His Challenge Became his Triumph! An Encouraging Story of Autism.
2015-07-02
This is a re-posting, by request, of an amazing young man with a jaw-dropping talent that otherwise would have gone unnoticed if not for his supportive Mother. Be sure and ‘vote’ for Grant Manier in a on-line Wells Fargo contest that would allow Grant the funding to continue his Eco-Art! It just takes less than a minute: Vote Here
by: Jennifer Allen/Aspergers101.org
Grant Manier’s (pronounced maun-yay) life began as an unsolved puzzle. With his mother and father divorcing school life was a challenge as his elementary teachers and fellow classmates quickly grew tired of his ‘unusual’ behaviors. To cope with the school room triggers, Grant retreated to his own world of art which included tearing paper. The steady long ripping of the paper soothed him and lessened the stressors of loud sounds however teachers soon became tired of the interruption of outbursts and deemed Grant a distraction that was unsuitable for the mainstream classroom.
Enter someone who completely changed the direction of this young mans life. Grant has an amazing Mom that turned this story (and her son’s future) around with some aggressive moves. She knew something was different with her son and definitely wasn’t working in the neuro-typical world she grew up in so she removed Grant from the school setting, decided to home-school her son and began the path of learning who he is and how they together could find a way to put this puzzle together once and for all. She knew her son had a form of High-Functioning Autism called Aspergers Syndrome.
I first met Julie Coy Manier through a mutual friend and upon talking with her over the phone, I quickly learned this quicksilver of a mom first loved her son and second held nothing back on his behalf!
A graduate of Abilene Christian University, Jennifer had a long career in TV Broadcasting. Upon learning her oldest son Sam had a form of Autism called Asperger’s Syndrome, she left her career and became a full-time mother to both of her sons. Jennifer elicited the participation of her family and together they produced several independent programs including a children’s animated series titled Ameriquest Kids, as well as a documentary and book titled, Coping to Excelling: Solutions for School-age Children Diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. She formed the nonprofit Asperger101 to provide on-going free resources related to ASD at Aspergers101.com and has implemented the Texas Driving with Disability Program and continues to grow the statewide initiative today. She and her husband have recently retired to their property in the Texas Hill Country.