• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Stone Soup Group

Supporting Alaskan Families who care for children with special needs.

  • About
    • History & Mission
    • Our Team
    • Our Accountability
    • Our Partners
    • News & Updates
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Press
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Search
Donate
  • Start Here
    • Choose the Right Path for Your Family
    • For Parents & Families
    • For Professionals
    • Programs & Services
    • Contact Us
  • Connect
    • Parent Navigation
    • Developmental Disabilities Resource Connection (DDRC)
    • MAP Parent Mentor Program
    • Specialty Clinics
    • Family Stories
  • Training & Events
    • Training and Event Registration
    • Community Calendar
    • 2023 Stone Soup Group Parent Conference
    • Parent Conference Archive
    • Training and Event Recordings Archive
  • Get Involved
    • Join the Board
    • Become a Mentor Parent
    • Speak Out
    • Invest in Families
    • Volunteer
  • Resources
    • Resources for Families in Response to COVID-19
    • Find a Provider
    • Family Resource Guide
    • Resources, Forms, Tip Sheets and Templates
    • Publications
    • Translated Videos and Materials
    • Financial Supports
    • FAQ
  • About
    • History & Mission
    • Our Team
    • Our Accountability
    • Our Partners
    • Careers
    • News & Updates
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Press

Two Bros

September 21, 2016 By Tory Shanklin Leave a Comment

Two Brothers

David (left), his brother (right)

 

David is a 25-year-old student at UAA who experiences bi-polar disorder as well as ADHD. Today he shares how these special needs and others have impacted his and his brother’s lives.

 

My brother and I were born a year and a month apart. Early on we showed signs of being a little more eccentric than other boys. When our parents split up it was harder for me than my brother as I had memories of our father. That’s when we moved to Alaska from the trailer park in Tennessee. We moved to Fairbanks to be close to our grandparents and we lived right down the street from them. Around then my mom who raised us alone had us checked for disabilities and thus found out that I had ADHD and my brother experiences high functioning autism.

Throughout schooling my brother and I soon found that we excelled at some things while we struggled in others. One thing that was always hard was making friends. So my brother and I would be the best of friends all throughout grade school. After a while, we moved to anchorage to find schools that offered better special needs resources and found ourselves at Tudor elementary. There a huge change in my brother’s life happened when he was under the care of a very special resource worker named Mr. Carey. My brother and Mr. Carey got along famously and with the help of speech therapy and starting counseling, he soon overcame his stutter and became more confident in his communication skills.

Trouble arose when we started high school, my brother had trouble with the classes and concentration, I myself had experienced some traumatic experiences and was soon diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder. I became so anxious with what was happening at home and in school that I couldn’t shower with my eyes closed because I was afraid that zombies would eat me. My brother and I began to drift apart because I started to develop mood swings and would be very unpleasant to my family. Soon thereafter I was at a breaking point and was sent to an inpatient treatment home to get better. I hated every step of it but it was a godsend. They adjusted my meds my mood became gradually more stable and my brother surprisingly was being supportive and said he missed me.

When I got out my brother and I started counseling therapy and began to get more in touch with how we feel. My brother continued his education through ACE program and I had to struggle to finish my high school diploma on time but we did it. After all we had been through, we both graduated. After I started college, my brother had started coming to Stone Soup Group and participating in the Wii club. He seemed to become even more so outgoing and it helped restore our friendship to what it was before.

3e3ec5c9-2093-4909-9cb9-9317f812d6e8Today my brother thrives at his job and at his paperclip artwork and paintings he does at Spark. And I have almost completed my associate’s degree at the University of Alaska Anchorage. In conclusion, we would not have made it as far as we did today with the adversities we faced if it were not for the friends and family that supported us. If not for individuals willing to make a difference in the lives of those with special needs or who just need a friend, many would be lost. I am thankful for my mom for standing by us and helping us by getting us into such programs and I thank the stars for Stone Soup Group who has provided for my family in more ways than one.

 

David, you are a talented writer. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Filed Under: Stories Tagged With: Alaska, autism, Bi-polar, family, Personal story, sibilings, young adult

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

Parents & FamiliesParents & Families

Find assistance with school, health care or behavior related issues through Parent Navigation, or be connected with other families in similar situations.

Learn More

Training & EventsTraining & Events

If you are a parent, professional or youth with special needs, Stone Soup Group offers year-round activities and training to help you gain skills and connect with others in our community.

Learn More

CommunityCommunity

Let your voice be heard. Join various community opportunities and speak your mind about the issues facing children and youth with special needs and the families who care for them.

Learn More

Find a Provider

Find a Provider

Google will tell you who is in our community, but it can’t tell you whether other families would recommend them. We can help you find recommendations from other families, along with other details like what insurance plans are accepted.

Learn More

Stone Soup Group 307 E Northern Lights Blvd #100 Anchorage, AK 99503 · Directions and Map
Phone: (907) 561-3701 · Tax ID: 92-0149995
Board Login
Privacy Policy and Website Disclaimer



Top
Copyright © 2023 Stone Soup Group · All rights reserved. Website by Sundog Media, LLC Logo Sundog Media, LLC.