APRIL2017v7