Jackson Skane is a youth ambassador to Northeast Arc’s Board of Directors and an autism advocate. In a new blog series, he’ll write about his experiences with autism and how they have shaped his life and his career goals.
Hello everyone! I am so excited that you have found this blog and I can’t wait to share my journey with you all. My name is Jackson Skane and I am 19 years old. I am currently a freshman at Endicott College majoring in Elementary Education. It is crazy to think that I am writing a blog because I never thought it would be possible in a million years. Through this blog series, I hope you can leave with a better understanding of disability awareness as well as the endless opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
“Jackson? Jackson?”:
“Jackson? Jackson?” was something I constantly heard as a toddler. I never understood why a random name was being repeated over and over again. My parents would always say that name, yet I would never respond. They were concerned because I didn’t know my name and anytime they would talk to me, I never responded.
My parents knew deep down that I needed extra support, but they were not sure in what capacity. Therefore, my parents took me to a variety of doctors to have me tested, yet each one said the same thing. “Jackson does not have any problems,” but my parents were not satisfied. Finally, when I went to Tufts Medical Center in Boston, a doctor finally diagnosed me. Autism, I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The doctor explained that I did not speak because I was nonverbal and the doctor said they were unsure if I would ever be verbal. My parents were devastated and my dad even had to sit in a private room to cope with the reality of the diagnosis.
My dad had always struggled in school as a kid and had assumed that it was the same problem for me, but it was more than just being a little behind. My parents were in such a difficult place as I was their first child and they were not very educated on what Autism was. All my parents knew was that there would be a long road ahead.
The Northeast Arc:
After hearing the diagnosis, my parents were very unsure how to help me. Even though we had family that supported us, the majority of them were across the country and did not have experience with an individual with a disability. This left my parents with a lot of stress and while struggling with finding ways to support me, they stumbled upon the Northeast Arc. The Northeast Arc is the place that saved me and my family. While I was going to adaptive dance and music classes, my parents would attend a parent support group. When my parents attended the support groups, they were able to learn about the resources that I would need from the other parents who had children with disabilities. These parents were also a resource for my parents to have someone they could talk to who was in the same shoes.
For me, the adaptive classes were life-changing because it was the first time I felt like I belonged somewhere. I enjoyed being in a space where I could be myself and not be judged by the kids around asking “what’s wrong with you”. Instead, the kids had similar needs as I did and we could just focus on having fun. I never had a time where I dreaded going to the adaptive classes because I knew what a safe space the Northeast Arc was for me.
The Services I Received:
I had a variety of services that I have received throughout my journey with Autism. One of which was ABA Therapy. I always say to people that ABA Therapy does wonders for individuals with disabilities. ABA taught me how I needed to behave and communicate with the people around me whether that was my family or people in public. I remember I used to have labels on different items around the house, my parents would film videos with my ABA therapist focused on teaching me skills, and I would get reward charts for my good behavior.
Another support service I received was speech and that has definitely shaped me into the public speaker and advocate I am today. I needed speech because I was nonverbal and did not start speaking until I was 3 years old. Speech really helped me with saying and sounding out words accurately as well as social cues. I started off as a boy who could not speak and have now gained the gift of speech by advocating for what I need.
The last service I will talk about is social work, which is definitely something I continue to work on day by day. I started social work to help me understand how to act in social situations as well as to build relationships with people. When I started, I struggled to make friends and would not understand peoples’ emotions. With social work, I learned about the different emotions, how to act in stressful situations, and how to interact with the people around me. Even to this day, one lesson that always stays with me from my social worker is “is it a big deal or a little deal.”
Who Is Jackson Now?:
I get asked this by so many people, but there is never just a one word answer. I am someone who embraces being autistic and always will. I tell many people when I get to know them that I have Autism because I am not ashamed, and no one should be ashamed of having a disability. Having a disability does not define me, it simply has given me a different way to look at the world.
Even though I do have Autism, it is not the only thing about me. I am a brother, a son, a friend, an advocate, a dancer, a singer, and a leader. I have an amazing family who I love to spend time with and to thank for the person I am. I also have many friends and am a social butterfly at Endicott College where I love to meet a new person every day. I also am a very musical person and love to write songs, sing, dance, and listen to music.
The Jackson today is someone completely different from the Jackson who was getting tested at three years old. As a toddler, I was so afraid of the world and worried what my life would look like in the years to come. Today, I know who I am and I will never let anyone take that away from me.
Share Your Stories:
One of the main reasons I wanted to start this blog was to connect with the readers. I want to get your input on the stories I share and hear what you relate to or don’t relate to. Please feel free to reach me by email at jacksonskane@gmail.com or on Instagram and share what you have learned or been inspired by after reading these blog posts.
I would encourage you all to reach out because it will help me grow tremendously as a blogger while also making my day. I look forward to hearing from you all and blogging even more!
Talk Soon, Jackson