Apr 1, 2008 11:15 pm US/Central
The Color Red: Helping Others Cope With Autism
NEW LONDON, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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Michael Shimek now speaks just five words, plus "ho, ho, ho" and "up, up and away" for Santa's reindeer.
CBS
There is nothing wrong with a little Christmas in the spring. For the Shimek family, Christmas isn't about presents under a tree, but a greater gift.
"It is such a connection time for our household," said Julie Jurgens-Shimek.
Michael Shimek has autism. Until Santa Claus came around, he couldn't communicate.
"Speech had left us for a couple of years," said Julie, his mother. "And no matter what, he wouldn't attempt to talk."
That's until one day, when Michael was sitting in his sleigh.
"I walked through the sunroom and I waved and I said 'Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas.' And he waved and his words back were 'Ho ho, ho' and I just about fell over," said Julie.
Michael now speaks just five words, plus "ho, ho, ho" and "up, up and away" for Santa's reindeer. At first doctor's thought his lack of speech was because Michael was deaf.
"We actually celebrated the fact that he was deaf," said Julie. She thought a diagnosis of autism would be worse.
"I knew that people that are afflicted with a hearing impairment live fantastic lives," she said.
Over a short period of time it became obvious to her and to doctors that Michael wasn't deaf. Between the time he turned one until he was 18 months old, Michael stopped saying things like 'bye' and 'cup' and seemed distant. The loss of language and emotional disconnect are markers of autism.
"He absolutely jumped into the realm of looking through you. There was no eye contact. He became very, very distant from us," said Julie. "I had done so much research, everything kept taking me to autism."
Turns out, she was right.
With mountains of medical paperwork, hours of autism research and appointment after appointment, Julie felt like she was losing herself.
"Dark circles. I wasn't sleeping. I physically looked like the end was coming," she recalled.
As a way to cope with the challenges of her son and keep track of his steps forward and back, Julie started journaling, and that turned into a book.
"I wrote the book that I wanted to read," she said.
The book describes her family's entrance into the world of autism and focuses on her family's deepest connections with Christmas and the color red. The book is appropriately called, "The Color Red."
"One Christmas Jim, Michael's father, got his hands on a Santa Claus suit, and for Michael, he was so excited, his face lit up, he latched on to the color as soon as he saw it," said Julie.
Next year, it was off to the Twin Cities from their home in New London, Minn. to buy costumes of their own.
Michael loves to wear his father's costume. Who would have thought that one size fits all.
And for a child whose doctors said he couldn't imagine, Christmas proved them wrong.
"I would say Michael has built a sleigh and reindeer. I have reindeers made out of forks or spoons or knives – maybe 200 of them – that run through my house," said Julie.
Even when not dressed in red velvet and a face of fluff, Michael always wears red.
"The color red, I mean it surrounds us all the time. And the wonderful thing was the moment that door opened for him, he left it open for us," said Julie.
For more resources on autism and information on the book "The Color Red", click on the link below.
"The Color Red" by Julie Jergens-Shimek
Autism Society of Minnesota
Minnesota Autism Center
Fraser Community Services
U of M Medical Center: Autism
Department of Education: Autism Spectrum Disorders
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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