CANFIELD — The Autism Society in 1970 declared April as Autism Awareness Month, a time to better understand children with autism.

These youngsters, also referred to as neurodivergent, can lead a full life — with some adjustments that take into account how the child views the world.

That’s the case for Jenny Kluchar of Canfield, who has an autistic third grader, Ben. Kluchar also serves as a school board member and was asked to give a presentation this month to the Canfield Board of Education.

“Raising a child with autism can be one of the greatest blessings a parent can treasure in life,” she said. “For example, I can sense every joy Ben experiences. I love watching him get excited about something.”

She said Ben was diagnosed in preschool when he exhibited behavior and social issues.

“He was diagnosed with ADHD, social communication disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and encopresis when he was in kindergarten,” Kluchar said. “Because we had already been dealing with challenges the previous two years with Ben, we were very relieved with the autism diagnosis. This was a more well-known ‘disorder’ and one that opened doors to many more services and therapies. … We wanted him in the regular school in a general education classroom. The summer between first and second grade we got the official autism diagnosis.”

COMFORTS

When the Kluchars moved into their Canfield home, Ben was 5 months old. His bedroom had lime green walls that didn’t seem bothersome to Ben. Kluchar said some autistic children are bothered by too much color or a specific color. Since the lime green didn’t bother him, he had a more comforting home life.

When it came to attending school, Ben became comfortable with who he was. As the third grade began last fall, Ben got off to a good start.

“Ben announced to his class on the first day that he was autistic as they were introducing each other, so he was letting them know about his differences from the beginning,” Kluchar said. “Other kids in the class opened up about their autism as well. I befriended the mother of another boy in Ben’s class with autism.”

Austin Lucas is the son of Kenny and Ashley Lucas of Canfield. Austin was diagnosed at an early age, which enabled her family to gain the proper guidance and services. The Lucas home was also modified to make it a good environment for Austin.

Lucas said her son’s biggest distraction is noise.

“Austin can at times be paralyzed by loud noises and requires earplugs,” she said. “Once he is acclimated to an environment he can process the noise more easily. He can also hear unusual sounds like the humming of a refrigerator that can become distracting.”

She said Austin gets high anxiety over schedule changes, which meant planning as far out in advance as possible with explanations on a visual schedule. Austin also has learned to remove himself from situations that become too overwhelming.

“He prefers to eat alone as opposed to eating with a large group. The volume of noise is intolerable,” Ashley said. “He has a tendency to get tunnel vision when nervous and has a fear of heights, (medical) shots and spiders. They become paralyzing and disrupt any event or situation he may be in at the moment.”

Lucas said at home, the family uses redirection and positive reinforcement to establish eye contact. Several clothing options are set out for the day and Austin often gravitates toward the color yellow, which calms him.

PASSIONS

Both Ben and Austin have accepted their disgnosis, and it does not keep either one down.

For Ben, there is a real passion for model railroading. He was introduced to the hobby by an older brother, who also was diagnosed with autism.

“My oldest son, Jack (who is now 23), is also on the autism spectrum,” Kluchar said “When he was little he loved trains. When Ben was a toddler, Jack introduced him to all the Thomas the Tank Engine characters and Ben was hooked.”

Today, Ben and his dad are building a 7-by-4-foot layout that will host a large gauge train and a Lionel train, which were gifts from relatives. Of course, Thomas the Tank engine has a spot on the layout.

For Austin, his interests are quickly turning into a skilled trade.

“Austin aspires to be an inventor, he enjoys working with his soldering iron to create circuit boards, he enjoys woodworking, using his 3-D printer and drafts inventions in great detail,” Ashley said. “We create wood decor with hand tools and a CNC machine to teach Austin all aspects of the trade including how to run a business and incorporate technology. He is extremely involved in the process and helps to sell his products at The Youngstown Flea. He is saving to buy a lathe and a laser.”

Austin also loves the great outdoors, specifically fishing, swimming, archery and western horseback riding.

INDEPENDENCE

At school, both Ben and Austin are learning and enjoying the class time. They are part of the general education classroom with teacher Marie Rupert and in the resource room with Shannon Rabovsky. These teachers and the rest of the Hilltop Elementary staff are credited by the moms for working with their sons to make them feel comfortable and help them learn new skills.

“Third grade has required a great deal of independence and they have helped Austin to rise to the occasion,” Lucas said.

She continues to stay in contact with the Autism Society for resources and events.

“I believe that more work remains to be done to ensure that the neurodiverse community has equal access to services and accommodations,” Lucas said. “An ASD diagnosis is overwhelming for parents and a challenge to gather necessary information and services available. It is also difficult to understand the intricacies of educational services through the public school systems. It would also be helpful for society to understand the challenges that individuals on the spectrum experience on a daily basis.”

As for Kluchar, part of why she ran for the Canfield Board of Education was to make a difference and be a spokesperson for autistic children.

At the April 13 school board meeting, Kluchar asked Rupert to share what it is like to have Ben in her class. She wrote, in part: “In tough situations, Ben has taught the other students how to be respectful and empathetic to students who sometimes struggle with self-control. I am a firm believer in the framework of PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports). Recognizing students as often as possible for their positive actions has helped Ben to thrive. Ben has learned to express his thoughts and emotions this year more than ever before.”