Meet Kylah
Meet Kylah – Kylah is a 28 year old woman who graduated from high school, attended UNC–G Beyond Academics, is now self-employed, and lives on her own with support.
Kylah lost some of her skills, including words and pointing, as a toddler. This was one of her mother’s first concerns and she worried that she may have hearing difficulties. They began using pictures to communicate with her. Her parents were fairly isolated when Kylah was young because she had meltdowns when she was upset. They attended church and went on walks. Kylah received services through the CDSA including speech therapy, occupational therapy, and play therapy starting at 18 months of age and she received respite services at 3 years of age. She enjoyed playing alone, listening to music and watching movies.
As a preschooler, Kylah began to speak more. At times, she sounded as if she was speaking her own language and she memorized and repeated things she heard others say. She continued to communicate using sign language and pictures. Her mother also started to use visual schedules with her and established routines, such as “first-then”. Kylah and her family began socializing with close supportive family friends, extended family and families with autistic children. Kylah enjoyed swimming at the pool and swinging at the park. She also started to attend aftercare programs for children with disabilities when she was in preschool. Kylah started to engage in pretend play at this age. She also developed a fear of birds and had sensory issues which began to limit outdoor play. She also had sleep difficulties and safety issues as she would run off and climb. She received speech therapy, occupational therapy and intervention through TEACCH at this age.
Kylah’s language rapidly developed between kindergarten and 3rd grade and she was able to speak in simple sentences by the time she left elementary school. She had a strength in singing and music and joined the chorus in elementary school. By the time she was in 2nd grade, Kylah had support through the Innovations Waiver program. This meant direct support staff who would take her to community events and places. Family Caregiver Training included her mother and sister in activities so that they could learn how to best support her in the community. Kylah enjoyed autism-friendly activities, such as cooking events, the zoo, and museums. Kylah enjoyed horseback riding, drawing, and participating in summer theater programs. She continued with speech therapy and special education support services as well as an included setting for lunch and electives.
Kylah enjoyed Honors Theater, performed in multiple plays during high school, and graduated with her diploma. She continued to receive speech therapy with a focus on pragmatic and abstract language as well as conversation. Kylah is now in her late twenties and enjoys traveling, collecting, shopping, and watching movies. She attended Beyond Academics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Guilford Technical Community College. She is self-employed and has been active in the autism community as a research consultant for “Disrupting the Cycle of Inaccessible Healthcare and Supports for Minoritized Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities;” in addition to being an Autism Society of North Carolina Triad Run/Walk for Autism team leader.
Kylah is now in her late twenties and enjoys traveling, collecting, shopping, and watching movies. She attended Beyond Academics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Guilford Technical Community College. She is self-employed and has been active in the autism community as a research consultant for “Disrupting the Cycle of Inaccessible Healthcare and Supports for Minoritized Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities;” and an Autism Society of North Carolina Triad Run/Walk for Autism team leader.